Agenda - 11-15-2016 - 7-b - Chapel Hill Town Hall Study Committee

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10 Physical Assessment, page 5 The historic document file from Preservation Chapel Hill was copied and has been included on the web site. The contact is Cassandra Bennett (919.942.7818; Cassandra @preservationChapelHill.org) Eric Field is the Town of Chapel Hill Community Sustainability Planner II who is responsible for coordination of historic issues (919-969-5077; efeld @townofchapelhill.org). Peter Sandbeck is the Orange County Cultural Resources Supervisor and secretary to the Orange County Historic Board (919-245-2517; psandbeck @orangecountync.gov). Needed Maintenance There are specific maintenance issues that need further study or attention: Moisture Damage. Moisture damage is evident at the roof line. This damage appears more evident at the locations where the gutters and downspouts meet. Determination of the specific cause of this moisture should be undertaken immediately. Once moisture damage is noted, the damage typically increases and an increasing rate. Failure to correct this problem in the very near future could leave the entire structure vulnerable to serious damage and structural damage. Although the slate roof appears to be in excellent condition, failure to repair the moisture problem could lead to a very expensive need to repair and/or replace sections of the slate roof. First the exact cause of the moisture needs to be determined and repaired. Once that is done, the brick mortar and wood trim should be repaired. The 1938 design called for copper lined boxed gutters. Traditionally, even the best designed and constructed boxed gutters, can cause long term maintenance and repair issues. Once they begin to fail they continue to fails at an increasing rate. At several locations, the mortar has deteriorated due to exposure to moisture. The wood fascia and detailing at the eaves shows some substantial ongoing wood rot and damage with holes in the eaves and pieces of the wood trim that have fallen off. On the south east, second floor room, the interior plaster wall shows substantial damage from moisture. Reference is made to the Technical Preservation Briefs, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior Brief no. 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings by Robert C. Mack, FAIA, and John P. Speweik (http://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/2-repoint-mortar-joints.htm); Brief no. 47: Maintaining the Exterior of Small and Medium Size Historic Buildings by Sharon C. Park, FAIA (http://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/47-maintaining-exteriors.htm). Cupola. The drawings would indicate that the cupola has been replaced three times since 1938. The architectural drawings call for replacing the cupola in 1963 and again in 1989. The documents show that the cupola was replaced in 1990.