Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)

From Library Journal This is a reincarnation of Nash's out-of-print classic, Old House: A Rebuilder's Manual ( LJ 1/15/80), substantially rewritten and reorganized. The focus is the major defects of old houses: the heaved foundation walls, defunct mechanical systems, rotted structural timbers, damaged roofs, and broken staircases. Nash is both an artful writer and a knowledgeable renovation specialist. He writes with poetic grace about the unique character and hidden beauty of old houses, yet he's remarkably clearheaded and resourceful when dealing with their often maddening irregularities. There isn't a better sourcebook on the larger structural challenges of renovation. Most libraries should have this as a companion volume to Michael Litchfield's Renovation: A Complete Guide ( LJ 8/90. rev. ed.).