Heritage preservation and reconstruction

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

Since vinyl siding was here long before Crocs we could say that Crocs are the vinyl siding of the shoe industry

Accurate! Both should be banned!

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Accurate! Both should be banned!

And while we're at it, let's ban whatever you call the ugly cookie-cutter architecture being applied to most new buildings these days.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Accurate! Both should be banned!

Let's ban urban planning programs in post-secondary schools while we're swinging the ban bat!

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Let's ban urban planning programs in post-secondary schools while we're swinging the ban bat!

I don't see the connection you're drawing. I have no gripe with urban planning.

But, aesthetics go beyond 'plans' and often require a bigger vision. Materials requirements don't seem out of line with me when we have a forestry industry we could be tapping into to meet our needs through the tax benefits as discussed and that the vinyl industry is not environmentally or socio-economically legit. Such a vision would be as much cultural as it would be economic (getting the supply and labour mix right and the tax treatment).

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Objectively, vinyl siding is a horrible aesthetic. It's the crocs of building materials.

And yet Crocs are wildly popular for their utility...

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

I don't see the connection you're drawing. I have no gripe with urban planning.

But, aesthetics go beyond 'plans' and often require a bigger vision. Materials requirements don't seem out of line with me when we have a forestry industry we could be tapping into to meet our needs through the tax benefits as discussed and that the vinyl industry is not environmentally or socio-economically legit. Such a vision would be as much cultural as it would be economic (getting the supply and labour mix right and the tax treatment).

Perhaps not everyone wants to sign up for the continual maintenance that is required by wood siding. However I agree that vinyl looks ‘wrong’ on houses from the early 20th century and before, as does larger format wood siding, by the way.

Anyhow, I hate how the discussion about a report of how many historic buildings we have lost has turned into a debate about vinyl siding, but such is the internet…

[Empire]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Perhaps not everyone wants to sign up for the continual maintenance that is required by wood siding. However I agree that vinyl looks ‘wrong’ on houses from the early 20th century and before, as does larger format wood siding, by the way.

Anyhow, I hate how the discussion about a report of how many historic buildings we have lost has turned into a debate about vinyl siding, but such is the internet…

Well in a way we are losing the historic appearance of buildings to vinyl. Vinyl is not without maintenance issues. Mildew has to be routinely pressure washed from vinyl siding at great cost, vinyl is very susceptible to wind damage and often replacement sections are a different shade from the original. UV damage can fade siding and of course there is the issue of buying or selling a home with one colour option.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Empire

Well in a way we are losing the historic appearance of buildings to vinyl. Vinyl is not without maintenance issues. Mildew has to be routinely pressure washed from vinyl siding at great cost, vinyl is very susceptible to wind damage and often replacement sections are a different shade from the original. UV damage can fade siding and of course there is the issue of buying or selling a home with one colour option.

The maintenance needs of wood siding are a little overblown—yes, it requires more care than vinyl, but it doesn’t need to be wholly refinished or repainted every five years. It doesn’t need to be painted or finished at all—IF it's kept clean it can last for decades. My house has cedar shingles from almost a decade ago that have never received anything but mild scrubbing every couple of years, and they're like new, aside from natural greying.

As others have pointed out, vinyl also gets damaged, warped, mildew-covered, etc. And absolutely nothing looks shabbier than old, beat-up white vinyl siding.

[OldDartmouthMark]

If you ask me, it’s all being overblown. Choose whatever siding you prefer.

Vinyl siding installed on an old building doesn’t look good, but it doesn’t destroy the building. Tearing down a building destroys it. It’s that simple.

Wood siding looks great, but for my tastes, I hate the look of greyed cedar. I prefer paint. Paint does peel and does need to be redone or at least touched up periodically… been there done that.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

If you ask me, it’s all being overblown. Choose whatever siding you prefer.

Vinyl siding installed on an old building doesn’t look good, but it doesn’t destroy the building. Tearing down a building destroys it. It’s that simple.

Wood siding looks great, but for my tastes, I hate the look of greyed cedar. I prefer paint. Paint does peel and does need to be redone or at least touched up periodically… been there done that.

Exactly. All those old pics of Halifax makes it look like most of the buildings were clad in unpainted shingles that turned gray and then black from coal smoke. There’s a reason they called Halifax a Dirty Old Town.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

As others have pointed out, vinyl also gets damaged, warped, mildew-covered, etc. And absolutely nothing looks shabbier than old, beat-up white vinyl siding.

I've also lived in a vinyl-sided house, and I think these claims are overblown as well. Went through several hurricanes, no damage, no warpage, the mildew thing happens every few years if we have a cool wet summer, but is remedied by a couple of hours with a pressure washer that has a soap attachment.

Been there, done that as well.

Still like the look of painted, narrow-row, wood shingles on a vintage house especially with all the gingerbread of a Victorian. They are worth the maintenance for the appearance, but let's just try to keep it real. Vinyl is not the horror show that it's being made out to be.

Crocs also have a use as well, although I can honestly say I've never owned a pair. Doesn't mean that I want to prevent anybody else from buying them if they want to (just be careful on escalators!).

Ugly apartment buildings... you have my full support if you want to ban ugly architecture. Let's bitch about that for awhile... but in another thread, please.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Exactly. All those old pics of Halifax makes it look like most of the buildings were clad in unpainted shingles that turned gray and then black from coal smoke. There’s a reason they called Halifax a Dirty Old Town.

This is what I remember when maintenance is not done. The shingles warp, rot, fall off. They will last longer if you maintain them properly, but a lot of the vinyl siding jobs that people complain about were done because it was cheaper to install new vinyl over damaged wood (when it looks like the pic below), than to actually repair the wooden siding. Not ideal, but it's the way that it is, or was anyhow. The bright side is that if a new owner with more cash flow and desire removes the vinyl siding, the house still stands and all the wood siding is waiting there (though probably further deteriorated) to be repaired or replaced, with a nice fresh coat of paint to be applied in the end. Not sure what all the pearl clutching is about.

Identified! Salter St. near Upper Water St. by Halifax Municipal Archives, on Flickr

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

Since vinyl siding was here long before Crocs we could say that Crocs are the vinyl siding of the shoe industry

... and because siding goes on buildings and crocs go on feet, crocs are vinyl siding for your feet.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

... and because siding goes on buildings and crocs go on feet, crocs are vinyl siding for your feet.

Love it!

[JET]

NS Supreme Court decision that Dal cannot tear down the Historic registered house that they bought 4 years ago with a plan to tear it down and leave as an empty lot.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by JET

NS Supreme Court decision that Dal cannot tear down the Historic registered house that they bought 4 years ago with a plan to tear it down and leave as an empty lot.

Not the Supreme Court; it was the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court had said Dal could tear it down. The Court of Appeal reversed that decision.

[JET]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

Not the Supreme Court; it was the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court had said Dal could tear it down. The Court of Appeal reversed that decision.

Thanks for the correction, heard it briefly on the radio, and got it reversed.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Either way, it’s good news in that perhaps other entities might be dissuaded from buying heritage properties for the purpose of creating empty lots for ’future use’ moving forward…

[JET]

Maybe the School of Architecture will use the building to spotlight built heritage.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by JET

Maybe the School of Architecture will use the building to spotlight built heritage.

Anything would be better than what they had planned to do with it.