Restoring San Francisco Victorians

Restoring San Francisco Victorians requires replacing 130-year-old unreinforced brick foundations with 12-inch thick steel-reinforced concrete footings. A full historic restoration costs an average of $800 per square foot and takes 18 months to complete. The process involves reverse-engineering original redwood millwork, completing seismic retrofits, and updating the plumbing while adhering strictly to the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission guidelines.

San Francisco Victorian Seismic Retrofitting

Seismic retrofitting secures the fragile wooden frame to the new concrete foundation to withstand earthquakes exceeding a magnitude of 7.0. Structural contractors install 0.625-inch thick steel hold-down brackets at each corner of the building. The contractors bolt the brackets into the concrete foundation using epoxy anchors embedded 8 inches deep. Plywood shear walls measuring 0.5 inches thick reinforce the cripple wall framing against lateral forces.

Recreating Victorian Architectural Ornamentation

Victorian facades feature elaborate gingerbread trim, corbels, and spindles originally milled from old-growth redwood. Master carpenters fabricate replacement corbels measuring 14 inches tall using kiln-dried Western Red Cedar. The carpenters use computer numerical control routers to precisely match the historic profiles to a tolerance of 0.03 inches. The intricate exterior woodwork requires application of a high-build alkyd primer to prevent moisture intrusion.

• Custom Corbels: Cost $250 each, measure 14 inches in height.
• Turned Spindles: Cost $45 each, measure 2.5 inches in diameter.
• Redwood Clapboard: Costs $8 per linear foot, measures 6 inches wide.

Modernizing Victorian Floor Plans

Original Victorian floor plans feature compartmentalized 10-by-12 foot rooms that restrict natural light. Architects remove non-load-bearing partition walls to create an open kitchen and family room measuring 400 square feet at the rear of the house. The structural engineer inserts a 16-inch wide steel wide-flange beam to support the second floor across the new open span. The restoration preserves the formal parlor rooms at the front of the home. Homeowners can verify structural codes via the International Code Council.

Victorian Exterior Painting Process

The exterior painting process highlights the ornate architectural details using a polychromatic color scheme. Painters apply 6 distinct colors to differentiate the window sashes, trim, body, and decorative accents. The painting crew spends 300 hours scraping, sanding, and filling the 130-year-old wood before applying a single drop of paint. The final finish utilizes a 100-percent acrylic latex paint that expands and contracts with the San Francisco fog.