Guidelines for Exterior Woodwork

RE COM CAR M I CITY OF NEW ORLEANS S X S U IO E I N V Vieux Carré Commission ES TA 36 BLISHED 19 Guidelines for Exterior Woodwork ExtErior WoodWork sECtion indEx Wood siding, shingles and trim on a building’s wall surface The Vieux Carré Commission (VCC) reviews exterior woodwork serve both functi onal and aestheti c purposes. Functi onally, materials, features and modifi cati ons. This secti on includes: exterior woodwork can be a weather-ti ght building enclosure • Exterior Woodwork Components – 05-2 or “skin”, shedding rain to protect wall framing and interior • Common Siding Types; Common Shingle Types – 05-3 fi nishes, providing protecti on from wind and defl ecti ng • Wood Trim & Ornament – 05-4 sunlight. • Wood Rot – 05-5 Aestheti cally, woodwork is an important design feature • Woodwork Maintenance; Wood Repair Opti ons – 05-6 that provides character – adding patt ern and texture while • Detecti ng Wood Rot; Condensati on; Decay-Resistant casti ng shadows across a wall surface. The type of wood Wood – 05-7 components, and their detail and arrangement, help identi fy a building’s architectural style and period of constructi on. • Termites – 05-8 The architectural style can also be heightened by fi nishing • Storm Preparedness – 05-10 with compati ble exterior paint colors. • Building Insulati on – 05-11 All applicants must obtain a Vieux Carré Commission (VCC) The fi rst step in using these Guidelines is to understand a permit as well as all other necessary City permits prior to property’s color rati ng. The rati ng corresponds to the historical proceeding with any work. Reviewing and becoming familiar and/or architectural signifi cance and then determines what with these Guidelines during the early stages of a project can type of change will be permitt ed and the review process assist in moving a project quickly through the permit approval required for each property under the jurisdicti on of the VCC. process, saving an applicant both ti me and money. Staff Review boxes provided throughout the Guidelines indicate the review of all details is required to ensure proposed work is lowest level of review required for the specifi ed work. staff appropriate to a specifi c property. can forward any applicati on to the architectural Committ ee Guidelines addressing additi onal historic property topics are (aC) and/or the Commission for further considerati on. available at the VCC offi ce and on its website at www.nola. gov/vcc. For more informati on, to clarify whether a proposed Greater Lesser Pink Blue Green Yellow Purple signifi cance Brown signifi cance project requires VCC review, or to obtain a property rati ng of Orange signifi cance or a permit applicati on, contact the VCC at (504) review Process 658-1420. 1 2 3 ExtErior WoodWork ComponEnts Wood is used for various structural elements, siding types and decorative trim, such as a bracket, cornice, parapet, window and door surround, soffit and fascia. Decorative rake board Fishscale shingles Half-round gutter Gutter molding Bead board soffit Bracket Soffit vent Door cornice Door casing or trim Louvered shutters Drop lap siding Quoin Stoop Foundation vent Verge board Window trim or casing Bracket Weatherboard siding Rafter tail Porch beam Door casing or trim Chamfered post Brick pier Corner board Porch steps 05-2 Vieux Carré Commission – Guidelines for Exterior Woodwork Chisel or Bevel Fishscale Diamond Staggered Weatherboard Drop Lap Flush Siding Siding Siding Common siding typEs The most common type of siding for a French Quarter building is weatherboard siding followed by drop lap siding. Octagonal Sawtooth • Weatherboard siding, also known as clapboard or beveled siding, is made from long boards, tapered across the width. Common shinglE typEs Weatherboards are installed by nailing an upper board Although generally limited to the front gable end of shotgun overlapping a lower board with joints staggered across houses, there are a variety of decorative wood shingle types the wall surface. Originally, the boards were square, in the French Quarter. Similar to weatherboard siding, until the second half of the 19th century when tapered wood shingles are tapered and installed in an overlapping siding became common. The profile of replacement siding pattern with staggered joints to minimize potential moisture should be historically appropriate, consistent and aligning infiltration. Types of wood shingles include: rows around a building’s corners. • Chisel or Bevel: Rectangular shape, similar to roof shingles • drop lap siding, also known as ship lap siding, is a flat faced • Fishscale: Bottom edge of shingle cut in a U-shape with board, about 8- to 12-inches wide with a concave top and staggered rows forming a fishscale pattern notched bottom. Drop lap siding is installed by nailing the notched bottom of the upper board over the concave top • diamond: Bottom edge of shingle cut in a V-shape with of the lower board in a staggered joint pattern. Typically it multiple rows forming a diamond pattern is found only on the front of a building with weatherboard • staggered: Chisel or bevel shingles with alternating on the sides and rear. greater and lesser exposure • Flush siding is a series of flat faced boards nailed edge to • octagonal: Bottom corners of shingle cut at a 45˚ angle edge to form the appearance of a flat wall. Generally, it is with multiple rows forming an octagonal pattern only found on Greek Revival buildings and installed at the • sawtooth: Bottom edge of shingle cut in a W-shape with front façade under a protective porch or gallery. adjacent shingles forming a sawtooth pattern Gable ends of shotgun residences often include decorative woodwork. This example has a decorative rake board, drop lap siding and a central, bulls-eye louver with profiled slats. (Gable-end louvers should be covered in the event of a storm to prevent roof uplift. Refer to Storm Preparedness, page 05-10.) Vieux Carré Commission – Guidelines for Exterior Woodwork 05-3 Exterior trim and ornament can be highly detailed and decorative. In this example, the gable end includes a projecting, bracketed pediment with decorative scrollwork over the window; flush board and paneled “timbering” in the gable end; a bracketed cornice with circular modillions; and square lattice between the paired porch columns. The two-tone paint scheme highlights the wood detailing. Wood trim & ornamEnt Visually, exterior wood trim frames areas of wood siding or shingles and serves as the transition between elements such as a door, window, cornice or porch. Functionally, it seals siding and shingles at joints and openings, to provide a weather-tight building enclosure. Wood trim includes the window or door frame, corner board, rake board, eave and/ or wood sill. In addition to wood trim, there are numerous types of wood elements applied to buildings, including quoins, brackets, balustrades and newel posts. (Refer to Guidelines for Balconies, Galleries & Porches.) Historically, the size of a wood trim and ornamental element as well as profiles and details varied with the style of the building and whether it was “high-style” or simple. As a result, wood trim and ornament are considered important features and the VCC requires the retention, maintenance and repair of existing wood trim and ornament. One of the best means to ensure the ongoing preservation of exterior For many residences, the most decorative wood trim woodwork is to keep it properly attached to the building and is found at the front door. This ornate door frame, or painted. (Refer to Guidelines for Exterior Painting.) surround, includes a heavy molded cornice, a transom window and bracketed, ribbed trim. Similarly, great care should be taken when applying new trim or ornament to an existing building to ensure it is compatible salvagEd WoodWork with the building’s style. If a replacement component is considered, the dimensions, profiles and detailing should To find the best quality replacement woodwork, a place to match the historic wood element exactly, and it must start might be a local architectural salvage store. Because have the same painted finish in color and sheen. (Refer to of the high, fine quality of the wood historically used in Guidelines for Exterior Painting.) New Orleans’ buildings, salvaged and repaired woodwork will often outlast new replacement woodwork. Prior to the removal of an existing piece of deteriorated wood trim or ornament, detailed photographs of the deteriorated Similar to installing new replacement woodwork, take care condition and the extent of proposed replacement must with salvaged woodwork to match the size, shape, type, be submitted to the VCC for review. In addition, detailed profile and detailing of the existing historic woodwork. drawings or photographs of the proposed replacement Just because it is old does not mean it is appropriate. trim or ornament must be reviewed prior to installation Caution should also be taken when installing salvaged to ensure the replacement material will match the historic woodwork to prevent introduction of termites or other characteristics of the existing condition. pests into a building. (Refer to Termites, page 05-8.) 05-4 Vieux Carré Commission – Guidelines for Exterior Woodwork leaky plumbing can be sudden, such as a cracked pipe, or slow, where a gradual, unnoticed leak can soak a wood structure until significant damage occurs. A crack in grout or a floor tile around a bathtub, sink or washing machine Removal of can discharge enough water to rot wood framing. Periodic the interior inspections for signs of a leak behind a bathtub access plaster panel, within a sink vanity and around a washing machine or revealed dishwasher can alert a property owner to a problem before compacted, it becomes serious. wet, blown- in insulation Condensation is an insidious source of moisture because resting the water comes from air vapor rather than an obvious against origin such as rain or a cracked pipe.

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