Norm Abram, one of the leading authorities on vintage home renovation, tells OurHouse that when it comes to renovation small is better and green is good.
OH: You’ve been master carpenter of This Old House for 30 years. What keeps things interesting for you?
Norm Abram: One thing that seems to be consistent over the past 30 years, and for years before that in my own projects as a contractor, is that when you get involved with the renovation of an old house, you never know what you’re going to find. There are never two alike, and you learn more from every one you do.
OH: We hear you were discovered when you were commissioned to build a barn in suburban Boston.
Abram: I started doing a job for This Old House creator Russell Morash in the middle of winter. He said he was going to do this TV show about renovating old homes and was looking for someone to work along with him.
OH: And?
Abram: I went and looked at the project with him and said, “Why not?” I had no clue he was going to put me on TV. On the first day working on the project, he told me to go up to the eaves on the house and explain [to the camera] what happened and how we were going to fix it. I was terrified, but I wasn’t uncomfortable doing what I’ve been doing for a long time.
OH: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in construction or home trends?
Abram: There’s a saying with old houses that they don’t build them like they used to, but we have a saying: it’s a good thing they don’t.
OH: Why is that?
Abram: A lot of old houses are understructured because they built with materials they had. But the materials available today can make a house stronger and better. The trick is to try to incorporate nice details that give it the character of an old house.
OH: Are people just as interested in restoring old homes today as they were when the show first aired?
Abram: We are at a point now where the chances of finding an old house that hasn’t been remodeled or modified a few times over the years is getting difficult, and the cost of renovation is still very expensive. Plus, land has become so valuable that sometimes people tear houses down instead of restoring them.
OH: Are you seeing more of an interest in “greening” old homes?
Abram: This Old House has always been green. We’ve always tried to be energy efficient and to make houses as tight as we could. We recently did a LEED certified product, and we used reclaimed materials, salvaged materials, good insulation and good mechanical systems. There is an upfront cost but it will pay off in long-term benefits.
OH: For homeowners looking to make a quick fix, what are some of the easiest, least expensive home-renovation projects?
Abram: As long as the house is sound with no [major issues] you can dress it up and make it look better with a fresh paint job on the outside, refinishing the floors or redoing the rooms on the inside by repainting or re-wallpapering. Landscaping the yard also helps, pruning back bushes or doing appropriate plantings.
OH: Where do you see the home-renovation field heading in the future?
Abram: I think people will really be looking at energy in the future, and they’ll be more in line with being modest, realizing that small is better and it doesn’t cost as much on the energy size.
OH: Please elaborate
Abram: For instance, a recent project we did is a very modest house, and the homeowners are doing modest additions. They didn’t go for the master bedroom with the huge bathroom and suite. People are cutting back and realizing it’s not about the big house, but about keeping the character of an old house.
OH: What are your thoughts on building a new house?
Abram: Even in building a new house, I’d like to see people start building smaller; they don’t need all that space.
