Masonry façade restoration project to investigate the causes of water infiltration into the building that damages interior finishes. Damages were evident primarily on the North and West facades, however, all facades exhibited damages of various types. Proposal included site surveys to determine the scope of work. Moisture mapping, mortar sampling, and field observation utilizing a 80-foot high reach lift provided information about the building.
Subsequent site exploration at spot locations revealed extent of long-term water infiltration damages to steel lintels at windows. Original wood windows were replaced with metal windows in the 1970’s with the effect of accelerating water infiltration damage due to poor installation and construction practices.
Over the last eighty years water has infiltrated into the masonry walls through settlement cracks, deteriorated joint material, worn out sealants, and other openings allowing water to begin the rusting process at most of the window steel lintel angles. The replacement window project did not repair existing façade damage and contributed to the rusting process. The results of long-term water infiltration damage are severe iron jacking, spalled masonry units, shear cracks in limestone pieces, movement of masonry walls, interior plaster rotting, paint delaminating, suspended acoustical ceiling panel rot, mold growth, and other issues.
Masons, to determine the existing construction, performed exploratory demolition. Details were drawn based on the existing conditions for inclusion in the construction documents.
