A city built in layers
Alhambra was a fast-growing suburb in the early 1900s. A historic resources survey prepared for the City notes that more than 7,000 homes were built here between 1910 and 1920. Many have since been replaced, but whole tracts from the 1920s and the postwar years remain.
Emery Park and the 1920s tracts
Emery Park, on Alhambra’s western edge, held its opening day on February 26, 1922. Its streets still show Spanish Colonial Revival, Pueblo Revival, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and Storybook homes. Lindaraxa, Mayfair and the Orange Blossom Manor tract are other 1920s neighborhoods with a similar mix of Spanish and English cottage styles.
The Midwick Tract
In the city’s southwest corner, the Midwick Tract takes its name from the Midwick Country Club, which once had a polo field and golf course there. The club was sold in 1944, and most of the homes were built in phases through the late 1940s and 1950s, mainly Ranch style with Colonial Revival and Modern touches.
Common repair issues in homes of that era
None of these are emergencies. They are ordinary wear in an older house, and most have a simple fix. For each one: how to spot it, what you can check yourself, and when to call.
Plaster cracks
Homes from the 1920s were generally finished in plaster over wood lath. Drywall became standard after World War II. Plaster is hard and brittle, so it cracks as a house settles, and a patch has to be built up to sit flush.
- How to spot it: Thin cracks running from door and window corners, or a spiderweb pattern on ceilings.
- Check it yourself: Press gently near the crack. Firm plaster is a cosmetic fix. If it moves or sounds hollow, the plaster may have come loose from the lath.
- When to call: When the crack is wider than a coin edge, keeps returning, or the surface moves when pressed.
Sticking original wood doors and windows
Solid wood doors and windows from this era move with humidity, and decades of paint build up on the edges.
- How to spot it: Rubbing marks on the frame, a latch that only catches when you push, or a gap at the top corner.
- Check it yourself: Tighten the hinge screws first. If a screw just spins, the hole is stripped. Shiny worn paint shows where the door rubs.
- When to call: When tightening doesn’t fix it or the door won’t latch. For drafty windows, we fit new weatherstripping and screens.
Older galvanized plumbing and low water pressure
Galvanized steel supply pipe was common in houses of this age. Over the decades it can build up mineral scale and rust inside, which lowers flow. Shutoff valves that haven’t been turned in years can also stick or drip once they are used.
- How to spot it: Weak flow, or brown water for a moment when a tap first opens.
- Check it yourself: Unscrew the aerator at the tip of the faucet and rinse it. If only one faucet is weak, the problem is usually the aerator or cartridge.
- When to call: When a faucet stays weak after cleaning the aerator, or a valve drips or won’t turn. We replace cartridges, faucets and shutoff valves.
Cracked vintage tile
Many older kitchens and bathrooms still have their original tile, and exact replacements can be hard to find.
- How to spot it: Hairline cracks, missing grout, or open caulk lines where tile meets a tub or counter.
- Check it yourself: Tap the tile lightly. A solid sound usually means the crack is cosmetic. A hollow sound or a loose tile is worth a closer look.
- When to call: When the caulk or grout around a tub or sink has opened up. We refresh both so the original tile stays sealed.
Older electrical boxes for fixture swaps
Ceiling boxes in older houses were usually made for light fixtures, not ceiling fans, and some outlets are still two-prong.
- How to spot it: A ceiling fixture that wobbles, or outlets with no ground hole.
- Check it yourself: Look at the existing fixture. If it is a fan that already hangs steady, the box was likely made for one. Turn power off at the breaker before you touch anything.
- When to call: When you want a new fan, light or outlet in place of the old one. We check the box and swap it in securely.
Sources
- Alhambra Historical Society, “Alhambra’s Neighborhoods”
- Alhambra Preservation Group, “Focus On: Alhambra’s 1920s Neighborhoods” (2020)
- City of Alhambra Historic Resources Survey Report draft (2023)
- City of Alhambra Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines (2009), as cited by Living Places