Reading's housing is about as old as American city housing gets, with 56.9 percent built before 1940. Here is how to look after row homes, twins and Queen Anne details without harming them.
Reading was laid out in 1748, and a remarkable share of what stands today is old. Census estimates show 56.9 percent of housing units were built in 1939 or earlier, and only about 3.1 percent in 2000 or later. Across Berks County the older share is about 27.5 percent. Looking after a house like this mostly comes down to gentleness, and this guide explains what that means in practice.
Reading's neighborhoods include Callowhill, College Heights, Glenside, Hampden Heights, Millmont, Northmont, Penn's Commons, South of Penn, Southside and Center City, with Prince and Queen Anne listed as historic districts. The Queen Anne Historic District, roughly bounded by Robeson Street, North 3rd Street, the railroad tracks and Clinton Street, went on the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 2004.
Single family attached homes, the category that includes row houses and twins, make up about 52.2 percent of the housing. Those buildings share walls, have narrow plans and often carry a good deal of woodwork for their size.
The U.S. EPA says homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint, and that settled lead dust can re-enter the air when a home is vacuumed or swept. Damp wiping is the safer approach on old sills and window wells. Do not sand, scrape or dry sweep, and have flaking paint handled by a qualified professional.
The City of Reading runs a Lead Hazard Control Program, with HUD and state help, to reduce lead risks for eligible tenants and homeowners in city homes built before 1978 where a child under 6 or a pregnant person lives. If that describes your household, call the city.
Water is a separate matter. The Reading Area Water Authority runs a lead and copper program to locate and replace the remaining lead service lines in its system. It is worth asking whether your property is affected.
Too much water and too much scrubbing cause most of the damage in old houses, so use less of each.
Annual precipitation of 45.21 inches, with 4.77 inches each in June and July and 4.88 in September, can test a very old basement. A dehumidifier helps, as does keeping stored items off the floor and away from the walls.
Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and a 2006 flood both inundated the lower parts of Reading near the Schuylkill River. If your house has a flood history, watch for dampness after heavy rain. Cleaners do not remediate mold or repair water damage, so anything beyond surface dust in a basement needs the right trade first.
Old windows and frames have small gaps, and in autumn the brown marmorated stink bug gathers on the outsides of houses on warm days looking for places to overwinter. Sealing what you can before the fall helps. If they do get in, vacuum them up instead of crushing them. Be careful around old paint when you are sealing, and do not scrape it to make a caulk line neater.
Fine dust gets in through those same gaps. Regular soft vacuuming and damp dusting help more than an occasional hard scrub.
When TotalCare Cleaning comes to Reading, a visit to an old home can start with a quick walkthrough. Show your cleaner anything original or delicate, say what you have used in the past, and mark any rooms that are off limits. A One-Time Deep Clean is a good starting point, since baseboards, blinds, tracks and vents are where these homes hold their dust.
A Recurring House Clean then keeps it steady, and frequent light cleaning is kinder to old finishes than occasional heavy work. If you have just bought or rented, the Moving Clean adds the inside of the oven, refrigerator and cabinets while the place is empty.
The questions Reading homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Reading 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.
