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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1. 760 Portage_COA 2018-1001A_STAFF REPORT EXTENSION PACKETSTAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: November 9, 2018 Application Number: 2018-1001A EXTENTION Property Location: 760 Portage Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: American Foursquare / 1907 Property Owner: Spencer and Max Watson Landmark or District Designation: Chapin Park Local (Ordinance #9574-05) and National Historic District Rating: Contributing DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/SITE: 2 ½ story square plan house with hipped roof with hipped dormers. Full width front porch with hipped roof, two brick supports, and solid brick rail. Walls are covered with aluminum siding. Windows are original wood 1/1 double hung. ALTERATIONS: Aluminum siding is not original. Soffits are covered in aluminum. APPLICATION ITEMS: “Replace aluminum siding with vinyl siding duplicating original clapboard style siding; install pocket window inserts into dilapidated windows; remove 3 windows (one in dining, kitchen, crib room); update window casings with aluminum-wrap; replace entry door with 3 panel mission and side entry with 6 panel steel .” DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: Applicant seeks a Certificate of Appropriateness for improvements on the structure: 1. Siding – a. An exploratory removal of aluminum siding to determine condition of wood siding underneath has revealed penetrations throughout for blown in insulation, wood rot, and previously covered window openings. b. Proposal is to replicate the wood clapboard style of the original siding using vinyl 3.5” on the second story and 4” on the first story. Composite board will be installed over existing decorative trim details to reproduce the detail that existed prior to the aluminum installation, and giving it dimension so it does not sit proud of the siding. “Wood grain” or smooth non textured options are available. c. Enclose windows in three locations, one on each side, one in rear. Cover with new vinyl siding. d. Applicant has investigated alternate materials, on Staff’s recommendation. 2. Windows – a. Replace original wood double hung windows with new JELD-WEN Best Series Vinyl Double Hung “pocket” windows. Years of deferred maintenance and inappropriate repairs have rendered the original wood windows in poor condition. Proposed pocket windows will allow for installation without disturbing the trim on either the inside or outside. Light will be reduced by an inch on width and a half inch on height. b. Applicant has investigated alternate materials, on Staff’s recommendation, as well as the possibility of adding storms to existing windows. 3. Window Trim – a. Install aluminum casing over all existing window trim, including horizontal and vertical components. 4. Doors – a. Install new “Mission style” steel door into front opening. b. Install new 6 panel solid steel door into side opening. SITE VISIT REPORT: October 1, 2018 RE: 760 Portage On September 24, 2018 I visited the property located at 760 Portage with the owners. I had the opportunity to photograph the exterior of the house and inspect the windows inside as well. Following is the breakdown of that inspection. West side (front) no storm windows on this side First floor 1-large double hung window to the north of the front door -window is in fair shape structurally but has been screwed in place which has damaged the sashes and the pulleys have been filled with clear caulk. 1-fixed window to the south of the front door -window is non-operable and has been caulked in place. Structurally sound but removal of caulk and sash may be difficult Second floor 4-double hung windows -all four windows have rotted meeting rails on both upper and lower sashes. Three out of the four sills are split with deep crevices. Those will also need repair or replacement. Only one of these windows were operable North side First floor 1-double hung window towards rear -lower sash is missing meeting rail. Sill is rotted and upper sash is screwed shut 3-double hung windows in single bank -these windows have a rotted common sill. The windows have been screwed shut, caulked pulleys and severely damaged lower sashes 1-double hung window toward front -lower sash framework is broken and rotted at corner. Second floor 1-double hung window -lower sash is rotted through and has its joints have separated. Sleeping porch 1-double hung window -rotted sill and side jamb, caulked pulleys 1-stationary window -located in closet, cracked sill sash is soft, but not rotted 1-double hung window toward front of house -window has rotten and broken lower sash, sill is buckled. East side (rear) First floor 3-double hung windows in a single bank -2 of the windows are 6 over 1 patterned. These differ from the 1 over 1 pattern though most of the house, may not be original. The bank has a rotted common sill. The lower left has dropped over an inch due to water infiltration. The framework as a whole is rotted 3 to 4 inches from the sill up. 1-covered window opening unveiled 10/1/18. No window jamb or pieces remaining 1-stationary window boarded up. No sash remains, was used to hold air conditioner. Sill is water rotted. Second floor 4-double hung windows -2 double banks, these are wood but newer than the rest of the house. This area appears to be a sleeping porch as it has an exterior door as an entrance. All the windows in this area are painted or screwed in place. Structurally most sound of any in house. South side First floor 2-double hung windows -2 in a single bank, 6 over 1 pattern. Structural sound but need scraping and new ropes. Single stationary window towards rear -Structurally sound, one of few with wood storm window Second floor 2 double hung windows -2 in a single bank meeting rails are damaged. Damaged jambs at sill 1 double hung window -window operates but needs scraping, ropes and glazing 1 double hung window, towards rear of house -bottom of lower sash is cracked at lift handle, sleeping porch area Overall, all the windows need scraping and reglazing. Most of the upper sashes are painted or screwed in place and the meeting rails are not lining up or closing properly. The windows if kept, will need removal, scraped, repainted, glazed, re-roped, and realigned. The windows out of the direct weather on the south and east are better off in condition than the other two sides. I also was able to view the structure on Monday, October 1, 2018 to view areas of the house where the owners had removed sections of the aluminum siding in order to determine the condition of the original clap board siding underneath. First thing I noticed was the amount of holes that were made to inject insulation. There are hundreds on each side without rhyme or reason and most without plugs. They are not lined up to floor levels as this technique is usually done. There is an infestation of yellow jackets in these holes. They have bedded in the cavities behind the siding via these holes especially in the northeast corner of the structure. The siding outside of the holes has a different reveal on the lower half versus the upper half. Many of the corner boards should be replaced. The siding would need the paint scraped and repaired where needed, and there are several courses that I could see that would need replacement. I was told by the owner that the paint was lead based, but I did not test it myself to verify that statement. I do not have a percentage of siding that needs to be replaced, the owner will continue to remove more aluminum siding as that will have to happen no matter what the future plan. I would like to revisit the site after more aluminum is removed to get a more accurate reading of the state of the original siding. The soffits are also an issue as there are aluminum, wood, and exposed rafters present. In any case, additional venting is suggested. Steve Szaday Preservation Inspector STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: CHAPIN PARK II. EXISTING STRUCTURES A. BUILDING MATERIALS Original exterior building materials in the district include brick, stucco, clapboard, wood shingles, and brick or stone masonry. In some instances, vinyl, composite and aluminum siding have been applied over the original material. Required Original exterior building materials shall be retained when possible. Deterioration of wood materials shall be prevented through repair, cleaning and painting. The existing architectural detail around windows, porches, doors and eaves shall be retained or replaced by replicas of the same design when deteriorated beyond repair. Masonry, including brick and stucco structures, shall be maintained, and properly cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration or to 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 brushes. Brick or masonry mortar joints should be repointed only when there is evidence of moisture problems, or when sufficient mortar is missing to allow water to stand in the mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be duplicated in composition, color, texture, joint size, method of application and joint profile. When repairing stucco, stucco mixture shall be used. A professional shall make a study of the old stucco, to determine the exact mixture and underlayment used in the original work. Some repair methods are not compatible with the original techniques and may cause early disintegration of the repair work and the original work. Ample ventilation must be afforded the structure when siding is installed, in order to prevent increased deterioration of the structure from moisture and insects. Recommended Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. When maintaining or repairing original siding is not feasible, aluminum, vinyl or composite siding may be used. When used over wood surfaces, this siding should be the same size and style as the original wood. Every effort should be made to retain the original trim around windows, doors, cornices gables, eaves and other architectural features. Property owners should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County prior to initiating any restoration or rehabilitation effort. The Commission is an invaluable source of information about all facets of rehabilitation and restoration – materials, methods, contractors and the like. Prohibited Wood siding shall not be resurfaced with new materials that is inappropriate or was unavailable when the building was constructed, such as artificial stone, brick veneer, asbestos or asphalt shingles. Sandblasting or the use of harsh detergents shall not be used on masonry including brick, stucco, limestone, flagstone and sandstone. This method of cleaning erodes the surface material and accelerates deterioration. 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 material. Usage of Portland cement can cause deterioration as a result of the differing coefficient of expansion and porosity of the historic masonry unit and the mortar. This most often results in serious damage to adjacent brick. Unpainted masonry surfaces shall not be painted unless they had been painted originally. Paint shall not be removed from masonry surfaces by any means that damage the surface. Not Recommended Waterproof or water repellant coatings or surface consolidation treatments should not be used on masonry surfaces unless required to solve a specific problem that has been studied and identified. Coatings are frequently unnecessary and expensive, and can accelerate deterioration of the masonry. Mortar joints, which do not need repointing, should not be repointed. Wood siding should not be power-washed. C. WINDOWS AND DOORS Window and door frames are in most cases wood and vary depending upon the style of the home. Many are double-hung windows with wood trim and sills. Brick structures have stone sills and brick lintels. In some cases where aluminum siding has been applied, the window and door trim has been covered. About half of the structures in the district have aluminum storm windows; the other half have wood storm windows. Required Original windows and doors shall be retained including sashes, lintels, sills, shutters, decorative glass, pediments, hoods and hardware. When deteriorated beyond repair, they shall be replaced with units and trim resembling the original. Recommended Wood storm windows and doors painted or finished to match the original should be used but should not damage existing frames. If new sashes or doors are installed, the existing or original materials, design and hardware should be used. When metal storm doors are used, they should be painted, anodized or coated to match the existing. When awnings are used, they should be of canvas material. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: 1. Staff acknowledges that original wood windows are in poor condition but does not recommend replacement with proposed JELD-WEN vinyl. Advised applicant to investigate further into repairing windows or continue search for a material that is more appropriate. Applicant has voluntarily decided to retain the existing windows. Written by Elicia Feasel Historic Preservation Administrator 1960 Sanborn Map Current Site Figure 1 – 760 Portage, from sidewalk, looking north east. Window proposed for removal is visible at left. Figure 2 – 760 Portage, looking south west. Figure 3 – 760 Portage, looking north. Window proposed for removal is visible at center. Window proposed for removal is visible at left. Figure 4 – 760 Portage, front. Aluminum siding removal. Figure 5 – 760 Portage, front detail. Proposed vinyl siding and composite trim specifications. Figure 6 – 760 Portage, side. Aluminum siding removal. Proposed 3.5” Vinyl Siding Proposed 4” Vinyl Siding . Proposed Composite Trim Figure 7 – 760 Portage. Existing window. Figure 8 – 760 Portage. Existing window. Figure 9 – 760 Portage. Existing window. Figure 10 – 760 Portage. Existing window. Proposed Vinyl Pocket Windows Proposed Front Door Proposed Side Door