Conservation Policies & Recommendations
Roof and Roof Drainage
Reroof West Wing - minimize visual and physical changes to the original roof form when repairing or upgrading.
Shallow, undersized built-in gutters increase the potential for water leaks at roof flashing during rainstorms or melting snow.
Ensure that the roofs and roof drainage systems of the building are maintained in a sound watertight condition for the long term functionality and security of the building, its users, and collections.
Remove redundant mechanical systems from the roof to minimize unnecessary and excessive weight, roof membrane perforations, and to improve roof access.
Avoid and minimize new penetrations and additions that would compromise the water tightness of the roof membrane and roof system.
Perform quarterly inspections of roof and drainage systems (gutters and downspouts); clean and repair as necessary.
Windows, Doors, and Exterior Woodwork
All wooden elements should be annually inspected and conditions documented, with special attention paid to spaces containing sensitive and high value archival material.
For a general frame of reference, windows and other exterior painted woodwork should be stripped of paint finish, cleaned, repaired or replaced in kind as necessary, and repainted every five to eight years.
Perform cyclical maintenance inspection of cellar bulkhead wells and clear of debris on an annual basis.
Single-glazed historic windows in humidified spaces such as the historic library and collections and archives storage spaces will require addition of interior secondary glazing to prevent interior condensation on the primary glazing in winter.
Masonry
Mortar joints should be inspected annually and repaired and repointed as needed.
Mortar formulas should be used consistently in their architectural zone and function.
The source of disaggregating, spalling, or cracking brick or stone should be assessed and mitigated.
Areas of high efflorescence should be surveyed, the source identified, and the efflorescence tested for its water solubility.
Identify the source of ferrous staining, remove, repair, or replace corroded elements and clean stains.
Cupric staining is mostly an aesthetic issue. Stain removal and cleaning is an aesthetic decision.
Design a protective covering for the corner stone that sheds water away from the stone, keeps debris out of the well, and allows for air circulation.
Redundant and no longer functional piping and drainage systems should be removed and the holes in masonry filled with an appropriate mortar.
The least interventive solution to the improperly aligned plinth stones is to maintain the drainage systems to efficiently shed water away from the building base.
Iron and Metalwork
Inspect all metal work and document areas of failing protective finishes and areas of deterioration.
Clean and remove failing paint finishes.
Clean and remove corrosion. Prepare surfaces and reapply protective coatings and finishes.
Replace lead putty in areas where putty has deteriorated.
Moat - Path, Wall, and Gutters
Regularly inspect and clean all gutters and drains of debris; Every three months or monthly in the Fall.
Repair loose or missing paving bricks and stones in kind in the integral gutters to ensure effective dispersal and drainage of water away from the building.
Inspect moat wall for missing and deteriorated mortar. Repoint with a compatible mortar.
Repair, reinstall, or replace cracked, dislodged or missing coping stones in kind.
Inspect areas of high efflorescence to determine possible deterioration to the masonry. If masonry is stable, monitor area by visual inspection during quarterly moat gutter inspection.