Old House My House

We still can’t believe that Tom Silva is renovating our house! Often when I have unrealistically high expectations about someone, the person falls short. But in this case, Tom has more than lived up to our admittedly high expectations. In keeping with our project that is a mix of old (exterior) and new (interior), Tom brings the best of both worlds. He has a deep knowledge of old houses and what makes them work, and a willingness to make use of new technologies to improve on the old when and where it makes sense. 

Another thing that surprised us about our project is how small the work crew is. Most of the time thus far, it has been Tom and one other helper, Dan. You can see how Tom produces such impeccable results—he only has people whose work he trusts working on the project. At first I was surprised when I would arrive at the house only to find Dan there by himself. I kept waiting for the big crew to arrive! This may change down the line as the project starts coming together, but for now it's been 

On some days there are more people working, like when the roofers and house framers did their jobs. But the sense of ownership and continuity by always having Dan and Tom there gives us so much confidence in the quality of the work that’s being done.

I know our house will be not only infinitely prettier and more livable when they're done, but that it will also be more structurally sound, well insulated, and all around well-built than it was originally. I think that’s pretty rare in renovations of old houses.