Luke Sheils’ eight years with Habermehl Contracting have included a good measure of unintentional treasure hunting. Now working in the company’s ‘Special Operations’, Luke talks about surprising items he has come across while renovating some of Nova Scotia’s oldest buildings. From 6-inch knives buried in the wall to newspapers dating back over a century, he has no shortage of stories.
“Every home is a time capsule”, Luke says. “[Some] go really far back and have never been opened.” Take for example the vintage newspapers that are often lined under floorboards in historic homes. In his work van, Luke has a small collection of news clippings that would be perfectly preserved were it not for the small tares from the nails that penetrated the floorboards. One paper from 1909 advertises winter heaters for your sleigh. Another post-war paper announces July weddings on the society page and reports boxing scores from George Ross vs Frenchy Belanger in the sports section. A large headline reading “Will Strictly Enforce Act on Smallpox Vaccination” echoes similar headlines of the day, despite a gap of nearly a century. Everything from comic strips to politics is a small preservation of the culture.
Luke attributes his skilled craftsmanship to these experiences in renovations. “I learned to build [by] tearing apart old buildings,” he says, “You get to see decades of different material used.” Describing the historic progression of building methods, he demonstrates a unique talent for dating houses through the resources and techniques used. “Coming across different construction materials is fun”, Luke says, “Like hand-forged nails or buildings built without nails, with wooden fasteners [instead].” Examples include pulling insulating seaweed from walls and tearing off old newspapers that were wallpapered overdrafts. He compares today’s sanded timber to timber that used to be shaped by axes: “[They] still have the chop marks of being smoothed by hand.”
In addition to cataloging these findings in his library of fascinating construction stories, Luke enjoys sharing the findings with Habermehl’s clients. He tells them, “’ Here’s what your house used to be made of” and hands them old artifacts ‘like the huge spikes used 70 years ago’. He even gifted one client a collage of century-old news clippings centered in a custom frame built from the boards of their pre-confederation barn.
Luke describes ‘digging through history on every job’ as a chief perk of his role at Habermehl. “Renovating is about seeing what was done, and creating something new,” he says.
With over fifty years of experience in ‘creating something new’, Habermehl Contracting is well-equipped to enhance the history of your home. Whether you have a specific vision for your dream house, or you just want the control of customizing the features and fixtures of your space, a new home builder may be right for you! With an in-house architect and designer, and a team full of experienced project managers and carpenters, Habermehl is equipped to bring your dream home to life. Contact us today to discuss your project – we would love to hear from you.
- Rachel Habermehl, April 11, 2023