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