Case Study: Using fake wood (!) in a historic renovation project
In the course of a recent renovation of a ca. 1795 home in Milton, we
needed to replicate an original rooftop balustrade.The one surviving
section displayed a "spider web" pattern composed of many small pieces
of wood nailed together.
Concerned that wood would not
hold up to the elements well in this situation and would require a lot
of maintenance, we explored other options. After much research (and
some soul-searching) we decided to reproduce the balustrade by having
the panels milled from sheets of PVC imitation wood. We're very
pleased with the result. Visually, the new panels are indistinguishable
from wood. But in terms of strength and maintenance, the PVC product is
superior.
We brought the surviving panel to a friend who has a CNC machine in his shop and asked him to cut the new sections from sheets of PVC material (one popular brand is Azek). A CNC machine is a cutting and shaping machine controlled by a computer. Our friend Nick programmed the pattern into his computer by tracing the original with the cutting head and entering the key positions into the software.
The rest was simple. He laid 4' x 10' sheets of 1 1/4" thick material on the table and pressed a button activating the cutter head. The result was 30 panels matching the original in appearance but stronger and better able to hold paint.
While some may argue against the use of synthetic materials in historic renovation projects, we feel that they are appropriate in some situations. In this case, the use of this material does not affect the aesthetics of the project, but provides the homeowners with a longer lasting product that will require far less maintenance than would have been the case if we had used wood.
PVC trim is certainly not the right choice for most of our projects. Wood has a subtlety in appearance and touch that cannot be matched by synthetic materials and-except in rare cases such as this balustrade- we stick with traditional materials when we can. One other great use of PVC wood, though, is any trim that comes in contact with the ground such as the lower trim boards on a porch.
Landmark Services has been renovating historic Massachusetts houses, barns, and churches for almost 20 years. Have a look at our project portfolio to see some of our past projects.
We'd love to help you plan and build your project so give us a call!
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.