OLD-HOUSE SAVVY

Photo courtesy of historicalbricks.com	The Accidental Charm of Clinker Bricks We think of bricks as models of consistency, modular building units about 2" x 4" x 8", relatively identical in color. By the early 1900s, though, the distorted shapes and intense hues of clinker bricks, the manufacturing accidents that had long been the bane of brick makers, became a boon to creative builders and architects who found visual energy and natural beauty in the bricks' irregularity. Click to Continue

Photo courtesy of James C. Massey	Queen Anne and Why We Love Her So If you had to pick just one architectural style to represent the American Victorian house, you could do a lot worse than the Queen Anne. There were plenty of other house styles around in the Victorian age—which was, if nothing else, a period of rampant architectural enthusiasms. Click to Continue

Cedar Valley Handcrafted Shingle Panels It Starts with the Wood and Lasts with the Finish – Cedar Valley shingle panels and accessories are available in hundreds of factory finished stains and colors. Because we only use 100% on grade Western Red Cedar, and we create a natural surface by cross-grain sawing, stains penetrate our shingles deeper and paint covers more evenly. You get a superior finish that will hold its color and protect longer.

Truly great buildings are designed and constructed to stand the test of time. That's why leading builders and architects choose Cedar Valley siding systems for their finest projects. No outside wall treatment, natural or man-made, protects better or more beautifully. Our complete exterior siding systems consist of handcrafted eight-foot panels, and matching corners, radius flares, column wraps and decorator shapes, all constructed using 100% Western Red Cedar shingles mounted over an integrated fiberglass moisture barrier onto a strong plywood backing.

You get natural beauty and long-lasting protection down to the last detail.

Cedar Valley Shingle Systems
800-521-9523 • www.cedar-valley.com

Sponsored by

House exteriors got gussied up big time during the Victorian Era. To find out how, read A Show of Shingles in the June issue of Old-House Journal, on newsstands May 1st. Click Here to Preview

From Old-House Journal's 2008 Restoration Directory
	Plantation Style Illuminate your entryway—and add some historic ambiance—with lanterns from Charleston Gas Light. The Plantation and French Quarter Collections are based on examples from fine Southern homes dating to the 1800s. Made of copper or brass, the lamps acquire a deep, rich, natural patina, and can be outfitted for electric or gas operation. For more information, call (877) 427-5483, or visit www.charlestongaslight.com.

	Lights Fantastic Since 1974, Richard Scofield Historic Lighting has created high-quality reproduction lamps. The company's Farm Lantern is available in five finishes (such as raw copper, left), and can be candle-powered or electrified. Their French Station Lantern is based on an 18th-century French railroad design. For more information, call (860) 767-7032, or visit www.scofieldhistoriclighting.com.

	Rainy Day Symphony Copper rain chains are rooted in Japan, where kusari doi have been used for centuries. When rain chains replace traditional downspouts, they add not only a unique decorative element to houses like bungalows and Tudors, but also relaxing sound effects as water cascades down them. Berger offers rain chains in six different designs, in 8½-foot lengths. For more information, call (800) 523-8852, or visit www.bergerbros.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
on sponsoring an issue of the Old-House Savvy e-newsletter,
contact Greg Greene at ggreene@homebuyerpubs.com.