The Health of Old Homes

The most comprehensive list for why old places matters was developed by Tom Mayes and includes topics you would typically think of such as identity, memory, continuity, and beauty as well as some more broad topics such as economic impact, sustainability, and community. What I have yet to come across is health as a reason to save old places, but in reading Urban Sprawl and Public Health it occurred to me that your old home is actually beneficial to your health.

You might be thinking that old homes cannot possibly be healthy structures when most were built before safety measures were in place and building, electrical, and zoning codes (all the codes that drive a home owner crazy during construction) were adopted to ensure we built to standards to keep us safe. But there are actually many features of old homes that encourage a healthy lifestyle and many upgrades that resolve any unhealthy elements.

Envelope

The first way your old home is healthy is through its envelope (the outer walls). Most old homes have small leaks in their building envelope, whereas new construction is sealed up tight to regulate temperatures better. While sealing up your old home will lead to a more comfortable interior temperature with lower humidity and utility bills, it has the negative effect of reducing air quality. Old leaky homes allow fresh air in and stale air out, which is why many older homes were less prone to carbon monoxide poisonings as the bad air leaked out through the walls. You can of course fix both issues by sealing up your envelope and installing a proper mechanical system that brings in fresh air instead of recycling stale air from inside.

Windows

Along the same lines as the envelope, old homes relied on operable windows for fresh air and temperature regulation before air conditioning was invented. I still prefer to open the windows on a nice spring or fall day to let outside air do the work of cooling my space, even with central air installed. After a long winter, those first couple of days with the windows open are a nice change from breathing the same stale indoor air. One downside to older windows that is easily remedied is lead paint. If you are a lucky home owner with your original wood stained windows you have nothing to worry about, however those who inherited a home with painted windows may have to deal with lead paint, a hazard especially to children. The best course of action is to have the windows stripped down and either stained or painted with a low or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) product. This will also help restore the old wood windows for another 100 years of use. In no instance however should you replace the old wood windows with new vinyl. All you are doing is creating a burden on yourself or the next home owner 20-30 years down the road when your new vinyl windows fail and need to be replaced.

Community

Old homes are generally built with features such as shared or adjacent driveways, reduced setbacks to the front sidewalk, and wide open porches. These are small details that encourage homeowners to spend more time outside or in close proximity to their neighbors, allowing more opportunities to get to know one another. While some people would prefer not to spend time with their neighbors, others like the sense of community and knowing that while they are away, someone is keeping an eye on their home. In my current home where the driveway abuts our neighbors, we have been able to get to know each other in passing and even used the space as an outdoor happy our location during the pandemic. In a previous old home with a big open porch we often talked to the neighbors next door who also had a big open porch. These small opportunities to get to know the people living around lead to checking in on an elderly neighbor who did not make it out for their usual walk or noting if a stranger was lurking about your house. In new subdivisions with big homes sitting back from the street and apart from the neighboring homes, these casual opportunities to build a community are often lost.

Development Patterns

The final way old homes are healthy is their pattern of development. Back when the oldest subdivisions were platted and built out, the automobile was either not invented or not widely available. People either walked to their destination, took a horse and carriage, or the streetcar. That resulted in homes built closer together on smaller lots and blocks with sidewalks connecting them directly to major destinations. In my own neighborhood, it is a short and straight walk up the street to Dundee where a number of restaurants and shops are located along a former streetcar route. When I used to take the bus to work, I would get in a good 2 miles of walking in a day that is otherwise consumed with sitting at a desk for 8 hours. On days I drive to the office, I’m lucky to get 3,000 steps which is not healthy according to many recent studies citing sitting as the new smoking.

Suburban developments today are built in the opposite manner, removing built in ways to get exercise as part of your normal routine. Homes sit on larger lots which reduce the number of households in an area make public transit difficult to provide. They also tend to be designed with long blocks and poor sidewalk connections making walking to nearby destinations nearly impossible. Many more recent subdivisions have a commercial area within a mile, but getting there on foot is a very unpleasant journey and avoided at all costs.

“Heavy reliance on the automobile for transportation results in more air pollution, which contributes to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. More driving also means less physical activity, contributing to a national epidemic of overweight and associated diseases. More time on the roads means a greater risk of collisions with other cars and with pedestrians, with associated inquires and deaths. Sprawling cities threaten the quality of drinking water sources and the availability of green spaces. Even mental health and the network of social interactions and trust known as ‘social capital’ may be affected.”

Healthy Upgrades

Of course there are some aspects of older homes that are less than healthy, but often, modern upgrades and renovations have already remedied the situation. A great book to reference for old home renovations is Green Restorations by Aaron Lubeck. One example of a not so healthy old home component is lead pipes, but its unlikely they are still being used in your old home as they are typically replaced with system upgrades which take place every 25-40 years. The same holds true for your electrical system. While old electrical wiring (such as knob and tube) is safe to continue using if it was properly installed and isn’t fraying, its likely that an upgrade within the last 30 years has resulted in removal and replacement of the old wiring. If not, just make sure to have a licensed electrician take a look to ensure the old wiring is still operating safely and is not obstructed by insulation.

One upgrade that is often seen on an old home, mine included, is new siding. While I always thought of it as a poor design choice to hide original wood siding, it actually can be a health concern too. Not only will you be replacing the vinyl or metal siding at some point, aluminum siding can even confine the fire to the structure, turning your house into a furnace and making it difficult for firefighters to locate the fire within the wall cavity. Simply painting the original wood siding every ten years or so will keep it performing for centuries as wood is one of the most repairable materials.

Conclusion

Old homes are unique structures that offer you more than just a place to dwell, but encourage you to become a healthier individual. When searching for your next home, consider a historic bungalow or a charming colonial in a walkable community that allows you the opportunity to walk to dinner or the corner store. While there may be a few upgrades needed, your home has a number of healthy benefits that often go unnoticed.