Handyman in Golden, Colorado

Golden sits where the plains stop and the foothills start, and that shows up in the work. Downtown is full of late-1800s and early-1900s homes with real wood trim, plaster walls, and doors that have been rehung more than once. Climb toward Lookout Mountain and Genesee and the houses get newer but the weather gets harder — more sun, more wind, and freeze-thaw cycles that work on anything outdoors.

Older Golden homes need a different approach than newer construction. Plaster doesn't patch like drywall. Original trim is worth repairing rather than replacing, and matching a profile that hasn't been milled in eighty years means either finding it or making it. Windows in a downtown Victorian are usually restorable, and often should be — the originals were built from old-growth wood that outperforms most replacements.

Golden breaks into three rough groups. Historic downtown near the School of Mines, where homes have plaster walls, original wood trim, and windows worth restoring rather than replacing. Mid-century through nineties ranches and two-stories in the flatter neighborhoods with conventional construction. And foothill properties above town — Fairmount, Mount Vernon Canyon, Genesee — which take the brunt of UV, wind, and hail, and where exterior repairs need materials rated for it.