A care guide for the Queen Anne houses of Northville, the prewar homes of Plymouth and the old village houses of Milford and South Lyon: wood, plaster, old paint and what to leave alone.
Northville and Plymouth have deep roots. Both were settled in 1825 and both became villages in 1867, and their oldest neighborhoods still look the part, with front porches, tall windows, painted trim and original wood floors.
Those houses can be cleaned well, but not the same way as a 2005 colonial. This guide covers the materials found in the area's older homes, the safe way to clean each one, the lead paint caution for anything built before 1978, and the outside work that belongs to the historic district commission.
Census estimates put the median build year for homes in the city of Northville at 1968. About 23 percent of its houses were built in 1939 or earlier, and about 68 percent before 1980. Many of the homes around downtown are Victorian era houses in the Queen Anne style, a heritage the city celebrates every September at its Heritage Festival.
Plymouth is older on average. Its median home dates from 1961, close to 30 percent of homes predate 1940 and about 76 percent were built before 1980. In Milford, which grew around an 1832 sawmill and incorporated as a village in 1869, about 17 percent of homes predate 1940. Plymouth Township, which surrounds the city, has a median build year of 1977.
For a sense of how far back the local building tradition goes, Northville's Mill Race Village gathers historic buildings on the site of an early gristmill, including the Greek Revival Hunter House from 1849 and the Victorian Yerkes House from 1868.
Original hardwood. Old floors have often been refinished several times and may have thin wear layers. Use a barely damp mop and a cleaner made for sealed wood, never a soaking mop or steam. In salt season, wipe up white residue near the doors quickly, since brine is hard on old finishes.
Plaster walls. Plaster is harder than drywall but can crack and dust at old repairs. Spot clean marks with a soft, barely damp cloth and test first. Do not scrub hard at hairline cracks.
Painted trim and spindles. Victorian staircases, porch columns and window casings have many layers of paint. Dust them with a soft cloth, wipe gently and leave chipped or peeling areas untouched.
Old tile. Small hex and subway tile bathrooms from earlier decades have porous grout. Mild cleaners and soft brushes protect it better than acids or bleach.
Most of the housing in the city of Northville and in Plymouth was built before 1980, which means a large share was built before 1978, the year lead was banned in household paint. The State of Michigan's MI Lead Safe program encourages all residents, especially those in homes built before 1978, to apply for its home lead services.
For cleaning, the rule is simple. Nothing gets sanded, scraped or stripped, paint chips are never dry swept or vacuumed with an ordinary vacuum, and window sills and wells with flaking paint are wiped gently with a damp cloth or left for a lead professional. Tell the cleaners about any peeling areas before the first visit.
Northville adopted a historic preservation ordinance in 1974, and its Historic District Commission rules on construction, alterations, exterior changes, exterior paint colors and demolition for every building in the district. If your house sits in the district, check with the city before any exterior work, including power washing painted siding or trim, which can strip old paint.
A house cleaning visit stays inside. Porch furniture and the inside of storm doors can be wiped down, but siding, roofs and exterior paint are outside the scope.
Older houses often have basements and bathrooms that stay damp in summer, when the mean dew point at Detroit Metro reaches about 61 degrees. Run a dehumidifier in the basement, use bathroom fans and wipe small mildew spots on tile and caulk as part of regular cleaning.
If you find mold on walls, ceilings or wood framing, call a contractor. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services notes that the state does not certify mold remediators or testing companies and does not recommend mold testing. Finding and fixing the moisture is a building job.
The questions Northville homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Northville and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
