Remodeling

c. 1865 - The U.S. Soldiers Home (1857) was originally designed in the Italianate style.

c. 1872 - In 1868, another story was added, disguised under a mansard roof, and the building was remodeled in the fashionable Second Empire style.

c. 1910 - In the 1880s and 90s, the building was expanded and remodeled in the Gothic Revival style, growing still higher in the process.

Remodeling is to alter a building without regard for its distinctive features or style. It often involves changing the appearance of a structure by removing or covering original details and substituting new materials and forms. Remodeling is generally done to improve the value or desirability of a property and to increase its utility or suitability for present use.

While remodeling may occur in both commercial and residential properties, it is often the latter which receives most attention in popular culture. In particular, amateur home remodelers known as "Do-It-Yourselfers" have generated a $300 billion industry in the United States, and a $48 billion industry in Canada. The average cost per project is $3,000 in the United States and $11,000-15,000 in Canada.

See also

• Preservation
• Restoration
• Rehabilitation
• Reconstruction
• Stabilization