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Saint Casimir's Parish National Register Historic District Recommendations for Preservation and Rehabilitation B. INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCES AND PROPERTIES Roofs Most, if not all, of the houses in this neighborhood have some sort of asphalt or composite roofing material. Replacement of brittle, worn, bubbling, and leaking roofs with like materials is strongly encouraged to ensure the stability and good repair of the housing stock Porches Unenclosed porches are one of the few remaining distinguishing and original architectural features of houses in the neighborhood. They are lovely features often associated with the comfortable and welcoming atmosphere of American residences. It is highly recommended that open porches should not be enclosed. Original porch details should be preserved through repair, especially the tapered, square wood piers on brick pedestals, half columns, and brick piers with craftsman details. Wood epoxy can be used to repair wood porch details infected with wood rot. Tuckpointing with lime mortar should be used to repair masonry piers. Fagade Materials and Treatments Wood. Wood sided houses should receive necessary repairs and should not be sided with vinyl sid- ing. Most of the wood framed and wood sided houses in the neighborhood have been covered with metal, concrete, faux -stone, and other historically inappropriate materials. Removal of dilapidated metal, concrete, composite or other inappropriate siding material would enhance the character of the neighborhood. Restoration of or replacement with wood siding would be the alternative first recom- mended and encouraged. Use of vinyl or other synthetic materials would be later recommended where the wood siding could not be restored. Brick. Brick masonry structures should be tuckpointed with lime mortar Original Windows Original wood windows were made from higher quality wood and craftsmanship than any window produced today. These windows were produced with old growth hardwoods and were designed to last for years with proper maintenance and repair. Original wood windows and wood storm win- dows should be preserved and repaired when needed. Many original wood windows hide behind aluminum storm windows. New wood storm windows to replace aluminum storms, the repair of original wood windows and storms, and the proper addition of insulation and weather stripping is encouraged to enhance the energy efficiency of the houses. Wood storms provide a much better seal with wood windows than aluminum or vinyl. The combi- nation of wood windows and wood storms that have been properly sealed has been tested and proven to have the same level of thermo-efficiency as dual -pane windows. Shutters Decorative shutters that do not close over the width of a home's windows are now commonplace. These shutters are inappropriate to historic houses and should not be used as cosmetic enhancing features. If shutters are added to a house, they should be functional rather than attenuated and should close over the width of the windows. - Page 6 -