Project Description

This renovation project focused on restoring and upgrading the exterior structures of a historical home while complying with Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) requirements. The project included design review, permitting, and execution of a complete porch and deck reconstruction, structural reinforcement, and brick column restoration. The brick columns listed lazily, the porch drooped, and the upper stairs were a fall hazard nightmare. After careful analysis, the only solution was a full rebuild. Though the home is the owner’s primary residence, it is also considered a tri-plex, meaning the elevated difficulty of meeting commercial code requirements further clashed with the historical needs of the LPC and practical wants of the owners, elevating the overall challenge to which we had to rise. The front porch, upper deck, and both sets of stairs were removed and replaced to meet modern code requirements while maintaining the home’s historic integrity. This included enlarging stair openings, reframing for proper support, and waterproofing the over-basement entry landing area with a hidden Gaco membrane system. New Azek Porch decking was installed with coordinating skirt and risers, and replaced painted cedar railings were designed to both satisfy code requirements and bring the style back to a look appropriate for the home’s vintage. All nine brick columns were dismantled, cleaned, and rebuilt around new structural 6x6 posts on new concrete footings. Nearly all the original brick was salvaged and reused, and new brick was painstakingly sourced to match the existing. Structural Simpson brackets were many, but carefully hidden by wrapping all beams and posts with painted cedar trim. The new columns received custom cut stone caps, and the underside of the upper deck received a beautifully stained and sealed cedar tongue & groove soffit with integrated lighting and a patio fan. The upper deck was surfaced with a waterproof textured Gaco polyurethane membrane in place of the previous torch-down roofing. A four-color paint scheme was chosen to coordinate with the selected decking, new dark gutters, and original brick. This detailed restoration preserved and enhanced the historical character of the home while ensuring long-term safety and structural soundness. All improvements were made with sensitivity to era appropriate aesthetics and LPC compliance, resulting in a durable yet breathtaking upgrade to the home’s exterior.