Anticipation
In the past week, scaffolding has been erected around the Cornelius H. Evans mansion, one of a handful of buildings in Hudson individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. All indication is that the wood architectural details on the brick building are being repaired and repainted. At one time, the brick on this house had been painted, probably some time in the latter half of the 20th century, but Eric Galloway had the paint removed from the brick several years ago, soon after he acquired the building.
This "gem" of Warren Street deserves nothing but the best Mr. Galloway.
ReplyDeleteAnd kudos for removing the paint.
I'm curious. Once a building is listed, are there rules one must follow?
ReplyDeleteRemoving paint from brick can be a big mistake sometimes because moisture that was never intended to be there ( hence, the paint) can penetrate the fabric if the building and weaken it.
ReplyDeleteJock Spivy
Jock--I think there are different kinds of brick. Some very old types of brick were meant to be painted, and it's a mistake not to keep them painted. Other kinds of brick were not meant to be painted and are better off, moisture-wise, if the paint is removed. Hudson's preservation law requires a certificate of appropriateness for removing paint from brick or painting brick that has not previously been painted, but I think the paint on the brick of this house may have been removed before the preservation law was enacted.
ReplyDeleteYes, agreed. That's why I said it's a mistake "sometimes" to remove paint from brick houses.
ReplyDelete-- Jock Spivy
If the building was painted in the latter half of the 20th Century, one might assume it did not start life that way. Is there any evidence it started life with paint on the bricks?
ReplyDeleteThe issue with finish coatings on brick and other masonry surfaces is two-fold. First, and pertinent to this discussion, is the issue of removal. Sand blasting and other abrasive means are unacceptable because they often remove the harder-glazed, outer face of the brick. These brick are then highly susceptible to moisture permeating their exposed faces; spalling, pitting and deterioration will soon follow. A wide variety of environmentally-safe, chemical stripping agents are available and regularly specified on NPS projects. In recent years, a variety of proprietary systems have come on the scene that utilize "safe" materials like rubber/plastic pellets, walnut shells, and the like in the same manner as sand blasting. The bottom line is this: If the brick are porous and the coating has penetrated the surface, there is no safe or acceptable way to remove it all without damaging the brick. Hence, there will be a hue and traces left behind on a properly executed project. For this (and other) reasons, historic district commissions will authorize the repainting of masonry structures if they were already painted. The one caveat, however, is WHAT materials are appropriate for the repainting. Which brings us to the second issue: breathability of materials. Most modern paints being applied (quite incorrectly) to exterior masonry surfaces are latex-based. Benj Moore and Sherwin-Williams both make "masonry safe" paints--and both are latex-based. Latex is rubber, and a rubber coating on an exterior brick wall is tantamount to applying a silicone-based sealer to a brick wall. Very bad. Moisture cannot escape and trouble follows. Oil-based and lead paints, which were applied to brick in the past, DO breath. Are either available today? Not very readily. Certainly not to the average painting contractor. Lime-based washes with color pigments and mineral coatings can provide historic home owners with colored, finish options that WILL actually help protect the masonry walls. The US Heritage Group in Chicago and Cathedral Stone Products in Maryland produce and sell these coatings and the chemical stripping agents discussed earlier.
ReplyDelete