Character homes in inner-city Calgary: repairs older houses need

Calgary is a young city, but its inner-city neighbourhoods still hold a good stock of older houses: early twentieth-century cottages and two-storeys in Inglewood and Ramsay, worker's houses on the hill in Bridgeland, and wartime and pre-war homes on the tree-lined streets of Hillhurst and Sunnyside. Many sit next to modern infills, and many have been renovated in pieces over the decades.

Older homes have character, and they have quirks. Doors that have not closed square since the house settled. Plaster walls that crack with every season. Original wood windows that rattle in a west wind. This guide covers the repairs older inner-city Calgary homes need most often, what a handyman can do, and where you need a licensed trade.

Most of these houses have been renovated more than once, so each repair starts with finding out what is behind the surface.

The neighbourhoods

Inglewood

Often called Calgary's oldest neighbourhood, Inglewood grew up east of the Elbow River around 9 Avenue SE, which still has many early commercial buildings. The residential streets mix early cottages and two-storey houses with newer infills, and the community backs onto the Bow River and the bird sanctuary.

Ramsay

Just south of Inglewood, between the Elbow River and the rail lines, Ramsay sits on the slope below Scotsman's Hill, looking over the Stampede grounds. It has many small older homes on narrow lots, some on steep streets.

Bridgeland

Bridgeland-Riverside rises from the Bow River up to the escarpment by Tom Campbell's Hill. Its main street along 1 Avenue NE has a long history, and the streets hold a mix of older homes, some carefully kept, many replaced by infills and townhomes.

Hillhurst and Sunnyside

Across the Bow from downtown, Hillhurst and Sunnyside share the shops of Kensington Road and 10 Street NW. Sunnyside sits on the flat ground under the escarpment, with many older bungalows and two-storeys on narrow lots. Hillhurst runs up toward Riley Park and SAIT. Parts of both were affected by the 2013 flood, and many basements have been redone since.

Common repairs in older homes

Doors that stick, rub or will not latch

After decades of settling, door frames go out of square. Add Calgary's seasonal swings in humidity and older wood doors bind in one season and rattle in another. Fixes include:

• Tightening hinges and adding long screws into the framing
• Moving the strike plate so the latch catches
• Planing the door, carefully and only where needed
• Replacing worn hardware with pieces that suit the house

Original doors are often worth keeping. Older solid wood doors are heavier and better made than many hollow-core replacements.

Plaster and lath walls

Many older homes still have plaster on wood lath, sometimes behind newer drywall. Plaster cracks with movement and can loosen from the lath. Small cracks can be taped and filled. Loose plaster may need to be re-secured with plaster washers before patching. Mixed walls, where some rooms have been drywalled and others have not, need repairs that match the existing surface. See drywall repair in Calgary for general crack and patch work.

Windows

Original wood windows can be drafty, stick in their tracks or have broken sash cords. Storm windows may be missing or damaged. Short of full replacement, many can be improved with:

• New weatherstripping
• Re-glazing putty on loose panes
• Freeing painted-shut sashes
• Repairing or replacing hardware
• Caulking exterior trim joints

See weatherstripping and draft-proofing.

Trim and baseboards

Old trim gets damaged, painted over many times and pulls away from walls that are no longer flat. Re-nailing, filling, caulking and repainting brings it back. Replacement pieces can often be matched with standard profiles or close equivalents.

Floors that creak

Older floors creak where boards have loosened from the joists. Some squeaks can be fixed from below in an unfinished basement. Uneven floors from settling are normal in older homes and are usually not a handyman repair.

Front porches and steps

Many older homes have wood front porches and stairs, which take the full force of freeze-thaw. Look for soft treads, loose railings and rot at post bases.

Fences and back lanes

Older neighbourhoods have back lanes and fences that have been patched many times. Leaning posts and gates that do not latch are common. Garages off the lane often have man-doors that do not close properly.

When to call a licensed trade

Keeping original features

One of the best things about an older home is the detail: solid wood doors, deep baseboards, original casings, glass knobs, built-in cabinets. When repairing, it usually pays to keep these rather than replace them with modern stock:

• Old doors can often be adjusted, re-hung and fitted with new weatherstripping instead of replaced
• Original hardware can be cleaned and reused, and reproduction hardware is available for missing pieces
• Damaged trim can be patched with filler and matched sections, then painted
• Built-ins can be re-secured and their doors adjusted

Repairs that respect the original materials also tend to look right for longer, since they move with the rest of the house.

Infills next door

Many inner-city homes now sit next to new infills. Construction next door can bring changes to fences on the shared line, drainage between lots and access to side yards. Talk to the neighbour or builder about shared fences before repairs.

Parking and access

Inner-city streets often have permit parking, narrow lanes and limited space. When you text for a quote, let us know if there is parking at the back off the lane or on the street.

Nearby areas

These neighbourhoods sit across several quadrants. For more on each, see handyman in SE Calgary for Inglewood and Ramsay, handyman in NE Calgary for Bridgeland, and handyman in NW Calgary for Hillhurst and Sunnyside.

What to send

• A photo of the problem and a wider photo for context
• The approximate age of the house if you know it
• Your neighbourhood and street parking situation
• The days that suit you

You will get a price before anything is booked. See the services list.

Free quote by text

Text a photo from your older home

Send a photo of the job, your neighbourhood and the days that suit you. You get a price back before anything is booked. Materials are agreed in the quote, and you can pay by Interac e-Transfer, cash or bank draft.

647‑806‑8070

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Calgary NW, NE, SW and SE, plus Airdrie and Chestermere.

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