Douglas and Seneca Update

A little update on one of our current projects right here in our neighborhood of Delano. The historic restoration of Douglas and Seneca. 

Many may remember it as the old Otasco store with the white concrete panels applied to the exterior. 

The first step was to remove those panels and see what was left underneath. Those panels preserved certain elements of the original building while destroying other parts. Most of the original wood windows while in need of repair where still intact. The bricks were in good shape although the mortar had seen better days. The tops of the columns had been chipped off to allow room for the panel to be erected. 

A common issue with older brick buildings similar to this is brick spalling. The faces of the bricks chipping or peeling away. There are plenty of band-aid fixes for issues like that but I have yet to run into a band-aid that works over time. To do it right you need to have a qualified mason go in and repair the facade from the foundation to the top of the parapet. There is a reason that wall has stood the test of time for so long and with proper care will last many future lifetimes. But you have to do it right and not cut corners. Sometimes as in this instance that means taking the entire facade of brick off and rebuilding. The entire front course of the brick was peeling away from the wall behind. Your mortar will typically be the weakest link of a masonry wall. Fixing and repairing that is critical. Unfortunately for our project many of the existing brick were damaged we will not be able to repair and bring back the facade with all original brick. We will be adding new brick back in specific locations while relocating some of the original brick to other locations. But we will see once it is done if you can actually spot the new brick. So while it appears that we are destroying this building, please know that we are actually taking great care to bring it back and be a beautiful landmark in Delano for another 100years.