[Summit] Historic Tax Credit

[Jessica Jenner]

I can attest to replacement windows failing; I live in the house where that
work was done, and the windows appear to be good quality, but they no longer
hang true and are deteriorating.  I'm sure old-fashioned storm windows do a
much better job.  Jessica 

-----Original Message-----
From: Summit-bounces at sna.providence.ri.us
[mailto:Summit-bounces at sna.providence.ri.us] On Behalf Of Bresler E
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006 1:08 AM
To: Neighborhood Association
Subject: Re: [Summit] Historic Tax Credit

Related to these choices, at least some vinyl siding contains lead pigment.
I don't know if this manufacturing has been stopped. Ask questions!  In the
house where we are tenants, the off-white vinyl siding is degrading, and
whitish piqment runs off the building during heavy rains. It tests positive
for lead.
Many metal or plastic venetian blind strips are the same, by the way.
They should not go into the regular trash, I believe.
Elianna Bresler


On 9/9/06, Joanna Doherty <joanna_doherty at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> Dear Neighbors:
>
>
>
> I've recently noticed a few houses in our neighborhood being sided in 
> vinyl.  I wanted to quickly remind everyone that, if your house is in 
> the Summit Historic District (roughly bounded by Summit, Camp, 
> Rochambeau and Memorial/Creston and including both sides of the 
> street), you are eligible to receive a 20% tax credit when you paint 
> your house, restore your existing windows or put on a new roof (among 
> other things).  This represents a significant savings, as it is a tax 
> credit not deduction - i.e., if a new roof costs you $10,000 you'll get
$2,000 back on your Rhode Island taxes.
> This program is an incentive for historic homeowners to maintain the 
> character of their homes, so that our neighborhood continues to 
> exhibit the qualities that make it special - indeed, worthy of being 
> included in the National Register of Historic Places, a real honor!
>
>
>
> Taking advantage of the tax credit is an extremely easy process - you 
> just take some before and after pictures, fill out a simple form, and 
> provide a receipt for the work.  To confirm whether your house is 
> included in the Historic District and to get information on the 
> Historic Homeowner Tax Credit, call the Rhode Island Historical 
> Preservation and Heritage Commission at 222-2678.
>
>
>
> There are lots of salespeople out there trying to convince homeowners 
> that vinyl siding and replacement windows will greatly improve their 
> home's energy efficiency, virtually eliminate the need for maintenance 
> and increase the selling price.  (A company called Home Improvement 
> Services, who are responsible for the siding jobs I'm seeing, recently 
> called me with an aggressive sales pitch.)  As someone who works in 
> historic preservation, I want to encourage everyone to question these 
> assertions before deciding to make these changes.  Unlike your 
> original windows, which were made for your house, replacement windows 
> may not fit snugly in your window openings, especially over time.  
> Replacement windows also typically fail and need to be replaced long 
> before they could pay for themselves through lower energy bills.  (The 
> best way to increase your home's energy efficiency is by insulating 
> your attic and making sure you have good storm windows.)  Vinyl siding 
> gets faded and dingy over time and is difficult to repair if it gets 
> dented or torn.  And, if water gets between the vinyl siding and the 
> original wood siding, either through leaks or condensation, you'll 
> have a real problem with rot.  Finally, vinyl siding is often not 
> regarded positively by prospective buyers, especially when it's been 
> applied to historic homes on the East Side.  I could also make 
> arguments about the loss of architectural detail and the environmental
implications of PVC, but perhaps I've gone on long enough!
>
>
>
> Joanna Doherty
>
>
>
> P.S.  If you want to learn how to restore your wood windows, Preserve 
> Rhode Island is offering a workshop on Saturday, Sept. 16 - for more 
> info, see http://www.preserveri.org/index.cfm
>
>
>
>
>
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