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Researching the
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada
Recherche sur la Forteresse-de-Louisbourg Lieu historique national du Canada
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MAINTENANCE
OF THE SITE SEMINAR,
MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 1977
January
24, 1977
(Fortress
of Louisbourg Report Number E 20)
MAINTENANCE
OF RESTORED OR RECONSTRUCTED
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY PERIOD BUILDINGS
[E
20 04]
BY
A.
A. MURRANT
GENERAL
PARKS MANAGER
FORTRESS
OF LOUISBOURG
INDEX
- Heading:
Section
- Introduction
..............................................................................
- Foundations
............................................................................
A
- Exterior
Masonry Walls
........................................................
B
- Timber Framed
Walls
............................................................
C
- Piquet
Constructed Walls
...................................................... D
- Interior Walls
and Ceilings
................................................... E
- Doors
......................................................................................
F
- Windows
................................................................................
G
- Shutters
.................................................................................
H
- Frames and
Trim
..................................................................
I
- Hardware
...............................................................................
J
- Roofs
......................................................................................
K
- Flues
.....................................................................................
L
- Floors
....................................................................................
M
- Safety
Notes...........................................................................
N
Some
Suggestions for Maintenance
of Restored or Reconstructed
Historic Period Buildings
The reason for
writing this is to get some of the methods, procedures, and techniques which we
have used in the maintenance of reconstructed eighteenth century period
buildings recorded for our own reference, or for any others who may have
occasion to benefit from our experience.
Most of the
subject matter has been developed by experimentation, trial and error, or by the
adaptation of conventional materials and techniques to suit the various
eighteenth century situations or problems. All of the suggestions contained
herein have been successful over the short term, but because of the relative
newness of the Fortress reconstruction, have not stood the test of time.
We do not claim Infallibility,
nor that there are not more effective or better ways to carry out the various
functions discussed. We do feel, however, that the suggestions written here
contain a fundamental basis for the establishment of maintenance standards by
stating what should be done to maintain the buildings in a sound condition.
In this paper, we
are dealing exclusively with eighteenth century French architecture and
construction. Many of the suggestions could apply to earlier or later period
structures where there is similarity of design and construction.
The types of
construction dealt with are:
- (1)
Foundations: solid rubblestone masonry or concrete core faced with masonry.
- (11)
Rubblestone masonry walls with or without cut-stone corners, cornices,
window and door openings, etc.
- (III) Charpente
constructed walls; timber framed walls and partitions where the spaces
between the framing members are filled with stone, brick, plaster, wood
panelling or combinations of these materials. This type of construction is
sometimes called "half-timber construction."
- (IV) Piquet
constructed wails; where walls and partitions are built ,from vertical logs
the logs are exposed with the spaces between .the logs chinked with mortar.
A variation of this type of wall is where the logs are cladded with
lapped or bevel joint boards or siding on the exterior and sheathed with
boards or other material on
the interior.
- (V) Double or
single framed truss roofs with pegged mortise and tenon joints. Roofing
material is either slates wood shingles or lapped boards.
A. Foundations
- 1. Foundations
should be thoroughly inspected at least once annually. If there is a
basement or crawl space, the interior inspection should be done during the
wet season so that leaking or weeping joints can be identified and marked
for repair or appropriate sealing.
- 2.Loose stones
should be re-set, and all cracked or otherwise deteriorating mortar should
be chipped out and re-pointed over the total accessible area both inside and
outside.
- 3. Where no
basement or crawl space exists, the above grade portion of the foundation
should be closely examined for cracks which might be an indication of
sub-grade failure, and corrective measures taken. This is particularly
important where buildings have been built on stabilized original
foundations.
- 4. Drainage
should be checked around the building to ensure that no ponding is evident
and that run-off is directed away from the building.
- 5. Air vents
and louvres. should be checked to ensure they are free from litter or other
debris and any wooden or metal parts checked ,for rots rust or corrosion.
- 6. Basement or
crawl space floor drains inspected and cleared of any blockage.
B. Exterior
Masonry Walls
- 1. All
exterior masonry wails should be inspected once annually. All deteriorating
mortar should be chipped out and re-pointed using a strong masonry mortar.
All new narrow cracks in stones should be sealed using a natural stone
silicone caulking sealant. Wider cracks should be sealed with mortar. All
areas should be coated with 2 coats of silicone water repellent about I
month following repairs. Note: some caulking sealants are not recommended
for use on calciferous or alkaline materials. Be sure the proper sealant is
used.
- 2. Cut-stone
corners and other cut-stone features should be inspected for spauling and
fractures, and sealed, repaired or replaced
- 3. Entire
exterior area of masonry wall should be treated with a generous coat of
silicone water repellent every 3 to 5 years depending on the exposure and
prevailing climatic conditions. Note: Silicone repellent which has a solvent
base should not be used for limestone or marble. A water based repellent
should be used on such materials. Both types should be sprayed on using
a hand pump sprayer of at least 12 gallon capacity.
C . Timber
Framed Walls (Half Timber Construction)
Timber framed
walls should be inspected annually with close examination given the following:
- 1. Check
framing members for signs of rot, fungus or insect infestation.
- 2. Check
meetings of wood and masonry for open seams due to warping of wooden members
or shrinkage of wood or mortar and seal as appropriate. If possible, spray
exposed wood on wide seams with pentachlorophenol before sealing. If mortar
is used to seal such seams, a coat of silicone water repellent should
be applied over all new mortar.
- 3. Check
masonry for cracked or deteriorating mortar and re-point as necessary.
- 4. A11
exterior masonry surfaces should be given a coat of silicone water
repellent; unpainted and wooden surfaces a coat of pentachlorophenol every 3
to 4 years.
D . Piquet
Constructed Walls (Exterior)
- 1. Unsheathed
piquet walls should be inspected annually for loose or cracked chinking,
rot, fungus and insect infestation. Badly infected or infested piquets
should be replaced to keep such infection or infestation from spreading to
adjacent members. Little other maintenance is required on this type of
construction.
- 2. Sheathed
piquet, or conventional frame and sheathed walls should, be inspected
annually for the following defects and appropriate maintenance.
- 3. Check
lap-board or bevel joint siding for cracks, loose knots, or knot-holes,
warping, rot and fungus, and repair or replace defective members as
appropriate.
- 4. Check
far-loose siding boards or fastenings, and re-secure as appropriate; badly
rusted, bent or drawn nails should be replaced.
- 5. Since
exteriors of most wooden sided period buildings are left unpainted, a coat
of clear pentachlorophenol should be applied every 3 to 4 years. Since this
material retards the weathering process, the first treatment of
pentachlorophenol should not be applied until the desirable weathering is
achieved. A weathered gray appearance normally takes 12 to 18 months of
exposure to achieve.
E. Interior
Wails and Ceilings
- I. Exposed
masonry walls should be inspected once annually and closely examined for
stains and efflorescence which may indicate leaks or condensation problems.
Efflorescence should be removed with a wire brush and the area cleaned with
muriatic acid solution and rinsed with clear water.
- 2. Masonry
walls coated with stucco or plaster should be inspected once annually for
stains or efflorescence damp spots or any other type of defect or
deterioration. Any defective material should be removed, re-plastered, and
refinished using appropriate materials.
- 3. Wooden
walls such as plain boards, wainscoting, panelling,, etc. should be
inspected once annually for loose members or mouldings or man-caused damage,
and appropriate repairs made. Repainting should be carried out on an as
required basis. Paints made especially for period application should consist
primarily of white lead, oil
and pigments, and are subject to considerable checking and crazing. This is
not undesirable as it adds to the aged period appearance.
Note: It Is
important when replacing wooden members, boards, mouldings, etc., that they be
replaced with like kind; i.e. jack. planed
lumber should not be replaced with machine dressed lumber etc. This is., of
course, to retain the period integrity of the structure.
F. Doors
- 1. Most period
doors fall into one of three types:
- (a)
Pinned rail and plank. .
- (b) Board
and batten.
- (c) Double
planked, (vertical and horizontal or diagonal).
Invariably such
doors are made from softwood, (pine, spruce,, etc.) and because of their
construction are very susceptible to a multitude of ills. This is particularly
true of exterior doors. Most serious of these ills are:
- (a) rotting
at joints and between planking from moisture infiltration.
- (b) warping,
splitting and checking from changing climatic conditions.
- (c)
de-lamination caused by rough usage or poor construction.
- (d)
loosening of hardware from normal wear and tear.
- 2. Exterior
doors should be checked twice annually; preferably in the spring and again
in late fall. Special attention should be given to the above points and
necessary repairs made. Extensive re-placement of components are difficult
and before commencing such replacements due consideration should be given to
which is the most practical; the repair or replacement of components, or
replacement of the entire unit.
- 3. Painted
doors should be repainted on an as required basis taking care to work the
paint thoroughly Into cracks and seams. Unpainted doors should be given a
coat of 5% clear pentachlorophenol about every three years to preserve and
protect the wood from fungus.
- 4. Interior
doors should be checked once annually for binding, misalignment or loose
hardware, and any necessary adjustments made.
G. Windows
- I. Eighteenth
century period windows are primarily double or single casement, double hung,
or fixed single sash. The casement windows are sometimes difficult to keep
weather tight since modern weather stripping can not be used. Normally,
however, a conventional maintenance inspection with attention being given to
the following is all that is necessary.
- 2. Check
casement and double-hung windows for proper fit and adjust as necessary.
Windows should be as snug fitting as possible without binding or requiring
excessive force to open and close.
- 3. Check sash
corners, muntins and rails for sound mortises, signs of - moisture, rot or
fungus infection.
- 4. Check for
broken glass and replace as necessary.
- 5. Check
glazing and remove oil unsound material and re-glaze.
- 6. Check all
hinges, hooks, bolts or slide-bars for looseness and tighten as
necessary.
- 7. Painted
sashes should be painted inside and out on an as required basis; generally
every 3 to 4 years.
- 8. Unpainted
edges of moving windows or unpainted sashes should be treated with a coat of
pentachlorophenol with particular care being given to mortise joints and the
top of interior rails where condensation accumulates.
- 9. Check ail
flashings for weather tightness.
H. Shutters
- 1. Shutters
should be dealt with exactly the same methods as exterior doors. (Section F,
1, 2, 3, and 4)
I. Frames and
Trim
- 1. All
exterior portions of window frames, door jambs, lintels, sills, and trim
should be inspected annually for rots loose members and/or -fasteners.
Badly rotted members or members with other defects such as splits, bad
warps, etc, should be replaced. All new work should be liberally treated
with clear pentachlorophenol preservative even if they are to be painted.
This will give better protection against rot and fungus and ensure a
longer life.
- 2. Repainted
should be scheduled when sashes are painted taking care to remove all
loose paint and blisters and working the paint into all checks, cracks,
crevices and joints.
- 3. Moisture
should be excluded as far as possible from entering openings caused by
shrinking wooden members or shrinking mortar where the two come together.
Pentachlorophenol should be sprayed into such openings after which the
opening should be sealed with a mortar grout. .
- 4. All nails
used for securing replaced members should have heads the same as the
original work. (e.g. 18th century wrought iron heads.)
J. Hardware
(Wrought Iron)
- 1. Wrought
iron hardware covers a broad range of items which require much greater
maintenance than contemporary hardware with its precision design and
construction, modern rust and corrosion proof materials and finishes
lifetime lubrications etc., etc.
- 2. Essential
maintenance of wrought iron hardware fall into four main function
categories:
- (a) rust
control
- (b)
lubrication
- (c)
re-finishing
- (d) repair
and replacement of component parts
It is
important, therefore, that the following functions be carried out once
annually or as otherwise indicated particularly on exterior hardware, and
interior hardware in buildings which are used seasonally, and are unheated for
the major part of the year.
- 3. Inspect all
hardware, giving special attention to all moving parts and fastenings.
- 4. Lubricate
hinges, locks, bolts, slide-bars, etc. using oil sparingly so that adjacent
wood and masonry are not stained, and the possibility of getting oil and
dirt on the hands and clothing of visitors and others is minimized.
- 5. Check for
binding and misalignment which may cause excessive wear or difficulty in
manipulating, and adjust or correct as appropriate.
- 6. Replace
components or units where repair or adjustment is ineffective or where
defects or wear make manipulating or operation difficult.
- 7. Normally,
rust removal and repainting is carried out when adjacent woodwork is being
painted. In cases where severe rusting and/or breakdown of paint occurs,
spot work should be carried out.
- 8. Rust need
not be removed down to bare shiny metal. Removal of scale and loose rust by
chipping and wire brushing is sufficient. A good quality rust Inhibitive
paint should be used In all cases.
- 9. Check all
fastenings (i.e. nails, period head screws or bolts, staples, hook-eyes,
etc.) and re-secure or replace as appropriate.
Note: Normally,
Interior hardware is left unpainted in its natural forged state, and except in
extreme damp conditions, little attention is necessary to surfaces. Where damp
conditions exist and light rusting is visible, wiping the hardware with gun
oil or light machine oil will retard rusting.
K. Roofs
- 1. Roof
framing members where accessible should be checked for dry rot every
four or five years. Particular attention should be given to mortise and
tenon joints half-lap joints, and where timber members joists, etc. come in
direct contact with masonry walls. Where serious rot Is encountered, the
infected portion should be cut out and replaced with sound lumber. In many
cases, this may prove difficult and various types of splices will have to be
considered depending on the individual situation. Where possible and
practical it may be desirable to replace the entire member.
- 2. At the same
time, all pegs pins and dowels used in joints should be checked for
looseness due to wood shrinkage vibration, stress, etc. Re-securing tapered
protruding pegs may be achieved by driving the peg further into the joint.
Un-tapered pins and dowels may be tightened by riving wooden wedges
alongside the pin. In exceptional eases pegging may have to be replaced, or,
where the joint is split at the peg hole, a hole drilled in sound wood and a
new peg driven in place.
- 3. Wooden
roofing shingles should be Inspected about every two years for rot, fungus
or moss growth. Warped, curled or badly split shingles should be replaced.
Shingles which are rotted or "punky" from fungus or moss growth
should also be replaced.
- 4. A coat of
clear pentachlorophenol should be applied to ail shingle roofs every 4 to 5
years after the initial weathering process has taken place. This will
largely prevent rots fungus and moss growth.
- 5. Slate roofs
should be inspected annually for loose and broken slates, and such slates
re-secured or replaced as appropriate. It is essential for visitor safety
that ail slates are secure. Slates falling or blowing from a roof are deadly
missiles and could seriously Injure If -striking a person.
- 6. Special
care must be taken when working on slate roofs to ensure that more damage is
not caused than is repaired. Eighteenth century slates are not uniform in
thickness and therefore do not lie flat. Kneeling, standing or walking on
such slates can cause extensive breakage if exceptional tare is not taken.
Inspections should be primarily visual using binoculars so that close
localized scrutiny can be given to the entire roof area. Light weight
aluminum ladders with plastic rollers should be used for easy, safe
handling. The ladders should be equipped with large ridge hooks. Large
foam-rubber pads should be secured to each end and the centre of the ladder
to cushion the contact with the tiles and distribute the weight. A padded
cross-piece should also be fastened between the ridge hooks to prevent
the hooks from coming in direct contact with the slates.
- 7. When
replacing or re-securing roof slates a generous daub of plastic roofing
cement should be placed on the underside of the slate. Care should be taken
however, to ensure that the cement is contained under the slate and does not
squeeze out around the edges. When replacing single slates, it is not
possible to secure the slate with nails. Hooks made from fine brass or
bronze welding rods are formed to hook over the top of a secured slate and
the bottom edge of slate being replaced.
- 8. Lead ridge
caps should be examined and re-formed and refastened as necessary.
- 9. Flue and
dormer flashings should be carefully inspected for weather tightness and
appropriate repairs or maintenance carried out.
- 10. Eave and
crown mouldings, fascia boards and soffits should be closely inspected for
rots fungus, moss, loose boards and mouldings, warps and defective joints,
and appropriate repairs made.
- 11. Lapped
board roofing can be dealt with in the same manner as board wall sidings.
L. Flues
- 1. Brick or
rubble-stone masonry flues can be dealt with using the same methods
techniques and materials as used in the repair and maintenance of masonry
walls. (Section B 1,2, and 3).
M. Floors
I. Normally
maintenance considerations for floor framing sleepers beams and joists, are only
necessary on the ground floors and then only when the floor is built on or close
to the ground where the structure is exposed to perpetually wet or damp
conditions. where such is the case, and the framing is accessible by crawl
space, the framing should be checked every 2 or 3 years except where pressure
treated timbers have been used. (i.e. creosote or greensalt pressure treatment).
Where untreated timber has been used, inspection can be confined to checking for
rot and to ensure that joist hangers are secure.
2. The most
commonly used flooring materials in eighteenth century period building are:
- (a)
Softwood boards (usually pine) either splined or random width T and G. (used
in Town-site and Military buildings).
- (b) Hardwood T
and G, pegged. (usually used only in homes of affluent persons, chapels,
etc.)
- (c) Edge-laid
brick (used in stables, carriage houses, etc.)
- (d)
Rubblestone, (used in forges, bakeries, etc.)
Since floor care,
i.e. sweeping, vacuuming, dust-mopping are daily functions, and an inspection of
sorts is done as part of the function, the value of scheduled inspections on say
an annual basis is probably minimal. However, routine checks should be made for
loose or protruding boards, nails, or pegs on wooden floors, or loose stones or
brick on floors made from these materials. The reason for this is to eliminate
tripping hazards and to keep flooring from being further damaged.
Softwood floors
should be scrubbed once or twice a year using a stiff fiber scrub brush and
detergent solution. A good coat of linseed oil should be given to such floors
once a year; this will protect the floor from stains, water penetration and abrasion,
and keep it mare attractive looking. Hardwood floors should be given this
treatment on an as needed basis.
Janitorial staff
should be instructed to watch for floor defects .and report them immediately to
the maintenance supervisor or foreman.
N. Safety
Notes (Special Precautions)
Workmen using
chemicals such as silicone water repellent, pentachlorophenol, muriatic acid,
heavily leaded paints, etc., should be fully briefed on their potential hazards,
and the proper safe methods and techniques for their use. Furthermore, safety
equipment such as goggles, respirators, rubber gloves or other necessary
protective devices must be provided and their usage enforced.
Workmen working
on slate surfaced roofs without staging must use safety harness and lines at all
times and other relevant safety practices employed. These precautions should
also be taken when working on steeply pitched wood surfaced roofs.
When framing,
roof truss, or floor members are being repaired or replaced, adequate shoring
and bracing must be used to assure workman safety and prevent damage to the
structure.