West Balcony Restoration: Fall 2018
(Picture #1 – The west balcony prior to disassembly)
The Cottage has three balconies each with their own unique design and preservation challenges. There is however one common challenge and that is to monitor and manage the effects of moisture intrusion particularly when the deleterious effects of the moisture go unseen until significant damage has occurred. Such was the case recently when an inspection of the west balcony revealed that moisture related deterioration to the base of both posts was not limited to the surface but rather the entire base, all of the floor boards and sections of the upper rail and trim.
(Picture #2 – Damage to post base uncovered after removal of base trim)
Before developing a restoration plan it was important to understand the cause of the damage. That process started with a review of the work completed on the balcony over fourteen years ago. The west balcony was reconstructed in 2004 as part of the capital campaign to restore the Cottage to its Lincoln-era appearance and only the posts and upper rail are original.
(Picture #3 – 2004 restoration and reconstruction of West Balcony)
During the restoration the posts were attached directly to the floor boards. This proved to be the most significant cause of deterioration to the posts. Without an air space between the post and the flooring, moisture was trapped and subsequently allowed to wick up through the exposed end grain of the post. Moisture also found its way through the tongue and groove joinery of the floor boards and beneath the rail cap and skirt board.
To fully assess the damage and begin the restoration, the entire balustrade (with posts), all of the flooring and trim work were carefully removed.
(Photo #4 – removal of railing and floor boards)
Fortunately, there was no significant damage to the framing. The balcony is stabilized and over the next two weeks I’ll be putting together a restoration plan that will address the aforementioned design flaws. For now I’m focusing on the next Conference session “Specifying Wood: Reconciling History, Changing Ecosystems, and the Lumber Industry”!
Old Updates
January 2015: We are restoring and repointing the walls of the amphitheatre behind the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center. Pictured below: Craftsmen from Federal Masonry Restoration are removing the granite capstones from the lower benches.
Cassie Myers of Myers Conservation completed her exposures of decorative painting on the south wall of the vestibule. We are awaiting her final report but thus far her work has greatly helped us understand how the decorative painting on the walls of the vestibule may have looked during Lincoln’s time. In December 2014 through January 2015, we will complete the re-grading of the north elevation so that moisture runs away from the building, reinstalling site lighting and installing a new drip irrigation system.
Interested in learning more? Contact Preservation Manager Jeffrey Larry at [email protected] for more information.
Categories:Archive, Preservation
