Living in a Historic District....
Wesley Heights has been a local historic district for over 20 years. Living in a historic district requires a special appreciation for the structure in which you reside. Historic Districts are a living, breathing museum for future generations to enjoy. Being the owner of a historic home is a huge responsibility. You are charged to maintain the character of your home and to retain the original feel and distinct character of the community. Therefore, there are rules in place to aid your decisions and inform you of things you can and cannot do.
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The Historic District Commission (HDC) has established guidelines that are to be followed by all homeowners living in a historic district. If you do not follow the rules there are penalties and fines that can be applied. The link below will connect you to the City of Charlotte's HDC guidelines. Please be sure to read and understand them. Not knowing the rules can cost you lots of money. The HDC does not accept not knowing the rules to be used as excuse for disregarding them. Wesley Heights Community Association suggests that you read the rules carefully and understand them before beginning any work on your home, yard or original garage.
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Living in a historic home the time will come when you question whether or not you want to live with the original windows of the home or not. There have been a lot of studies on this topic and Wesley Heights wants to bring you the truth about the options. While older windows may be drafty and need some cosmetic work, they may be worth saving more than you are led to believe.
In our society of corporate marketing we have been led to believe that we are losing so much energy thru our old windows that replacing them is the best option for our budgets and also for the environment. This is actually not the whole truth. In most instances the amount of money you save on your heating bill will not equate to the amount of money you had to invest in the new replacement windows. It is also a myth that these windows will last you forever, when in most cases they will usually last 10-15 years before the seals between the double pane glass are compromised and you get the sweaty clouding in the middle.....hence the name replacement windows. Once you replace them, you are going to have to keep replacing them.... What you are not told is that windows made prior to World War II are made of indigenious wood that is more pest and rot resistant than newer wooden windows. Since the lumber used in the original windows were not grown on tree farms with fertilizers and artificial growth hormones, the trees are harder and more dense than our quickly grown and harvested trees of today. However, we don't want you to just take our word for it....read for yourself and make an informed decision before ripping out the original "eyes" of your home. You may be glad you chose not to change them after all.... |
