A recent question about what books old-house owners have found useful prompted to me to act on my oft-postponed wish to start a thread specifically dedicated to old house books. I thought about adding on the other thread, but I decided not to co-opt the OP's question, which was geared to her specifc situation. What I was thinking of was something where we can post names of books we've found helpful, and perhaps queries as they come up.

I'll start with a couple of my faves:

1) The Impecunious House Restorer: Personal Vision and Historical Accuracy by John. T Kirk; Knopf 1984; ISBN 0-394-53051-9 and 0-394-72409-7 (paper).

- First person tale of the work on a house (actually more than one house) by someone who has the skils, and historical and technical chops to do an historic rehabilitation of an early 19th c Masssashusetts farm house. Interesting and modest; with good chapters on the ups and downs of the project and how to examine a house and really see it.

2) Antique Houses Their Construction and Restoration by Edward P. Friedland, Dutton Studio Books 1990; 0-525-24229-5 (cloth) and 0-525-48111-7 (paper).

- Excellent on the naming of the parts of early to late-mid 19th c houses (not much on balloon-framed houses), with good drawings and excellent discussion/checklists on examining a house to draw up a schedule of needed work. Good suggestions for integrating modern services into historic houses without too much angst.

I have often use these two, and others, and I hope you will add your own, with comments. I find references from other people to be the best sources.

What books have you used, worn out, spilled paint on and singed with your torch? Those are the ones I want to hear about!

If we keep adding things, this thread could say alive for awhile, until someone here can figure out how to make it into an FAQ.

Looking forwad to what you all are using....

Molly~