When working with older buildings that need to be either rebuilt or maintained, the technical terms used in the professional industry are historic reconstruction and historic rehabilitation. On this page, we will break down what each of these terms means in greater detail. Therefore, if you need this type of service done in the near future, the following information will be very helpful.

Similarities of Historic Reconstruction and Historic Rehabilitation

If this topic is new to you or you need one of these services done on a certain building, it is important that you educate yourself on what the main similarities and differences between historic reconstruction and historic rehabilitation. Otherwise, you can end up requesting the wrong type of service or going with a contractor that doesn’t truly appreciate the differences. If you need to have either service done in the near future, be sure to visit Turnbull Masonry for more information or clarification on how they are done.

Require Lots of Expertise on Older Construction

It is important to understand how the original building was constructed when conducting both historic reconstruction and rehabilitation. Much of the work involved in these tasks is dependent on a contractor’s overall level of experience with historic construction. That’s why it’s so important to hire someone with a high degree of expertise. Without the proper knowledge of how the building was initially put together, the contractor cannot restore the building with the proper respect to the building’s history.

Can Create Lots of Unexpected Problems

Historic buildings are often left undisturbed and unmaintained for a long period of time. Natural decay and other forces can impact the overall security and integrity of the building, often in unpredictable ways. For this reason, both of these types of restoration are very delicate processes. If you are unable to get it done by the right people, you can end up destroying the entire complex instead of producing the desired end-result.

Differences of Historic Reconstruction from Historic Rehabilitation

Now that we have covered the basic similarities between these two terms, let’s go ahead and switch up gears. Below, we will break down the two major differences that we notice when we compare historic reconstruction vs historic rehabilitation. Thankfully, it is very easy to understand what makes these two services different. However, keep these differences in mind while determining which type of historic restoration that you need done.

Historic Reconstruction Means that You Start from Scratch

When a building requires a full historic reconstruction, it is often almost completely destroyed because it is virtually unusable in its current state. In these instances, the best way to honor the past is to reconstruct the building its original splendor. This is generally a lot harder than it sounds and requires professional knowledge of how the building was initially put together. Otherwise, the reconstructed building will not serve its purpose to resemble the building that it once was.

Historic Rehabilitation Means that You Fix Things Up

As for historic rehabilitation, the main difference is that the building is still, for the most part, intact and usable. Therefore, this generally requires work in areas such as the building base, the piping, ventilation, and so on. You are rehabbing the building instead of rebuilding it. If you are still able to use the building safely but minor to major repairs are required, a historic rehabilitation is the job that you need to be done.

Contact Turnbull Masonry today if you need to have a historic restoration in Toronto done in the most professional manner possible.