The William Brown House project is meant to accomplish a few goals. First and foremost, the preservation work will repair damage caused by moisture. This includes repointing the brick (replacing damaged mortar), repairing the windows, ensuring that the seams and joints for windows and doors are weather-proofed, and repairing some interior damage in the attic.
This photo shows a large portion of mortar that needs repair. There are many other areas on each side of the William Brown House where mortar deterioration equals or surpasses what is seen in this photo. Worcester Eisenbrandt will first remove the damaged mortar. After the damaged mortar is removed and the area cleaned, they will then repoint the bricks. The mortar used for repointing will be specially-made to match the mortar already used for the William Brown House.
The worst damage to the windows is on the river (north) side. This is the side that receives the most damaging weather. As such, the preservation work is starting on this side.
This photo shows a the damage to just one of the thirty-eight (38!) windows in the William Brown House.
If you look closely, you can see where paint is peeling off of the right side. Further examination shows that there is quite a bit of wood rot. Both of these issues will be addressed for this window and the others during the project. Look for a post just about the windows later this fall.
Though most of the work will be done on the exterior, there is some interior damage that needs immediate repair.
This photo shows an area in the attic where the wooden joist has rotted away and the brickwork is so damaged it is not supporting the roof joists. This is definitely one issue being taken care of during this project.
The three items mentioned above are the most important preservation issues for this project. The size of the William Brown House means that this project will take about 20-24 weeks. Each side will be cleaned using an environmentally-friendly detergent. After the cleaning, the brickwork will be repointed and the windows taken out of the building for repair. Any other issues will be addressed as they arise and the work load allows.