Inspecting Your Historic Building: Issues To Watch For
Last week, we here at Restoration Systems Inc. helped you walk through your parking structure to identify issues that warrant calling a professional. This week, we turn to one of our favorite topics… exterior fa?ade, but with a twist!
We are going to give you a few things to look for when inspecting a HISTORIC BUILDING! Maintaining historic structures can be daunting because of the delicate nature of merging old material with new, working with potentially aged designs, and finding contractors that have the specialized skillset needed to sustain historical consistency. If you own or manage a historic building, you already know that ongoing maintenance is key to preserving the integrity of the structure, and can prove to be less costly than extensive replacement or new construction.
We will note that the issues presented can be found in fa?ade other than historical, but extra caution and due care should be taken if found, especially when working with a historical structure.
Inspecting Your Historic Building
Now that Spring is right around the corner, it is time for you to inspect your historic structure’s exterior fa?ade, and if you own or manage this type of building you know it can be a delicate process to preserve the history engrained into the structure. What are some issues you may find? When you locate issues on your structure, what does it mean, and when do you call in a professional? We’ve got you covered!
When examining your structure, you will want to view from the roof down to the foundation, working on one elevation at a time, moving around the building in a consistent direction. Evaluations of the structure should take place during dry days as well as wet or damp ones. Pay careful attention to look for deterioration symptoms like cracking, spalling, bulging or bowed walls, impaired mortar, efflorescence, and fungus or other growth:?
Cracking + Spalling
Cracking, spalling, and misaligned surfaces in buildings and building materials normally result from restrained movement, and in many cases, movement is inevitable.?Movement is inevitable because building materials expand and contract depending on their characteristics and the effects of factors such as moisture content and temperature variations.?The level of movement can also be impacted by adjacent or supporting material like beams and slabs.?
Cracks are categorized as settlement cracks and thermal expansion cracks.?Settlement cracks occur as the building settles over time. These cracks can lead to deterioration of the mortar as well as possible water or pest infiltration.?Thermal expansion cracks happen during the heating of brick, especially during hot summer months, where the brick expands in the heat and then contracts in colder weather. The consistent expanding and contracting causes cracking over time.
Spalling can start as small fractures then gradually expand to larger cracks, flaking, or crumbling brick, and depending on your fa?ade material, peeling may also be seen. If you find areas of spalling you can be sure that it will most likely expand if not addressed.?This issue is typically caused by moisture infiltration like improper water drainage from gutter and soffit issues.?
Bulging Walls + Bowed Walls?
When you assess your historical structure, do you have areas where your brick or other building materials do not lay flat??More specifically, do you see areas that are rounded or where brick is angled, or brick that is bulging from its surface to provide an uneven exterior appearance?
Bulging or bowing can be caused by brick degradation, lintel damage, or foundation problems. If you find this problem within a historical structure, you should know this is cause for immediate concern and can be a sign of a serious structural issue, as the wall will eventually collapse and a professional should be called to asses your findings.??
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Mortar Deterioration + Efflorescence + Fungus Growth
Moisture is a huge culprit in the deterioration of a historic building’s exterior fa?ade.?When moisture is prevalent in brick, cement, and stone masonry mortar joints, the eroding state will show in the form of mortar deterioration, efflorescence, and fungus growth.
Mortar Deterioration can be seen in the form of cracking, crumbling, soft, and even missing mortar.?When looking at a historical structure, you may find gaps of missing material between brick (or in masonry lingo, this would be a missing mortar joint!).?If you see any deterioration, you should know that the structure is susceptible to the infiltration of moisture that will end up causing further damage.?
Efflorescence is a white “artwork” of deposited mineral salts and is generally found on unsealed concrete, brick and other building materials. It is evidence that moisture is present and will progressively worsen over time. Furthermore, it will lead to the proliferation of mold, moss, and other growth.
Fungus Growth can occur with or without the presence of efflorescence.?Instead of a white, powdery substance this “artwork” of mold, moss, and other types of growth generally lands somewhere in the green to brown color categories. Mold, moss, and algae love the porous makeup of brick because it is something they can sink their roots into. Fungus is great at finding cracked areas to live in, and once settled will continue to swell, eventually causing cracks to expand.
When Do You Call A Professional?
If you've evaluated a historic building and found any of the issues we've noted, small or large, a professional should be contacted. Small cracks may be fine now, but will present a larger issue when it comes to what is happening behind the building materials, and how it may be infiltrating the rest of your exterior fa?ade. The most important thing you can do is work with a contractor with extensive experience and certifications to perform the delicate work needed to keep your historic building in tip-top shape.
When a professional like Restoration Systems Inc. is involved at the first sign of damage, you may avoid major repairs, and costly ones at that- like this project of ours here:
When it comes to historic buildings, maintenance is everything, and any owner or manager of a historical structure should aim to be proactive versus reactive- not only to preserve structural integrity, but for the sake of costly repairs.
BEFORE YOU GO
Looking for a professional to provide a realistic evaluation of your historic building? A company that is reputable and has over 25+ years of experience? Restoration Systems Inc.?can help! Click here to let us know.
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