Masonry Cavettos and Ogees – Part I
Masonry Cavettos Explained: Purpose and Performance Architectural moldings are interesting for a handful of different reasons. Obviously, they have an aesthetic purpose, but they also
Buttressed Masonry Retaining Wall – Part II
Buttressed Masonry Retaining Wall Design – Part II This past week, we began looking at this very large and impressive historic stone masonry retaining wall.
Buttressed Masonry Retaining Wall – Part I
Understanding Buttressed Masonry Retaining Walls – Part I There’s some principles of building construction that have improved and developed over time. There’s also some principles
Deteriorated Mortar at a Stone Fence Post – Part II
Understanding Deteriorated Mortar in Stone Fence Posts This past week, we took a look at a granite stone column that’s used to support a fence.
Deteriorated Mortar at a Stone Fence Post – Part I
Understanding Deteriorated Mortar Failure at Stone Fence Posts – Part I A little while ago, before it got bitter cold here, we took a look
Mortar Susceptibility at Brick Wall Tops
Why Brick Wall Tops Are Prone to Mortar Damage This past week, we finished the two part series looking at ferns growing into mortar joints.
Cliffbrakes Growing in Historic Mortar Joints – Part II
Cliffbrakes Growing in Historic Mortar Joints: Part II This past week we took a look at this particular masonry wall with Cliffbrakes, a type of
Cliffbrakes Growing in Historic Mortar Joints – Part I
Cliffbrakes Growing in Historic Mortar Joints: Part I A few times in the past, we have looked at a couple of examples where plants are
Decorative Planters on a Historic Masonry Facade – Part II
Decorative Planters on Historic Masonry Facades: Part II This past week, we took a look at some historic masonry facades here in Washington DC. These
Decorative Planters on a Historic Masonry Facade – Part I
Decorative Planters Problems on Masonry We definitely recommend against putting unnecessary or additional fasteners or bolts or mounting points into historic brick masonry facades. In
Tree Through a Beam Pocket – Part II
Structural Issues from a Tree Through a Beam Pocket Here, in the picture below, we show some of the beam pockets that we looked at
Tree Through a Beam Pocket – Part I
Beam pocket with tree interference Several times in the past, we have looked at examples of where trees and plants have caused significant destruction and
Building Envelope Security Hardening
Building envelope security inspection The Washington DC of today is nothing like it used to be. The city has gone through cycles. These cycles have
Deteriorating Paint and Mortar Joints – Part II
Weathering Effects on Paint and Mortar Joints As you look upwards, vertically, across the facade of this brick wall, you can see the paint is
Deteriorating Paint and Mortar Joints – Part I
Deteriorating Paint Effects on Masonry We look at deteriorating mortar and deteriorating masonry, often, here on our website. It’s one of the main dedications and
Severe Lateral Deflection in a Masonry Facade – Part III
Understanding Structural Stability in a Masonry Facade This past week we also took a look at the steel and cast iron resistance plates shown in
Severe Lateral Deflection in a Masonry Facade – Part II
Structural Deflection Issues in Masonry Facade This past week we took a look at a building with severe lateral deflection at the base of the
Severe Lateral Deflection in a Masonry Facade – Part I
Severe Lateral Deflection in a Masonry Facade Here on our blog and here on our website we’ve looked at this topic before, related to lateral
Clogged Retaining Wall Weeps – Part II
Prevent Clogged Wall Weeps Retaining Walls This past week we looked at a retaining wall at a space between a yard and a driveway. These
Clogged Retaining Wall Weeps – Part I
Fixing Clogged Wall Weeps in Retaining Walls We’ve looked at a handful of different retaining walls here on our website. Our company is often building
Stucco Delaminating Over Historic Brick – Part II
Stucco Failures Threatening Historic Brick This past week, we looked at an example of a building with severe stucco delamination. We discussed some of the
Stucco Delaminating Over Historic Brick – Part I
Historic Brick Challenges: Stucco Delamination Explained Of all of the historic buildings built here in Washington, DC, the vast majority of them are built with
Spikes to Punish Birds on Masonry Walls – Part II
Masonry Walls: Bird Spikes for Protection This past week, we took a look at a masonry building assembly topped with large dangerous looking spikes that
Spikes to Punish Birds on Masonry Walls – Part I
Birds on Masonry Walls: Control and Prevention Birds seem so innocent and I happen to love them. There are some invasive species though, here in