Renovating an older historic home in PA can be a really rewarding experience, and the satisfaction of keeping your home’s character and charm is something that is definitely worth the effort. Unfortunately, remodeling these homes comes with challenges that you may not run into with a newer house. Older homes often have unique doors, moulding, stair parts, cabinetry, mantels, built-ins, and other architectural details that are difficult to replace with standard products. Because of this, choosing the right contractor for a historic home renovation is especially important.
At MRD Lumber, we work with homeowners and contractors on historic renovations throughout our area. Our custom millshop can create custom doors, stairs, trim and moulding, cabinetry, mantels, built-ins, and other materials designed to match the style of an older home. Because we regularly work on these types of projects and with the contractors completing them, we have seen firsthand how important it is to choose a builder who understands historic homes.
If you are trying to figure out how to find a contractor for a historic PA home renovation, here are a few good places to start.
Look Online For Contractors With Historic Renovation Experience
Online reviews and photos can help you narrow down your options as well. When looking at contractor websites, Google Business Profiles, or social media pages, pay attention to whether they actually show older-home or historic renovation projects.
Photos can tell you whether a contractor has experience blending new work into an older property rather than simply replacing everything with modern materials. Reviews can also give you insight into communication, workmanship, problem solving, and how satisfied homeowners were with the completed renovation.
Talk To Several Historic Home Renovation Contractors And Compare Quotes
Not every contractor is the right choice to remodel historic homes in PA. To find the right one for your project, you should closely compare quotes and look for contractors that specialize in historic renovations. Look for a contractor who understands what you want to preserve and can clearly explain how they plan to complete the project. The best contractors for a historic renovation aren’t going to be the ones with the cheapest quote, but the ones that work with you to figure out what you are hoping to accomplish with your renovation. A good historic home remodeler should understand why you want to keep your home’s style, what parts of the building are changing, what your timeline looks like, and if there are any parts you would want to modernize.
Ask Other Owners Of Historic Homes Who They Worked With
If you know someone who has renovated an older home, ask them about the contractor they used. This can be especially helpful because they may have dealt with many of the same challenges you are expecting in your own renovation, and they can connect you with builders who handled their project very well.
Ask how the contractor handled original trim, doors, stairs, unusual dimensions, or other details that could not simply be replaced with standard building materials. A recommendation from someone who has already completed a similar historic renovation can give you a good idea of which contractors are worth considering.
Ask Building Supply Companies Which Historic Home Remodelers They Work With
One of the best resources for finding a historic home renovation contractor can be a building supply company that already works with these types of projects. MRD Lumber has supplied construction materials throughout our area for more than 40 years, and historic renovations are one of the areas where our experience can be especially useful. We regularly help contractors and homeowners find or create materials that work with older homes instead of taking away from their original character.
Because we work closely with both the materials and the contractors involved in historic renovations, we have a good understanding of which builders have experience with this type of work. When a contractor regularly works with us to match historic details and source the right materials, it gives us a much better idea of how they approach these projects.
If you are wondering where to find a contractor for a historic home renovation in Pennsylvania, MRD Lumber may be able to connect you with contractors we already know and trust.
Make Sure Your Contractor Understands What You Want To Preserve
Not every old feature needs to stay exactly as it is, but you should decide early what parts of your home are important to preserve. Maybe you want new windows and a modern kitchen but still want to keep the home’s original moulding. Or perhaps an original door, mantel, or built-in needs to be recreated because it is damaged beyond repair.
A contractor who understands historic renovations should be willing to work around those goals instead of automatically replacing unique features with whatever standard product is easiest to purchase. That is also where working with a custom building material supplier can make a major difference. If an original piece cannot be saved, MRD Lumber can often help create something that fits the style and character of the home.
Let MRD Lumber Help You Find A Contractor For Historic PA Home Renovations
Historic homes deserve a little extra care when they are remodeled. The right contractor should understand how to update your home while protecting the features that give it its character in the first place.
MRD Lumber has decades of experience working with contractors and homeowners on older and historic properties throughout Pennsylvania. Between our knowledge of historic renovation materials, custom millwork capabilities, and relationships with local builders, we can help you get your project moving in the right direction. We can also help provide the custom doors, specialty moulding, custom stairs, custom cabinetry, mantels & built-ins, lumber, and other products needed to make new work fit naturally into your historic home.
If you are trying to find a contractor for historic PA home renovations or need materials that match the original style of your property, contact MRD Lumber today.