How do I know if my home is an ancestral or heritage home in Montréal?

How do you know if your home, business or institutional building is an ancestral or heritage building? We’ve put together some information to help you learn more about your building and how to restore or repair it. Call us today for more information or a free estimate!

Learn more about your ancestral or heritage building in Montreal!

Do you live in an old house in Montreal and wonder whether it’s considered ancestral, heritage or protected by municipal by-laws? This is an important question, especially if you’re considering renovation, masonry or restoration work. Here’s how to better understand the difference between the terms, identify historic architectural styles, and check whether your property is covered by a SPAIP or heritage designation.

What’s the difference between an ancestral home and a heritage home?

• Ancestral house: Generally refers to a very old house, often built before 1910. It is not necessarily recognized by the city or the Ministère de la Culture, but it does have historical, architectural or family value.

• Heritage house: May be old or more recent, but is officially recognized for its historical, architectural or cultural value. It can :
  • Be classified or recognized by the Ministère de la Culture;
  • Be listed in a municipal heritage inventory;
  • Be located in an area covered by a PIIA (site planning and architectural integration program).

Architectural styles that reflect an old or heritage building

Certain house styles are typical of older buildings in Montreal. If your home matches one of these styles, there’s a good chance it’s of heritage or architectural interest:

• Victorian house: red brick, pitched roofs, dormer windows, decorative wood details
• Queen Anne: turrets, verandas, complex roofs
• Second Empire: mansard roofs, dormer windows, rich ornamentation
• Neo-Gothic: ogival arches, decorative elements inspired by the Middle Ages
• Beaux-Arts : symmetry, classical columns, balustrades
• Arts and Crafts / Prairie: low roofs, horizontal lines, natural materials
• Workers’ or “shoebox” houses: small, flat-roofed brick houses
• Fieldstone houses: thick walls, irregular stones, old-fashioned rural style

These styles can be found in many older neighborhoods such as Le Plateau, Villeray, Rosemont, Outremont, Saint-Henri and elsewhere in Greater Montreal.

How to check whether your building is protected or heritage?

Here are a few concrete tips to help you make up your mind:

• Consult the built heritage inventory on montreal.ca or with your borough;
• Check whether your property is located in an area covered by a SPAIP;
• Ask an architect or specialized contractor to evaluate your building’s heritage features;
• If you have received a notice from the city concerning supervised work, chances are your building is partially or fully protected.

What to do if your house is an ancestral or heritage home?

Before carrying out any exterior masonry, restoration or renovation work, it is important to :

• Use a contractor who understands the rules of the SPAIP and techniques adapted to older buildings;
• Choose materials compatible with the original ones (brick, stone, mortar);
• Ensure that interventions comply with aesthetic and structural requirements related to heritage.

At Restaure-Action, we work every week on old houses in Montreal. We respect original styles, traditional materials and municipal requirements.

Do you think your home is ancestral or heritage?

Call on Restaure-Action for an assessment of the condition of your masonry and advice tailored to your building. If you’d like to find out more about our services and prices, or to request a free estimate, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to help!

Our team travels everywhere in Montreal !