Last week and this week we continue looking and architectural details of historic masonry facades in Washington D.C. the architectural elements of these rowhomes showcase craftsmanship only rarely found in historic buildings in the United States. Today, we look at examples of specific details:
Pressed Tin FestoonIn many of the Historic DC neighborhoods built in the late 19th and early 20th century, in Washington D.C., you may notice decorative embossed tin friezes, cornices, and panels adorning brick façades. During this era of building construction, builders often incorporated these architectural metal embellishments. Metal shops made molds from wood or plaster, then pressed and shaped thin sheets of tin alloy over the molds into ornamental designs like scrolls, garlands, and geometric patterns. The malleability of tin alloys allowed shaping into delicate decorative reliefs, although the depth of relief remained shallow. Too much deformation would overly thin and weaken the metal. Heating the sheets facilitated stretching and bending, but fabricators, using historic methodologies, had to strike a balance between malleability and strength. Common motifs like festoons echoed classical design motifs, in a more affordable material, without the cost of stone carving. Tin provided a somewhat corrosion resistant exterior finish that provided visual flair to brickwork. Like bricks and masonry, tin or ferrous metal sheet panels are fire resistant. Materials with fire resisting characteristics became particularly important in the building of tightly spaced neighborhoods in Washington DC around the late 19th century. The late Victorian decorative trend blended well with the proliferation of pressed tin elements through the 1870s into the 1900s. However, decades of weathering take a toll on the metallic surface. Wind, rain, and fluctuating temperatures accelerate oxidation and rust, even on corrosion-resistant tin alloys. While historically containing mostly tin, pressed metal sheets often included small amounts of iron for enhanced durability. But over time, exposed iron-bearing alloys succumb to red, peeling oxidation staining the surface. Abrasive (or chemical) cleaning and restoration, often with rust resistant coatings and rust converting chemical primers, helps revive these metal architectural details while stabilizing most areas of degrading metal, to a degree. Preserving original pressed tin architectural features allows historic buildings to retain the ornate charm crafted long ago. The shallow reliefs and rounded curves add a softening elegance to the rectilinear, geometric lines of masonry buildings facades. Gothic Arch Brick Chimney Rain CapAmong Washington D.C.’s historic rowhomes and historic brick buildings, here and there you can often spot chimneys topped with decorative Gothic arched caps. This chimney detail became more prolific in the mid-19th century, in Washington DC, as architects combined the decorative architectural style and functionality in capping a chimney flue. The gothic arch transitions the vertical rectangular form of the chimney stack into the angled slope of the arch which in this rare case forms the cap over a chimney. Laying Gothic arch bricks requires angling of each tapering row. Angling the orientation of “voussoirs” inward successively toward the center in a graduated incline, the rectilinear bricks (not wedge-shaped as would be found in a squint brick built arch), allows the capping structure to be self-supporting. Laying each brick in position to maintain the arched shape until meeting at the peak requires attention. The historic squint bricks, found in tight jointed arches, required arduous labor. Often, instead of cuttings bricks with electric or gas-powered saws, like we would use today, in historic times the bricks were rubbed to be ground down to the angled shape of squint bricks. Gothic caps offered an alternative to capping flues with prefabricated terracotta or metal parts. Keeping chimney construction consistent with the existing brickwork avoided complicating the supply chain. Brick’s fire-resistant nature also suited chimney function. By the late 1800s, brick-built chimney caps began to decline, they work to prevent a large degree of water infiltration, yet the functionality has limitations. Capped flues could not easily or readily accommodate spark arrestors as open flues with metal caps. Spark arrestors feature mesh screening to block embers and debris detrimental if entering the flue. Brick caps allowed some rain protection but often lacked integrated spark arresting functions. A secondary but very important benefit of a spark arrestor is that it generally keeps rodents from entering the chimney. In times when the fireplace / boiler below is not in use, rodents will often try to enter the building through the chimney seeking refuge and shelter. Gothic arch caps remain beautiful architectural relics of previous generations. However, the typical deterioration of masonry and historic brick threatens unreinforced masonry structures. Chimneys have a significantly higher amount of exposure to the elements than most other parts of the building such as typical wall and foundation type layout locations. Jimmy’s reclined of standalone elements that protruder stick exposed alone from the base element of the building and have a significant higher amount of deterioration than the other main parts of the building. Restoration such as repointing or tuckpointing bricks and historic masonry helps stabilize the cohesive bonds between the brick and mortar, minimize moisture damage and brick deterioration. Gable Roof FacadeWe don’t see prominent front-facing gables at all brick rowhomes in Washington DC, but there are still many throughout and they have a distinct facade design. The picture below shows an example. This gabled roof facade sets apart the homes’ styling while creating an interesting roofline silhouette. The steeply angled gable contrasts with the flat front plane of the building. The pyramidal shaped gable is often dressed with an ornamental brick cornice or edging. In this case a rake board runs under the bent metal coping. This gable treatment reflects the Edwardian architectural tradition influencing building design in the early 1900s. This particular style happens to be minimalist, but in other cases a barge board or elaborate scroll-sawn verge board and triangular crown molding trim may frame the sloping edges. In some cases a pediment may span the peak, providing another area for ornamentation. An example of a stick frame building with a gable front follows below. In this particular example you can see the ridge is decorated with a ridge crest and capping final. This type of decorative architectural elements are rare in the historic neighborhoods of Washington DC, because the density of the urban center made it less common to have freestanding buildings with entire length-spanning ridgelines. Gables, at sloped roofs, can maximized usable interior space below. Angling the roof opened area for grand second floor bedrooms with cathedral ceilings. Dormer windows often extend from the roof plane, and illuminating the loft or ceiling areas. This type of enlarging architecture does not often apply though in the particular case of rowhomes because at rowhome sloped roofs are particularly rare. In a side by side configuration it makes most sense to have a low slope roof and in this case the gable front does not continue with a gable roof into the deeper parts of the middle and rear of the building. As an alternative to gables, other architectural styles like Second Empire architecture, feature mansard roofs. Mansard roofs, at front facades incorporate steep, yet shorter spans, roof slopes. Italianate row houses often display large bracketed cornices emphasizing horizontal lines. Other Victorian era styles used turrets and bay windows to accentuate the facade, but gables remained somewhat popular in the early 20th century. 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 – Festoons, Gothic Arches, and Gables first appeared on Infinity Design Solutions.</p> Via https://www.ids-dmv.com/roofing/architectural-details-in-masonry-facades-festoons-gothic-arches-and-gables/
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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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