Corbels and Eaves Brackets

You see these stripped down versions of Italianate houses in every town. One fine sunny Saturday morning, a hardworking, upbeat vinyl siding salesman sold a former owner of your house a priceless vision of modernity. "The first thing we'll do is we'll

knock down those brackets." So the 19th century adornments gave way to the maintenance-free mores of the 20th century. The house very nearly gave up its soul in the process.

One thing that may be admitted in favor of vinyl siding is that it protects the outer skin of the house from the elements. So when you carefully remove it, the past is revealed. Oftentimes, you may count the number of brackets and dental moldings, everything that used to create a defining pattern to the exterior of the building. It is possible to gather accurate measurements of the missing design elements. With a photograph of the residence in its original splendor, perfect replacement parts may be accurately made to fit for a perfect restoration. But what if you don't have an old photograph? Then, you must strike a balance.

You may restore the style of the house even if the individual architectural details stray somewhat from the original. The message here is that the best design tool is a sampling of the original details but it is not the only option. Without patterns to go by, there is a fair trade-off. In a sense, you are working with a blank canvas. This is freeing. There are many possibilities and you may choose the elements which resonate with you. Given patterns you like, we will faithfully retrofit historically correct corbels or eaves brackets with which to restore your home.