CHRS Preservation Café Archives
Coming events • Next Preservation Café: May 21, 2008
Summaries of 2008 Preservation Cafés:
February • March • April • May •
Summaries of 2007 Preservation Cafés:
February • March • April • May • September • October • November
April 2008 Preservation Café
Tips for Making the Most of Your Basement
With spring turning everyone’s attention to sprucing up their houses, over fifty folks turned out for CHRS’ April 16 Preservation Café on Repointing Historic Brick Exteriors. Danny Palousek, President of Pointing Plus, Inc. — who was featured on This Old House — provided a wealth of information on repointing masonry like that found in so many Capitol Hill row houses.
Signs that you may need to consider repointing include moisture on inside walls, drafts, external cracks, and sagging of exterior arches. When repointing is necessary, it is critical to ensure that external paint is properly removed, appropriate mortar is used and applied correctly, and mortar joints are properly prepared.
Mortar acts as a kind of “marshmallow” between bricks and must be softer than the bricks to protect and cushion them as outer walls expand and contract. It also needs to be more permeable than the bricks so the inevitable moisture can escape through the mortar. Properly prepared mortar should be aesthetically pleasing and as close a match as possible to the original to maintain the historic appearance of the house. On Capitol Hill, builders often added crushed brick, ash, or soot to their mortars to improve hydraulic set, so a good match would more likely be a shade of gray or red, rather than white. Mortars should also have appropriate kinds and combinations of ingredients, which for the Hill’s historic homes would rarely, if ever, include Portland cement.
Mr. Palousek provided a checklist for use when hiring a contractor for masonry repair and repointing. Suggestions include getting a preliminary mortar analysis to provide a basic understanding of what you have so new mortar will closely match the color, texture, and hardness of the original; requiring the contractor to repoint a small, inconspicuous area first to test how closely it matches; asking lots of questions about the mortar recipe and strength; inspecting the cleaned mortar joints before new mortar is inserted; and ensuring that curing conditions are carefully controlled.
Additional information on repointing is available in CHRS’ Capitol Hill Brick Guidelines and Repointing and Paint Removal: A CHRS Case Study. You can request individual copies from Jeff Fletcher at CapHRS@aol.com.
March 2008 Preservation Café
Tips for Making the Most of Your Basement
The audience at CHRS’s March 19 Preservation Café received a wealth of information about Making the Most of Your Basement from longtime Hill resident and architect Judith Capen, author of the Ask Judith column in local newspapers. For rowhouse owners wishing for more usable living space, maximizing the potential “down under” is very important.
Ms. Capen led with a recommendation to consider Capitol Hill basements “special needs” spaces because of what they tend to have in common: they’re usually short and dark and attract moisture. For comfortable headroom, she advises a minimum ceiling height of eight feet. To provide adequate light and air, as well to comply with code requirements, ensure a minimum of eight square feet of window glazing for every one hundred square feet of floor space, with at least half of that window area openable for ventilation.
Moisture in basements is inevitable because it will travel through walls and many flooring materials, and cooler basements condense the moisture from hot, humid summer air. Homeowners who accept moisture as a given and use strategies to minimize and control it will fare best. Since spores can feed on almost any building material, including drywall, those who have brick basement walls were advised to keep them unpainted and uncovered so the walls can breathe. If pipes are left uncovered as well, any condensation can evaporate and leaks will be visible and readily available for repair. Ms. Capen recommended tile, concrete, or stone for below-grade flooring rather than materials susceptible to moisture damage, like wood or carpeting.
Life-safety code requirements include adequate egress from sleeping spaces and adequate fire separation between a rental unit and the main part of the house. Because sound reverberates in joist space, soundproofing of some kind is advisable between dwelling units. A rental unit cannot share air conditioning or any other forced air system with the primary living space. To meet code, every dwelling unit must have at least one room of at least 120 square feet, and no habitable room, except for a kitchen, can be less than seven feet across.
Fixing up a basement for living space is not cheap, so Ms. Capen says it’s important to figure out what you want most and then decide if you’re willing to pay for it. An architect can help you figure out how to accomplish what you want. There are architects in the Capitol Hill area who can provide a general, “broad strokes” consultation for $350-500, with more detailed plans available for additional fees. Once you’re ready to implement plans, don’t forget to be sure you have the necessary permits before work begins.
At the May 21 Preservation Café, Judith Capen will present Part II of Making the Most of Your Basement, when she will talk about Digging Out Your Basement: To Dig or Not to Dig.
February 2008 Preservation Café
Tips for Improving Garden Walls, Walks, and Steps
by Eric Snellings
A late-arriving crowd of almost 40 came to the February Preservation Café and prepared for spring by learning about options to address problems that many owners of historic properties face: failing walkways, bulging retaining walls, broken concrete steps, and crumbling brick patios. Dr. Christina Wilson of Renaissance Development provided a PowerPoint presentation of before-and-after examples of possibilities for all these situations.
Walkways and Patios
Dr. Wilson told the audience that concrete was used extensively after 1890 and is one appropriate replacement material. Others are brick and stone, of course, but care should be taken to choose appropriate colors of all materials so that they will blend with the historic fabric of the house.
In older neighborhoods there is often a mixture of paving and yard treatments in older neighborhoods as features have been added over time — concrete, brick, gravel, stepping stones, and mulch, often causing water collection areas that foster mosquito breeding. Wilson favors an approach that often involves removing all of these elements and starting over with a clean slate, regrading the yard and allowing runoff to be directed into planting areas and yards.
She said that it is desirable to use new paving brick, which is fired at higher temperatures and is more durable than wall brick, for horizontal surface longevity. She also advocates flagstone and slate as paving material options (along with concrete) for these horizontal walking surfaces.
For patios, she indicated that there is no historical precedent. [See Front Garden Info below.] The approach for this paved area should be treated in a similar manner as walkways. She provided a multiplicity of ideas of patterns for brick-paved areas, and sizes of stone pieces with different patterns for patios. She Tips for Improving Garden Walls, Walks, and Steps believes that regular rather than irregular patterns are more appropriate for the period of Capitol Hill properties and their location in an urban environment.
Retaining Walls
With the differing heights of adjacent properties, public sidewalks, and house entrances that are a result of our city’s design and house typology, there is a wealth of retaining walls and grade changes on Capitol Hill. Again, these configurations can result in water run-off issues, basement flooding, and other problems. Retaining wall problems can result from movement due to tree roots, soil and ground water pressure, and adjacent development.
In order to make repairs, Dr. Wilson often advocates a complete removal and replacement approach. When constructed, these walls typically did not include footings or reinforcement. In order to meet current codes, she noted that footings and back-up reinforced concrete block walls should be constructed and then faced with brick or stone to simulate the original appearance of a wall. In some areas, 18” high walls can be used for seating as part of a comprehensive design solution.
Decks and Stairs
Decks also have no historical precedent on Capitol Hill and often a deck was installed because it was the cheaper option or because it would hide a problem. When there are enclosed or semi-enclosed areas under these decks, a potential (and experience shows, likely) haven for rats is created. Sometimes these low-rising decks and wooden stairs can be replaced with masonry construction that can help eliminate these problems and provide a more long-term solution.
Where the existing stairs are already concrete, but in disrepair, they can be capped with stone or brick or they can be coated with concrete (parged) to improve their appearance and extend their usefulness.
Design and Installation
One design tip offered was to mark the area with paint or use cardboard patterns of the stone sizes and patterns to help visualize the area and design choices available. The use of stone dust rather than sand for the base of the paving area may be more cost effective and still provide drainage. Grouted areas are required at and around steps and stairs to reduce the possibility of movement. Mortar colors are varied and darker grey or red can be used to match historic materials.
Q and A
Several questions were posed after the presentation and covered such issues as: paving over existing concrete, radial pacing patterns at round building elements (turrets), yards that slope towards the house, and the protection of existing plant material. For answers to these questions or others, contact Renaissance Development at 202-547-2345.
Note on Capitol Hill Front Gardens
Capitol Hill ’s front gardens were established under the 1871 “Parking” Act, passed to establish a linear park along our streets and avenues (an early “green” endeavor). Think of designing the front garden of your house as making a little park, which will be joined with all your neighbors’ little parks to produce the green space envisioned over one-hundred years ago. Keep the paving area in the front gardens to a minimum and consult your local garden centers or designers on plant selection to achieve a low-maintenance garden, if that is your preference. Ground covers, low shrubs and flowers, and trees are considered appropriate landscape materials under the “Parking” Act.
Changes and alterations to hardscape features (walks, stairs, walls, porches) and changes of grade in the front gardens require a public space permit as well as a building permit.
For more information about public space requirements and permits, consult the Capitol Hill Restoration Society Guidelines on those subjects, available at the NE and SE libraries as well as the CHRS office (202-543-0425; CapHRS@aol.com). Also check the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs website for more permit information.
November 2007 Preservation Café
November Preservation Café Drew a Crowd
by Shauna Holmes
The audience at CHRS’s November 14 Preservation Café filled the Community Room at Ebenezer’s Coffee House as dozens of Capitol Hill residents gathered for “What You Need to Know About Your Historic Wood Floors.” Our guest speaker, Mr. Sprigg Lynn, is president of Universal Floors, Inc., a family-owned business in DC’s Tenleytown that has been installing, repairing, and refinishing wood floors in the DC area over 50 years. Its customers have included the White House, the Library of Congress, the Octagon House, the State Department, and over 20 embassies, as well as many private homes.
A master craftsman whose involvement in the flooring business began in childhood, Mr. Lynn drew on his extensive experience to describe the kind of heart pine flooring found in most historic Capitol Hill homes and explain how to repair, refinish, and care for it. Heart pine, which was extensively used on the floors of area homes built during the 19th century through the 1920s, is almost as hard as oak and doesn’t turn red until it’s 250 years old. Vertical cut, pinstriped heart pine is the best there is, he said, like gold, and is now very expensive, so those of us who have them are very fortunate. Another advantage is that bugs don’t like to eat this kind of wood because they don’t like its resin. He recommended the Goodwin Heart Pine Company’s web site—www.heartpine.com—as a good source of information about the history, use, and care of heart pine floors (the How To and FAQs sections of its site map are very helpful in finding the specifics you’re looking for).
Mr. Lynn provided numerous tips for refinishing and caring for heart pine floors. For squeaks, he recommended graphite or baby powder. Prior to sanding, make sure nails are set low enough that the sander doesn’t hit them, and choose a contractor who won’t use overly aggressive sandpaper and will work with a light touch so as not to wear unnecessarily through the boards. Repairs can be major jobs, and when they are necessary, ask the contractor a lot of questions; the best repairs should barely show. Universal Floors, which stocks a warehouse with reclaimed antique wood, can be a good source of replacement heart pine for repair work (www.universalfloors.com).
Lots of older floors have been finished with wax, which will sink into the wood and last longer than anything else. Mr. Lynn’s father likes paste wax the best; you can add color to it, and it won’t be too slippery (Duraseal and Durafinish are brands he suggested). A simple way to tell if your floor is waxed is that a drop of water on it will turn white. Universal Floors also uses a lot of tung oil, which has been around for centuries. Some are low VOC (which is mandated in DC), and hardening agents and tints can be added to it. If you try to recoat your floor, be very careful and seek expert advice, because there can be bonding issues going from one finish to another, and peeling can result. To clean your floor, he recommends sweeping, vacuuming, and damp mopping.
Attendees left the Preservation Café with a wealth of information and tips, along with handouts and Mr. Lynn’s business cards. If you wish to contact Mr. Lynn, he can be reached through Universal Floor’s website at www.universalfloors.com, by e-mailing him at sprigg@universalfloors.com, or by calling 202-537-8900.
After a two-month hiatus for the holidays, Preservation Cafés will resume in February. Look for information about the date, time, location, and topic in CHRS’s News, the website, and local Capitol Hill newspapers.
October 2007 Preservation Café
Progress Report on Eastern Market Restoration
by Nancy Metzger
Restoring a landmark and bringing it up to code is always an interesting proposition, but at the October Preservation Café, Tony Esse and Tina Roach pointed out that the Eastern Market fire presented some unusual historic preservation opportunities.
Tony Esse, P.E., supervisory project manager for DC’s Office of Property Management, started off the session with a look at the restoration schedule for Eastern Market:
- Work to replace the roof is now underway (see details below). What is not visible from the street is the temporary roof, a flat plywood and rubber membrane that will protect the market interior until the main roof is finished.
- Window restoration will begin in a matter of weeks.
- Major restoration work of the interior and the installation of upgraded systems (new heat, air conditioning, electrical, toilet facilities, and sprinkler system) are scheduled to start in January or February.
Tina Roach, AIA, architect with Quinn Evans architectural firm that is in charge of the project, gave the audience a close-up look at some of the conditions uncovered by the fire, the restoration challenges, and solutions that will be used.
Eastern Market’s signature iron trusses not only were twisted by the fire’s heat at the top of the roof but many were damaged where they rested on the brick walls. After two trusses were lifted from the building, disassembled, and each part carefully numbered, the architectural team was able to understand the original system better and use them as patterns. Since the historic iron truss system would be unable to meet modern code requirements, the new system will have both historic iron trusses and look-alike, load-bearing steel trusses. The iron trusses that will remain in place have been cleaned and painted. Those that will be removed will be “archived.” This solution combines the “archaeology” of historic trusses with the strength of modern steel trusses. Ms. Roach felt that Eastern Market visitors would not be able to discern the difference between the two.
One of the discoveries was the existence of an iron framework along the roof ridge that seemed to indicate at least the design intent by the original architect, Adolph Cluss, to have a skylight in the building. A modern skylight, warranted by the manufacturer, will be installed. The double insulated glass will moderate both the heat gain and the UV ray problems with food safety and display.
- A continuous vent along the roof ridge will be installed, providing ventilation and duplicating the appearance of an 1886 photograph.
- Historic photos will also be used to design other elements of the roof—non-functioning chimneys and acroteria (decorative element near the central entrance).
- All windows were analyzed for historic elements. (Many date to the 1977 renovation.) Only two windows were found to be completely original and salvageable. Other windows will be assembled using salvageable and new parts (of the highest quality wood). Since an energy analysis showed little difference between singleand double-paned windows, given the market use, the decision was made to use single-pane glass because of the large size of the entire assembly. The glass will be tinted to reduce glare and heat.
- The floor system will be replaced but retain some historic fabric— the texture, pattern, and color will match the pre-1977 renovation floor. The reconstruction will provide more head room in the basement for equipment and storage as well as the Pottery Studio.
- The fire also uncovered the original colored plaster. The bottom portion of the walls was gray-pigmented plaster and upper portion was colored with a salmon pigment. This color scheme will be duplicated.
The completion of the restoration and move-in date for the vendors is scheduled for early 2009.
September 2007 Preservation Café
Zoning Demystified at September Café
by Shauna Holmes
At CHRS’s September 19 Preservation Café, CHRS Zoning Committee Chairman Gary Peterson provided basic information about zoning designations and such technical aspects of zoning as special exceptions, variances, lot occupancy, and Planned Unit Developments (PUDS). Handouts citing brief excerpts from zoning regulations made it easy for the audience to follow along as Gary used humor, diagrams, and plain language to demystify zoning and make the arcane clear.
For example, in residential areas zoned R-4, one of the most common designations on Capitol Hill, structures are typically allowed to occupy up to 60 percent of a single lot. Anything with a roof—including sheds, carports, garages, and porches—counts toward lot occupancy, as can small courts under certain conditions. Special exceptions can be granted, however, if they’re in harmony with the intent and purpose of the zoning regulations and don’t have an adverse effect on the neighbors’ use of their property. Gary said these can be fairly easy to get when a property owner has letters from owners of neighboring properties expressing support for a proposed plan.
A zoning variance, which was described as sort of an “escape valve,” is harder to get. Variances are usually sought when owners claim an “extraordinary or exceptional situation or condition” applies to their property or assert that strict application of a zoning regulation could cause them “exceptional and undue hardship.” An area variance requires more weight to get than a special exception, and a use variance, which would change or add to a property’s use, needs the most weight of all to get.
Gary’s description of how Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) work was very helpful and timely, since we are seeing more and more of these developments proposed or underway in the Capitol Hill vicinity. A PUD enables a developer to work with a larger site and create something that benefits both the developer and the community. In exchange for providing specified, negotiated benefits for the immediate community, PUD developers can gain increased building height and density beyond what would otherwise be allowed.
The District of Columbia is embarking on a process of reviewing zoning designations throughout the city, as well as reviewing and revising the zoning regulations. The process is expected to take about 18 months, although given its scope and complexity, it could take longer.
CHRS thanks Ebenezer’s Coffee House for generously making its community room available for Preservation Cafés.
by Donna Hanousek
April 2007 Preservation Café
How Does the Community Interact with the DC Government on Zoning Issues?
by Donna Hanousek
The CHRS April Preservation Café was an introduction to the zoning process in the District. Rick Nero and Sara Bardin, from the DC Office of Zoning, identified the cast of characters and explained how to navigate through the process.
The Office of Zoning (OZ) processes applications for zoning changes, variances, and special exceptions. It is not where one goes for permits. Rather, it is the administrative arm of the Zoning Commission (ZC) and the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).
The Zoning Commission is a five-member quasi-judicial commission, charged with preparing, adopting, and amending the Zoning Regulations and Map. The ZC also hears Planned Unit Development cases (PUDs) and Air Rights cases. Three of the members are District residents, appointed by the Mayor with confirmation by City Council; one member represents the Architect of the Capitol; and one member represents the National Park Service. The Board of Zoning Adjustment is a five-member quasi-judicial board charged with hearing cases related to variances, special exceptions, non-conforming use, and appeals of administrative decisions.
The OZ notifies all parties – the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) is automatically a party – and property owners living within 200 feet of the applicant’s property, of all matters being heard by the ZC and the BZA. The OZ also requires the applicants to prominently post placards on or near the property. Persons and organizations are able to testify about their support or opposition to a given case at the public hearing.
Additional information about the zoning process came out of questions from the audience.
- For a property that appears out of compliance with the Regulations, contact the BZA to arrange for a property inspection; however, if there is a question about compliance with a particular Zoning Order, contact Leigh Johnson, Compliance Review Program Manger at 202-727-0330.
- OZ obtains its lists of addresses that are within 200 feet of a property from the DC Tax and Finance Division and requires that the list submitted by the applicant be just as inclusive. The 200 feet are measured from four points of the building, rather than just at the center point. If a member of the public believes that the mailing has not included all the addresses it should, he or she can contact Rick Nero, at 202-727-2806, who will check the list that the applicant submitted with Tax and Finance.
- If an application is not for the correct action (e.g., an application is made for a special exception but is really deemed by the BZA to require a variance), the BZA may amend the application on the spot if it decides it has met the public notice requirements; otherwise, it must be re-advertised.
- An application for a building permit can be self-certified by either an architect or an attorney so that it can be processed faster, but if any information on the application is missing or incorrect, it can be rejected and the applicant must start from scratch. (Contact DCRA for more information on this, as it is not handled by the Office of Zoning.)
One member of the audience asserted that the PUD process is flawed in assuming that there are amenities sufficient to off-set the effects of the greater density or bigger building, when in many instances, the community finds no amount of amenities worth allowing the larger development. The OZ explained that the Zoning Regulations will soon be revised, and that the ANCs can propose amendments concerning the PUD process.
There is much useful information available – including agendas, zoning orders and transcripts, and a search engine for the zoning map – on the OZ website: www.dcoz.dc.gov. For questions about ZC cases, contact Sharon Schellin, Secretary to the Zoning Commission, at 202-727-0340. For questions about BZA cases, contact Cliff Moy, Secretary to the Board of Zoning Adjustment, at 202-727-0348. For other questions, contact Rick Nero, Deputy Director of Operations, at 202-727-2806.
March 2007 Preservation Café
House History—How to Start and Where to Find Information
by Donna Hanousek
House history was the topic of the March Preservation Café, which was held at Ebenezer’s Coffee House at Second and F Streets, NE, and drew more than forty people. Matthew Gilmore, co-editor of H-DC, a listserve devoted to the History of the District of Columbia (H-DC@H-Net.MSU.EDU), provided a mini-version of his evening-long course in historic building and neighborhood research. Mr. Gilmore worked for several years as a reference and collection development/preservation librarian in the Washingtoniana Division of the DC Public Library, and has recently co-authored the book, Historic Photos of Washington DC, which is due out next month. What follows is a summary of his presentation.
Lot and Square
Mr. Gilmore explained that it all begins with knowing your lot and square, which is the key to researching records. The lot and square is part of the legal description of your property. There are two sets of lot numbers. The earliest is the record lot, which is numbered in succession from ‘1’, and is shown as ‘part of 1, etc.” when subdivided (although sometimes subdivided lots were given new, larger numbers). The second set of lot numbers is the tax lot, which is an 800 series that was added at the end of the 19th century to account for multiple buildings on one lot. You can start with your tax lot and work backwards with historic maps to obtain all lot numbers ever associated with your lot.
Tax Record and Building Permits
If your building is early, prior to 1877, then you must do tax record research to date your property. This is complicated, but you can search the tax assessment books for the assessed value on your lot and square, looking for a jump in value to indicate building construction. To narrow down your time frame for the tax research, you can look at historic maps to determine when your building footprint appears on the lot. You can find real estate tax assessment information at the Historical Society, the National Archives, and in the Washingtoniana Room on the third floor of the M. L. King Public Library at 901 G Street, NW. If your building was built in 1877 or later, you can find its building permit, as well as subsequent permits for alterations, at either the National Archives or in the Washingtoniana room.
Historic Maps
The Boshke map of 1859 and 1861 is the oldest, and it shows building footprints, but no lot and square. The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (1888-1999) show lot and square, building footprint, and building materials. You can compare the information with what you find in the Hopkins Atlas, which has detailed information in its 1887 and 1892 editions, and with the Baist Atlas (1903-1945). These maps can be found in the Library of Congress map room, which is in the Madison Building at 101 Independence Avenue, SE, or in the Washingtoniana Room.
Deeds
From 1927 to 1985, the Washington Board of Realtors kept records on real estate transactions, which you can find on microfiche at the Washingtoniana Room. You can also research deeds at the Recorder of Deeds. They are arranged by lot and square, and they are indexed from 1900-1923 and from 1937 to the present. For research from 1792 to 1900, you need the name of either the grantee or the grantor (which hopefully you found during your tax research).
City Directories and Census
To learn about the people who lived in your building, the City Directory listed heads of households living in DC from 1822 to 1973, but the list is by name and not address until 1914. After 1914, the occupants are listed by street as well as name. You can get more detailed information on people by address from census information from 1880-1930 (except 1910).
Other Sources
You can research your address, or people connected to your building (builder, architect, tenants), through the search engines of Washington Post.com. The collections at the Historical Society and Washingtoniana Room are also rich with local history. The Historical Society has several collections of historic photographs, including the Whymer Collection, which contains many photos of neighborhoods throughout Washington, DC, that were taken from 1948-1952.
For more information and training opportunities, contact Matthew Gilmore: dchist@hotmail.com.
February 2007 Preservation Café
An Update on Preservation Easements in DC
by Nancy Metzger
Thanks to the December 2004 Washington Post series on conservation or preservation easements, many people in the city know the general outlines of the program—a building’s owner gives up the right to alter a historic building’s facade and air space without permission from a trust-holding organization. (In the case of buildings in historic districts, that permission is in addition to permission from the Historic Preservation Review Board.) In exchange for the preservation donation, the owner receives a charitable donation for tax purposes.
Carol Goldman, president of the L’Enfant Trust, one of the nation’s largest easement-holding organizations in the nation, provided the update on the revised regulations that were passed by Congress in August 2006. Goldman also answered many questions, including costs for easement donation and whether homes that have had renovations such as vinyl windows are eligible (yes).
About 40 people attended the February Preservation Café held in the very comfortable and attractive downstairs room at Ebenezer’s Coffee House at Second and F streets, NE.
Those who couldn’t make the café may contact the L’Enfant Trust at 202-483-4880; info@lenfant.org; 1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20036 for more information.
|
CHRS Projects Capitol Hill History & Database of Historic Building Permits, Squares 1000–1125 © Copyright 2001-2008, Capitol Hill Restoration Society. All rights reserved. Last updated May 6, 2008. Website hosted by DC Access. |