Inspection_Report_for_Primary_Facade_Restoration_Slater_Hall_Center_.pdf

Primary Façade Restoration

Slater Hall

Prepared for:

Greenville County Parks, Recreation and Tourism

Prepared by:

Preservation South, LLC

Fall 2020

Scope / Limitations

The Greenville County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism is seeking to restore the primary façade of Slater Hall as part of continued, phased, restoration work on the building. This report looks at the existing conditions present on the front façade and determines to the greatest extent possible what elements can be retained and what must be replaced. Additionally, this report reviews the limited historic information on the building to determine what original elements are currently missing or obscured from view. These elements could be potentially reintroduced during the larger restoration work in order to cost effectively recreate the historic appearance of the building. The assessments included within this report extend only to the primary or south façade of the building. Limited invasive assessment of the underlying historic fabric (trim, siding, columns) was undertaken through the careful removal and reapplication of the existing metal siding. This allowed for a small snapshot of the state of the underlying material but not a comprehensive study, therefore there is the possibility that the removal of the metal siding could reveal conditions significantly worse than what were observed for this report.

Background

Built in 1934 by the Slater Manufacturing Company, the building is three stories of frame construction in a temple form. It was designed to be the center for the Slater Mill community and like many such buildings was designed to hold a wide variety of functions. On the ground floor there is a large gymnasium space while the upper two floors held meeting rooms for clubs and civic groups. The exterior is utilitarian on the remaining three sides, but the south façade is meant to be a monumental, if not slightly cliché, temple on a hill.

Image 1: Early image of the building showing the façade with dual tones and the tympanum window

Porch Foundation

The existing foundation consists of brick set in common bond with header courses every sixth course.

The brick has been painted in various coats of a red and cream paint. The foundation shows signs of settlement with a large horizontal crack running typically one course below the porch floor slab.

Recommendations:

The crack should be repointed with type S mortar in order to get the strength and hold necessary to last should settling continue. Tooling should match the surrounding joints.

The paint should be removed using a peel away product, abrasive cleaning including sand blasting should not be undertaken.

Image 2: West foundation showing overpaint, salt staining and widened mortar joints.

Siding

The building has wooden lap siding underneath the existing metal siding. There is a thin layer of foam added on top of the wood between it and the metal. The wood siding appears to be in good shape with limited checking and wear. There are multiple layers of paint on the wood that have alligatored and flaked under the sun and heat. It appears that the metal siding is only nailed at the top of each course which should limit the damage to the historic materials. Historic images show the building had a contrasting body and trim tone; likely it was the same sort of color but the body was slightly darker.

Recommendations

The metal siding and foam should be removed carefully to avoid splitting the wood beneath. This is best done by hand with a flat bar and pliers. The removal should wrap the corners of the building and stop at the end of the siding on the sides in order to expose the wooden corner boards.

The siding should then be scrapped by hand, no power scrappers or orbital sanders should be used. Any siding or trim that is deteriorated due to rot or termites should be replaced, including any split siding.

Replacements should match the profile and dimension of the original.

The siding should be primed with a slow drying oil-based primer applied by hand. Vertical joints should be caulked and smoothed but horizontal joints should not be.

All holes should be filled with a good quality exterior wood filler that is sandable. The filler should be applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions and then sanded flat with the surrounding surfaces. Caulk should not be used for filling the holes.

The wood surfaces should be painted with two coats of latex based paint applied by hand.

Colors recommended:

Window sash, columns and trim- basic titanium white straight from the exterior white paint can to match existing. Semi-gloss

Siding- Sherwin Williams “Aged White” SW9180 in satin

Metal railings, any black paint in gloss.

Image 3: Exposed siding with flaking paint behind the Styrofoam and metal

Front Entry

The existing entry consists of a pair of steel doors with no windows set within the monumental door surround which has been covered in metal. The original entry had a divided light transom over the doors that have been covered over with metal siding. It is unclear if the transom window remains behind the metal.

Recommendations:

The front entry is a character defining feature of the building and should be recreated. Fire code issues will need to be addressed but the nine lights in the doors and glass in the transom can be created using fire glass and the doors can be solid wood (preferably sapele) which should meet fire code. These elements should be primed and painted in the same manner as the siding.

Image 4: Existing front entry

Columns

The front portico is supported by 4 sets of paired square columns. The columns are covered by sheet metal in keeping with the rest of the building but exploring below the metal reveals panelized columns.

Its unclear based on what can be observed without removing the metal if the panels run continuously up the column but that is likely. The panelization has a small panel mold that is split and damaged in the areas observed and the repeated application of the sheet metal has resulted in a significant hole in the columns. The baseboards of the columns were removed at some point, likely to facilitate the application of the metal sheathing. This allows access under the column where the steel column core can be observed on a raised concrete base indicating that the wood portion of the columns are for show and not structure.

Recommendations

The existing sheet metal should be removed along with any insulation board that may be set into the panels.

Split, damaged or missing panel mold should be removed and replaced with new panel mold that matched the dimension and profile of the original. All horizontal joints should lap on a 45 degree angle and the lap should shed water on the vertical edge. New panel mold should be primed on all sides before installation.

All holes should be filled with a good quality exterior wood filler that is sandable. The filler should be applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions and then sanded flat with the surrounding surfaces. Caulk should not be used for filling the holes.

New baseboards should be added to the columns. The base should be made of AZEK PVC board or similar, these should have a smooth finish, do not use the wood grained design. The boards should be

7.5 inches high and have a 45 degree bevel cut on the top to shed water. The base should be held off the cement porch floor half an inch.

The columns should be prepped, primed and painted in the same manner as the siding.

Image 5: Exposed panelized columns under the existing metal and foam

Image 6: Column base showing the paint line of the missing baseboard

Image 7: Concrete base and the iron support column within

Tympanum Window

Historic images indicate there was a circular window with a square glazing pattern in the tympanum over the front porch. The window is clearly visible in early photos of the building but today the area is covered with metal siding and a louvered vent. The vent may have replaced the original window or is potentially installed in front of the window, but it is not possible to observe this area at this time.

Recommendation

Should the window frame remain in place it should be maintained, the glass can be replaced with synthetic screening to allow the attic to remain ventilated.

Image 8: Early image showing more detail of the tympanum window