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Fix the Foundation Before You Spruce Up the Outside

Waxahachie, Texas, where I now live, could best be described as a town of antiques, antique furniture, antique cars, and antique houses.  People enjoy restoring antiques to their former beauty, but, in some cases, it appears that decay has advanced to the point that restoration is no longer possible.

Such was the case with the house not far from mine.

One evening, I was in desperate need of a break, so I jumped in my car for a ride. Heading off into the historic district of town, I noticed that an antique house I’d been itching to explore was open.

“Can I take a look inside?” I asked the woman on the porch who was clearly cleaning up after our annual Gingerbread Trail.

“Sure, just take off your shoes. The floors, you know.”

The house, newly restored, was a 1920 Craftsman style home. Six months before, I’d been certain it was headed for the wrecking ball. A broken foundation had worsened to the point that the house sagged several feet from side to side and right down the middle. Walking inside must have required railings. Eaves pointed toward the clouds. Nevertheless, some visionary saw past the bags and sags and tilts to the beautiful structure hidden beneath.

Now it glowed. New paint showed off beautiful architectural details, modern appliances gleamed in the kitchen, and the house’s foundation was, for the first time in my memory, level. Light streamed through banks of windows, filtered by the leaves of huge pecan trees. It was a house you could dream of coming home to.

“Better than new,” I thought.

The woman and I introduced ourselves and began to chat about the house’s rebirth. I mentioned that I was taking a break from caring for an Alzheimer’s parent and appreciated the respite that touring the house gave me.

“I understand how tiring it can be to take care of an Alzheimer’s patient,” she said. “I hope I can avoid getting it. But I don’t know what I can do. Eat a good diet, I guess. And hope they come up with a cure soon.”

I hope so too. But better than hoping for a cure is preventing dementia in the first place. The old house that gleamed in the background provides important clues:

• The foundation comes first. Without fixing the foundation, no cosmetic changes will be lasting.
• Focus on restoring original beauty rather than attempting to make an old house into a new one. The house was a brilliant example of the Craftsman era of the early 20th century. To attempt to make it into a 21st century home would be ridiculous.
• Find the beauty points, and focus attention on them. Ignore or diminish attention to less beautiful areas. No house, no person, is perfect or ever was.  Learn to be a visual magician.

When you feel good, you look good, so you can expect your efforts at improving the foundation to pay off in good looks as well as good health.

One Response to “Fix the Foundation Before You Spruce Up the Outside”

1. Hayabusa Gurl Says:
   May 31st, 2010 at 2:18 pm

   i just wanna thank you for sharing your this information and your site or blog this is simple but nice article I?ve ever seen i like it i learn something new today

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