Condition Assessments

One of the tasks Arcadia Restorations is most frequently asked to undertake is the performance of a building condition assessment. These reports are designed to help historic building owners build a better understanding of the structures in their charge. The process typically entails one or more site visits, a brief interview about what the owners’ intent for the building might be, and then a careful examinati0n of all primary elements of the building, including exterior architectural elements, interior, framing if visible, and finishes and condition throughout. After assessing what exists on site, any historical information that can be gleaned will be summarized, and any conjectures or theories about what may have once been present, or a chronology of alterations, will be compiled. Finally, any elements of deterioration or damage, as well as any other potential causes for concern, will be outlined in a prioritized manner, and rough cost and timeline estimates generated for planning purposes.

These reports are written from the standpoint of an historic preservationist, architectural historian and preservation carpenter. While we may have some comments or advice to give on matters such as hazardous materials abatement, heating and ventilation issues, or routine physical plant concerns, these are more the purview of specialist contractors in those fields. We have had the privilege of working with some of the most important structures in the state, but be it barn, chicken house, meeting house church or bridge, we are ready to give advice which will allow owners to understand their building more, and construct a road map for the restoration and ongoing upkeep of the building’s overall historic fabric.

We also offer NDT (non-destructive testing) services for certain clients entailing resistograph or resistance drilling surveys.

Peacham Village Church, Assessed structure.