THE SECRETARY OF THE
INTERIOR’S STANDARDS FOR
REHABILITATION &
ILLUSTRATED
GUIDELINES ON
SUSTAINABILITY
FOR REHABILITATING
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
Maintenance
Recommended
Not Recommended
Maintaining historic buildings regularly to preserve historic fabric and maximize operational efficiency.
Delaying maintenance treatments which may result in the loss of historic building fabric or decrease the performance of existing systems or features.
Retaining and repairing durable historic building materials.
Removing durable historic building materials and replacing them with materials perceived as more sustainable; for instance, removing historic heart pine flooring and replacing it with new bamboo flooring.
Using environmentally-friendly cleaning products that are compatible with historic finishes.
Using cleaning products potentially harmful to both historic finishes and the environment.
Using sustainable products and treatments, such as low VOC paints and adhesives and lead-safe paint removal methods, as much as possible, when rehabilitating a historic building.