Over the past few weeks, here in our blog articles, we’ve been looking at several different types of architectural details at building facades. Generally, in historic times, the building facade was the part of greatest architectural aesthetic importance. In other words, builders and architects would apply the highest level of detail or ornature to the design of building facades, particularly at front street facing facades. The outline for today’s article follows below:
(This trend continues today even with budget mass-produced tract homes out in the counties: the cheap developers put a face brick skin on the front facades but slap cheap vinyl siding on the rear of the houses, in our current day.) Distinctions Applied in the Construction of Historic Brick Building FacadesThe level of increased attention isn’t just limited to the architectural details, even the brick that spans across the entirety of the building facade with generally different at the finest built front facade for example historic pressed clay bricks would be used instead of the more basic “common” bricks, at the exposed exterior facing at the front facades. This particular anecdote is important because it meant that not only the brick itself was different, but the much thinner mortar joint had a different composition than the mortar joint used almost everywhere else in the building. The implications are that today, it’s important for contractors to understand this distinction and use a compatible type of mortar at each specific type or class of location. this applies to specific repairs, spot repointing, tuckpointing and wholesale restoration. This type of attention, in the original front facade construction though wasn’t just limited to the brick, and here in our discussion today we take a closer look at the facade cornices have historic brick buildings in Washington D.C. Here at the folly link, you can see a past post on our encyclopedia about historic metal cornices. Purpose of Cornices at Historic Building FacadesCornices at the principal building facade appear like large aesthetic decorations. They do have a significant visual impact, but they also serve another purpose to deflect to divert water away from the front facade in non-wind-driven rain conditions. In most cases, the typical cornice will project away from the front facade of the building at least an additional 12 inches. In some cases, cornices can extend multiple feet in length away from the front facade. When typical low wind rainfalls occur the majority of that water will run off the roof but not run down the face of the wall because that face of the wall is slightly protected by the projecting roof cornice above. Over long periods of times such as decades and centuries this can have a major difference in the amount of deterioration that the wall experiences. in most cases especially with masonry walls, although they are very durable and largely water resistant, they’re not entirely water resistant and they will have significant deterioration after many hundreds of rainfalls if they’re not protected by a projecting element above such as a cornice. Coordinating or Paired Facade DetailsIn addition to the decorative cornices, which also provided a functional purpose, there are several other typically common details That often compliment or pair with cornices at the building front facades. In our future blog articles we will continue discussing these individual elements with greater detail. In the upcoming week, for example come on we will discuss the press tin festoons at frieze areas of the front facade, gothic arch brick chimney rain caps, and gable roofs at front facades. Beyond the traditional placement at the top of front walls, cornices were also used in applications in other areas of building facades. For instance, the area below projecting water tables at front mansard roofs provides an opportunity for incorporating decorative yet functional cornices. This not only adds a layer of elegance to the transition between roof sections but also contributes to effective water management. Additionally, the tops of front porch or lower level bump-out roofs, especially those projecting out from the main building facade, serve as ideal candidates for the installation of cornices. Here, the decorative elements not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the projecting space but also offer practical benefits by providing additional coverage and defining architectural features. By using varied locations for cornice placement, architects and builders creatively integrated these elements into the overall design, marrying functionality with ornamentation across different sections of a building’s facade. Materials used to Build Facade CornicesIn historic times, particularly during Washington, DC row home construction, various materials were used to craft architectural cornices. Ferrous alloy trims or sheet metals, such as tin, were commonly used alongside wood for these ornate features. Ferrous alloys, excluding wrought iron, provided strength and malleability for intricate designs. Wood cornices, characterized by a series of dentil molds or applied corbelling resembling structural supports, were prevalent in certain architectural designs. However, it’s worth noting that sheet metals and wood details, while found built near each other, were not commonly combined in cornice construction during that era. This variety in cornice construction, contributing to both aesthetic diversity in historic row home facades. Today, in contemporary times, modern cornices have expanded their material palette to include lightweight composites and synthetic options, offering further versatility in design and alternatives in cost, yet in most cases modern or historic cornices are extremely expensive today. Reach out to Our CompanyInfinity Design Solutions is a historic restoration specialist contractor specializing in both historic masonry restoration such as tuck pointing our repointing, and brick repair. If you have questions about the architectural details or facade of your historic building in Washington DC,reach out and say hello and if we can help we’ll be glad to assist you. You can email us or call us on the telephone at the following link: contact us here. <p>The post Architectural Details in Masonry Facades – Cornices first appeared on Infinity Design Solutions.</p> Via https://www.ids-dmv.com/masonry/architectural-details-in-masonry-facades-cornices/
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About UsInfinity Design Solutions LLC (IDS) is a full service general contracting company in the heart of the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC. We focus on repair and renovation of buildings and facilities in both historic designated neighborhoods and the commercial-zoned central business district of the city. Follow Us
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