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prevented through repair, cleaning and painting. The existing architectural detail around windows, porches, doors <br />and eaves shall be retained or replaced by replicas of the same design when deteriorated beyond repair. <br /> <br />Masonry, including brick and stucco structures, shall be maintained, and properly cleaned only when necessary to <br />halt deterioration or to remove stains and shall be done in a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: <br />i.e. low-pressure water and soft natural bristle brushes. Brick or masonry mortar joints should be repointed only <br />when there is evidence of moisture problems, or when sufficient mortar is missing to allow water to stand in the <br />mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be duplicated in composition, color, texture, joint size, method of application <br />and joint profile. <br /> <br />When repairing stucco, stucco mixture shall be used. A professional shall make a study of the old stucco, to <br />determine the exact mixture and underlayment used in the original work. Some repair methods are not compatible <br />with the original techniques and may cause early disintegration of the repair work and the original work. <br /> <br />Ample ventilation must be afforded the structure when siding is installed, in order to prevent increased deterioration <br />of the structure from moisture and insects. <br /> <br />Recommended <br />Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. When maintaining or repairing original <br />siding is not feasible, aluminum, vinyl or composite siding may be used. When used over wood surfaces, this <br />siding should be the same size and style as the original wood. Every effort should be made to retain the original <br />trim around windows, doors, cornices gables, eaves and other architectural features. <br /> <br />Property owners should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County prior <br />to initiating any restoration or rehabilitation effort. The Commission is an invaluable source of information about <br />all facets of rehabilitation and restoration – materials, methods, contractors and the like. <br /> <br />Prohibited <br />Wood siding shall not be resurfaced with new materials that is inappropriate or was unavailable when the building <br />was constructed, such as artificial stone, brick veneer, asbestos or asphalt shingles. <br /> <br />Sandblasting or the use of harsh detergents shall not be used on masonry including brick, stucco, limestone, <br />flagstone and sandstone. This method of cleaning erodes the surface material and accelerates deterioration. <br /> <br />Repointing shall not be done with a mortar of high Portland cement content which can often create a bond that is <br />stronger than the building material. Usage of Portland cement can cause deterioration as a result of the differing <br />coefficient of expansion and porosity of the historic masonry unit and the mortar. This most often results in serious <br />damage to adjacent brick. <br /> <br />Unpainted masonry surfaces shall not be painted unless they had been painted originally. Paint shall not be <br />removed from masonry surfaces by any means that damage the surface. <br /> <br />Not Recommended <br />Waterproof or water repellant coatings or surface consolidation treatments should not be used on masonry surfaces <br />unless required to solve a specific problem that has been studied and identified. Coatings are frequently <br />unnecessary and expensive and can accelerate deterioration of the masonry. Mortar joints, which do not need <br />repointing, should not be repointed. Wood siding should not be power washed. <br /> <br />C. WINDOWS AND DOORS <br />Window and door frames are in most cases wood and vary depending upon the style of the home. Many are <br />double-hung windows with wood trim and sills. Brick structures have stone sills and brick lintels. In some cases <br />where aluminum siding has been applied, the window and door trim has been covered. About half of the structures <br />in the district have aluminum storm windows; the other half have wood storm windows. <br /> <br />Required <br />Original windows and doors shall be retained including sashes, lintels, sills, shutters, decorative glass, pediments,