May 2019 – Heritage Home Program

HHP Construction Specifications

The Heritage Home Program, and the Cleveland Restoration Society, outlines standards that all exterior projects are held to. The Heritage Home Program takes these standards seriously in order to ensure that the best materials and practices are used by all contractors who work with homeowners in the program. Below are a few examples of the quality of work required when estimates are submitted and projects are reviewed. For a complete list – including carpentry, masonry, windows and doors, garage repairs, and more- check out our General Specifications, which can be found at heritagehomeprogram.org.

Type of Construction	HHP Specifications at a Glance
General	The contractor is responsible for: Contacting the municipality to find out which jobs require a permit Securing all necessary permits prior to beginning any work subsidized with Heritage Home Loan Program funds Scheduling and being present for all necessary inspections. It is ultimately the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure all permits are pulled. The contractor should verify all measurements and quantities in the field.
Sitework	Do not install concrete when air temperatures are below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or when such temperatures can reasonably be expected within three days following the completion of work. When installing an asphalt driveway, dig out, remove existing driveway, and haul away debris. Apply a herbicide to any vegetation in driveway prior to installing base. When removing aluminum siding, carefully remove the siding from all areas, taking care to not damage the original wooden shingles, siding, and trim underneath. Do not discard any fixtures or hardware without approval from the owner or CRS.
Roofing, Gutters, and Insulation	Colors and materials must be approved by the homeowner and CRS. Insulation should be done before repair or replacement of siding and after the installation of any mechanical in the exterior walls. When repairing or replacing a roof: sweep off and properly dispose of all dirt and debris from roof deck. Clean gutters of any roofing debris. Check for any projecting nails and drive in. Install a layer of 30# felt over the deck; lap all seams at least two inches. Install Ice and Water shield to all eaves and valleys. Ice guard should extend up from gutter board 6 feet.
Finishes	Where wood has been exposed to the weather remove all gray and oxidized wood to produce a clean, sound surface. Open-flame torches, sandblasting, and water blasting are not allowed. When preparing other wood surfaces for painting, remove all loose, alligatored, or damaged paint to the sound substrate using sharp drag scrapers, heat plates, heat guns, followed by hand sanding, or mechanical sanders equipped with HEPA vacuums. Do not paint when the temperature is or will be below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, when rain or cooler weather appears likely, or on surfaces that are not completely dry.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to the Heritage staff with all additional questions. Contact information may be found at the bottom of the newsletter.

Homeowner Best Practices

Choosing a contractor can be intimidating. The Heritage Home Program wants to make picking the right contractor for your projects as painless as possible. That’s why we created the Homeowner Best Practices sheet, covering topics such as what to ask contractors, how to communicate with your contractor, what contracts should include, and contractor don’ts.

For a high quality printable version of the above Homeowner Best Practices sheet, please check here. If you would like print outs of this sheet to stock in your town hall, community center, or to otherwise pass out to homeowners, let us know and we would be happy to bring you a stack!