PORTAGE PARK — The Historic Chicago Bungalow Association will host a series of seminars this fall designed to help even the most hapless weekend warriors whip their vintage homes into shape.
After the Great Recession left people struggling just to hang on to their homes, the improving economy has led to an increase in demand for seminars covering everything from attic conversions to kitchen renovations in vintage homes, said Historic Chicago Bungalow Association Executive Director Mary Ellen Guest.
The seminars are designed to help owners of any Chicago home — not just bungalows— improve their home's beauty, sustainability and safety through simple and affordable repair projects.
The schedule for the seminar series is:
• Attic Expansions: Julie Liska, of Liska Architects, will discuss how to use unfinished attic space to maximize living and storage space at 6 p.m. Monday at the Austin Irving branch library, 6100 W. Irving Park Rd., and at 6 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Avalon branch library, 8148 S. Stony Island Ave.
• Bungalow Maintenance 101: Sustainability and historic preservation consultant Carla Bruni will discuss common maintenance issues in Chicago bungalows and vintage homes at 6 p.m. Sept. 17 at the 10th Ward Office, 10500 S. Ewing Ave., and at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Jefferson Park branch library, 5363 W. Lawrence Ave.
• Basement Flooding: Ryan Wilson, of Elevate Energy, will explore the causes of flooding and what homeowners can do to reduce basement flooding at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Steinmetz College Prep High School, 3030 N. Mobile Ave.; at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Spanish Coalition for Housing, 1922 N. Pulaski Road; and at 6 p.m. Nov. 18 at Rutherford Sayre Park, 6871 W. Belden Ave.
• Tilework in Your Historic Home: Historic preservationist Liz Holt, of Heritage Tile, will help home owners identify original or historic tilework in their homes at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Ave. and at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St.
• Why Mold Happens: 6 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Brainerd branch library, 1350 W. 89th St. and at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Budlong Woods branch library, 5630 N. Lincoln Ave.
• Bungalow Maintenance Panel: Four to five experts will address topics on all things bungalow, including wood refinishing, roof repair, masonry repair as well as heating and cooling issues at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. and at 6 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Austin Irving branch library, 6100 W. Irving Park Road.
All seminars are free of charge and open to the public, but registration is required.
For more information, call Gillian Wiescher at 312-675-0300, ext. 17; email gwiescher@chicagobungalow.org or go to chicagobungalow.org.
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