HPC of South Bend and St. Joseph County - Standards Update Draft

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City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines 104 For More Information: Masonry • Deterioration of Bricks and Mortar in Walls—the surface of the bricks appear to be “melting” suggesting that they are a soft or lake brick. The mortar between the bricks is also eroding, increasing the potential for moisture infiltration. Recommendation—Replace missing or heavily eroded brick . Repoint open joints with compatible mortar, as soon as possible, to minimize storm water entering the wall . Verify that the ground is sloping down away from the building and storm water is not pooling next to the foundation . • Open joints at brick columns and piers—The mortar is missing in the brick column or pier joints . This may be an indication of settle-ment or movement in the building overall . Recommendation—Review the wall structure above the pier to verify whether the wood structure has shifted or is bulging or misaligned in response to column or pier movement . Repoint mortar joints with compatible mortar . Inspect column or pier every three to four months to see if the joint has reopened, which would likely suggest the movement is still occurring, and may be indicative of a larger structural problem . • Missing parapet cap/coping, and stepped cracks at walls—Part of the parapet cap/coping is missing at the top of the wall and there are stepped cracks following the mortar joints that suggest building movement and moisture infiltration. Recommendation—Review wall structure to verify whether it has shifted or is bulging in response to movement or settlement . Repoint mortar joints with compatible mortar and install new matching cap/coping at parapet to keep water from entering the top of the wall and ultimately the wall assembly . Inspect the cracks every few months to see if the joints have been reopened, which suggests the movement is still occurring and may be indicative of a larger structural problem . • Plant growth and staining at downspout—Plants begin growing in the mortar joints around the top and behind downspouts and the masonry behind and adjacent to the downspout is stained dark . Both conditions suggest the presence of moisture and saturation of the brick wall . Recommendation—Verify that the downspout is clear and draining . Remove plant growth . Repoint open mortar joints with compatible mortar . • Disintegration of mortar from masonry surface—the mortar between bricks has deteriorated particularly at the vertical joints, increasing the potential for moisture infiltration. Recommendation—Repoint open joints with compatible mortar as soon as possible to minimize storm water entering the wall system . • Masonry infill areas—The brick of an infill area is clearly visible. The infill area uses bricks of a different size and color than the historic bricks and is outlined by a thicker mortar joint rather than being “keyed” into the adjacent brickwork . Recommendation—the bricks and mortar used in the infill areas should be the same size, color, texture, appearance, profile, and hardness as the adjacent Historic bricks . The repair should also be “toothed” into the adjacent brick to appear continuous with the wall surface . Additional Masonry Information Repointing Historic Masonry Repointing work can last at least 50 years or more when completed properly . However, it can be time consuming and expensive . Repointing requires a great deal of hand labor by skilled craftsmen to remove the existing mortar without damaging adjacent masonry, achieve the appropriate mortar mix and hardness, apply the mortar, and tool it to match the historic joint style and appearance . As a result, it is generally recommended that repointing projects be limited to areas of deterioration rather than an entire building . To achieve the best results, repointing work is best completed when the temperature ranges between forty- and ninety-degrees Fahrenheit for at least two days after the installation of the mortar to help the mortar bond to the masonry . Mortar should be placed in joints in layers of no more than 3/8” thick and allowed to harden. The final layer should be tooled to match the historic joint profile.DRAFT