Top of Building: “Cornice” “Preserve — Remove – Add” Cornice - The top crown of a building. It is traditionally made of masonry or molded tin. In recent years the cornice has been abandoned altogether. Historians want you to preserve what is left on your building, but they don’t [...]
Signage on your Facade “Go HOG WILD . . . with Proper Scale” Signage is one thing that can easily be replaced over time. This gives you the option to be creative, unique, and inviting. The one “must” consideration is to properly size your sign based on available space [...]
My Front Door - My Side Door “My Façade Has a Side Door that Leads Upstairs” Back in the day, it was typical to have a screen type door or no door at all on the street level of your staircase going up. Today it feels unsafe not to [...]
Mortar Testing “Wrong Mortar Can Do More Harm than Good” Testing mortar on your building can be pretty technical. Your first step is to find a mortar testing company near you. A simple Google search will provide you with one or two. It’s always a good idea to give [...]
Main Level Door Egress “General Door Requirements for Exiting Your Main Level” There are many factors that need to be considered when exiting your downtown building. This informational sheet provides door basics you’ll need when considering your renovation. Exiting requirements are different for Hazardous, Industrial, and Residential building uses. [...]
How Many Renters Available? “Too Many Already?” Will you be able to find a renter for you new upper level unit(s)? National Main Street at one time suggested that 3% of any community’s population desires to live downtown. This statistic is difficult to verify, but over my 30 years [...]
I’m Afraid of My Slip Cover “Design - An Anxious Opening” Not knowing what is behind the wrapping is always filled with anxiety when the “present” can cost you $. I did this project many years ago. The new owner of the building was a rookie investment broker looking [...]
Green Communities Criteria “Practical Earth & Money Savings” We have all heard of LEED Certified Buildings. Yep, you know it, those buildings that cost an extra gazillion dollars so a plaque can be displayed in the lobby. Architects jumped all over this certification. I don’t know how many LEED [...]
Façade Structural Worries “Cracking in the Masonry” Pay attention to angled cracking and other slight deformities in the masonry. This project was highly suspect before we even began the design phase; however we did believe the façade was salvageable. The first two areas noted can be fairly typical, but [...]
Exit Signs & Emergency Lights “Don’t Overlook This Need” Exit signage and emergency lighting are required in your building. It doesn’t matter how small your building is; when one is in a bit of a panic, a lighted exit sign and emergency lights are important. A lighted exit sign [...]
