Some buildings have protected status as examples of historical styles or significant events. These heritage buildings must be approached carefully for ANY work - check with the municipality or conservation authority responsible for the status designation.

LISTEN Part 1...

Municipal, provincial and national organizations provide guidelines for the repair, maintenance and renovation of buildings with heritage status. If a building is NOT designated, there may not be restrictions in place for its structure alone, but still may be subject to community and city planning by-laws. Consult with your local building officials before starting any work on heritage buildings.

The Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries (in the Province of Ontario, Canada) has the following guidelines for work on heritage buildings and structures:

LISTEN Part 2...

1. Respect for documentary evidence

• Conservation work should be based on historical documentation, such as historical photographs, drawings and physical evidence.

2. Respect for the original location

• Do not move buildings unless there is no other means to save them. Site is an integral component of a building.

3. Respect for historical material

• Repair or conserve rather than replace building materials and finishes, except where absolutely necessary.

4. Respect for original fabric

• Repair with like materials, to return the resource to its prior condition without altering its integrity.

5. Respect for the buildings history

• Do not destroy later additions to a house solely to restore it to a single time period.

6. Reversibility

• Alterations should be able to be returned to original conditions. For instance, when a new door opening is put in a stone wall, the original stones are numbered, removed and stored, allowing for future restoration.

7. Legibility

• New work should be clearly distinguishable from old.

8. Maintenance

• With regular upkeep, major conservation projects and their high costs can be avoided.

EXTRA RESOURCE: Federal Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Buildings in Canada