Heritage Home Resources
Renovating Older Homes And Buildings
Renovating or restoring a heritage home or building?
Don't be so quick to replace old with new.
The details on your building add character and are cheaper to keep than to replace!
- 30 to 60% of our landfills are made up of rubble from construction and demolition.
- Rehabilitation of older buildings uses 23% less energy than new construction.
- Using (or reusing) materials that are salvaged, or similar to the original, will better suit your home and cost less.
- Vinyl cladding can prevent an older home from breathing properly.
- Repairing old plaster walls is easier and less costly than drywall.
- Wood windows (with minor maintenance) will outlive vinyl ones. It is cheaper to repair than to replace windows.
Local resources to get you started:
Contact Heritage Oshawa for suggestions regarding Researchers, Building Suppliers, Craftsmen, Tradesmen or Contractors who have experience with older buildings.
Had a good or bad experience while renovating or restoring? Contact us with your suggestions for additions or deletions to our resource files.
Who lived in the house before me? When was the house built? What did it look like?
To do a title search you will need your property address, PIN or a legal description. Visit the Land Registry Office in Whitby, 590 Rossland Road East to conduct a search.
The museum as well as local libraries will have valuable information such as City Directories, early maps and Census records.
Oshawa Community Museum and Archives
1450 Simcoe Street South
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905-436-7624 |
Fax: 905- 436-7625 |
The Thomas Bouckley Collection of Historical Photographs contains many images of Oshawa. It is accessible to the public by contacting the art gallery.
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
72 Queen Street, Civic Centre
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905-576-3000 |
Fax: 905-576-9774 |
More tips on researching the history of your home from the Peterborough MHC.
Available through your local bookstore or library or as reference material through Heritage Oshawa (see*).
Badone, Donalda, The Complete House Detective: an Ontario House and Its History, (Out of Print) Library call number 728.09713 BAD
Blumenson, John, Ontario Architecture: A Guide to Styles and Building Terms 1784 to the Present,
(Out of Print) Library call number 720.9713 BLU
Corson, Jennifer, The Resourceful Renovator: A Gallery of Ideas for Reusing Building Materials,
Library call number 643.7 *
Cruickshank, Tom, Old Ontario Houses: Traditions in Local Architecture, Library call number 728.09713*
Fram, Mark, Well Preserved: The Ontario Heritage Foundation's Manual of Principles and Practice for Architectural Conservation, Library call number 720.28809713 FRA *
Hutchins, Nigel, Restoring Wooden Houses, Library call number 643.7 HUT
Hutchins, Nigel, Restoring Houses of Brick & Stone, Library call number 643.7 HUT
Hutchins, Nigel, Restoring Old Houses, Library call number 643.7 HUT
Kitchen, Judith L., Caring for Your Old House. A Guide for Owners and Residents, Library call number 643.7 *
Nash, George, Renovating Old Houses, Library call number 643.7 NAS
Poore, Patricia, The Old-House Journal Guide to Restoration, Library call number 728.02880973 OLD*
Heritage Preservation and National Park Service, Caring for your Historic House, *
Environment Canada Parks Services, Researching Heritage Buildings, *
Old House Journal - Restoration Directory
OldHouses.com Old House - Restoration Stories & Blogs
The Old House Web ... Ideas, Advice & Community for Old House Enthusiasts
Legacy Vintage Building Supply - reclaimed architectural artifacts and building materials
Old House Parts - Order Online
PLEASE NOTE this list is not all-inclusive. These are suggestions not recommendations. Web sites may go offline without notice.
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