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Original exterior building materials shall be retained. Deterioration of wood materials shall be prevented through <br />repair, cleaning and painting. The existing or original architectural detail around windows, porches, doors and eaves <br />should be retained or replaced by replicas of the same design and materials when deteriorated beyond despair. <br />Masonry including brick, limestone, flagstone, sandstone and stucco shall be cleaned only when necessary to halt <br />deterioration or to remove stains, and shall be done with a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. <br />low pressure water and soft natural bristle bushes. When repairing stucco, stucco mixture compatible in <br />composition, color and texture shall be used. <br />Recommended <br />Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. Metal or vinyl siding may be used when it is <br />the only alternative to maintaining or replacing the original surface material. 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 trim <br />around windows, doors, cornicles, gables, eaves and other architectural features. Ample ventilation must be <br />afforded the structure when metal or vinyl siding has been installed in order to prevent increased deterioration of the <br />structure from moisture and/or insects. Mortar joints should be repointed only when there is evidence of moisture <br />problems or when sufficient mortar is missing to allow water to stand in the mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be <br />duplicated in composition, color, texture, joint size, method of application and joint profile. It is emphasized that, <br />prior to initiating any restoration or rehabilitation effort, the property owner should contact the Historical <br />Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County which is located in the County/City Building of <br />South Bend. The Commission is an invaluable source of information about all facets of rehabilitation and <br />restoration. <br /> <br />Prohibited <br />Wood siding shall not be resurfaced with new material which is inappropriate or was unavailable when the building <br />was constructed, such as artificial stone, brick veneer asbestos or asphalt shingles. Sandblasting or the use of harsh <br />detergents shall not be used on masonry including brick, stucco, limestone, flagstone and sandstone. This method of <br />cleaning erodes the surface material and accelerates deterioration. Brick surfaces shall not be painted unless they <br />had been painted originally. Repointing shall not be done with a mortar of high Portland cement content which can <br />often create a bond that is stronger than the building material. This can cause deterioration as a result of the <br />differing coefficient of expansion and the differing porosity of the material and the mortar, which can result in <br />serious damage to adjacent brick. Paint shall not be removed from masonry surfaces indiscriminately. <br /> <br />Not Recommended <br />Waterproof or water repellent 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 unnecessary <br />and expensive, and can accelerate deterioration of the masonry. Mortar joints which do not need repointed should <br />not be repointed. <br /> <br />SITE VISIT REPORT: N/A <br /> <br />STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the proposed project. <br /> <br />Prepared by <br />Adam Toering, Historic Preservation Specialist <br />Reviewed by <br />Elicia Feasel, Historic Preservation Administrator