Historic Zoning Commission

Mechanicsville H-1: Level II

2-L-12-HZ

Applicant Request

Level II. Replacement/repair

Level I-Repair/Replace in-kind:
Replace asphalt shingles with asphalt shingles.

Level II--Replace siding and windows
Replace 13 aluminum windows (25 years in age) with one-over-one vinyl -clad windows. A total of six windows have already been replaced on the back and one side of the house. Four bedroom windows have been added within existing non-historic openings with 8" of added height to allow for legal egress.

Replace existing vinyl siding with new vinyl siding to match existing 6"- exposure. Existing vinyl siding is covering a variety of earlier siding material including areas of wood siding, asphalt shingles, plywood, and felt blackboard.

Site Info

One and one-half story frame with weatherboard and vinyl siding wall covering. Side gable roof with front gable dormer and asphalt shingle roof covering. Enclosed full front porch with original brick columns exposed. Double-hung six-over-six replacment windows. Brick foundation.Rectangular plan.

Staff recommends that since not all the original wood siding is intact, and there is a variety of siding materials on the house including vinyl on the outer layer, that the existing old vinyl siding (which is damaged very little) stay in place until such time as the owner is able to replace it with wood siding. On the east side where new vinyl is partially installed, complete the installation in order to prevent further moisture from entering into exposed parts of the house. The old vinyl siding could be painted to match the new vinyl siding. This option is recommended only because exisitng vinyl is on the house and the recommendation should not be construed as approval of vinyl siding on houses with in tact wood siding.

The six-over-six replacement windows on the west and front were in place when the neighborhood was inventoried for historic district nomination based on the survey description. The vinyl windows on the east and rear have been recently placed with new 1-over-1 vinyl windows, which are more in keeping with the era of the house than the previously installed 6/6 vinyl windows.

The most pertinent design guideline in the Mechanicsville manual is the stipulation that arifticial sidsing can only be replaced on the building if no more than 25% of any elevation is removed. If more than 25% of the artificial siding on any elevation is removed for repair, it cannot be replaced. In this case, more than 25% of the vinyl siding has been removed.


Mechanicsville Design Guidelines p.12

Windows are a very important architectural element of historic buildings, helping to define each building's character. They are usually wooden and are hung so that both the bottom and the top sash can open (double-hung). Two over two or one over one sashes are common, but there are also windows with more panes, and there are attic windows and some upper sashes with stained glass and irregular shapes. . . Windows are often a prime target of rehabilitation projects. In order to judge the necessity of replacing windows, a careful survey should be made of the windows and their condition. This survey should include a consideration of their value in the overall architectural design of the building.


B. Rules for Windows
1. Original windows must be reused if possible. It is much less expensive and much better historically to retain the original windows. It is inappropriate to replace them with new windows that differ in size, material, or pane division.
2. If replacement windows are necessary, they must be the same overall size as the originals with the same pane division and the same muntin depth, width, and profile. They must be the same materials as the original windows, which are generally wood.
3. True divided lights shall be used in replacement window sashes with more than one pane. True divided lights consist of glass panes, whether single glass or double insulated glass that are completely separate units, separated by the window muntins.
Double-insulated glass that uses interior and exterior grids to suggest pane divisions is not a true divided light window, although some manufacturers refer to them by a proprietary description of tru (sic) divided light. If true divided lights are not available, non-divided lights (one-over-one sashes) may be substituted if windows must be replaced and no alternative exists.
4. It can be appropriate to design and install additional windows on the rear or another secondary elevation. The design must be compatible with the overall design of the building.

Siding Design Guidelines, p.15-16

Vinyl, aluminum, or other synthetic sidings are not appropriate for existing or new houses in Old Mechanicsville. They are particularly dangerous for existing houses because they can mask drainage problems or insect infestation and prevent good ventilation. Even on new construction, when the synthetic siding is used in place of wood siding, it is not as easily repaired as wood siding, nor can it be painted easily. Over time, synthetic siding is usually much more expensive than installing or repairing wood siding and maintaining it properly. Synthetic sidings have a different appearance than wood siding and the longevity of new synthetic sidings is untested.

E. Rules for Wood Wall Coverings
1. Synthetic siding is inappropriate and is not allowed either as replacement siding on existing buildings or new siding in new construction.
3. Replacement siding must duplicate the original. Replacing trim and patterned shingles must also duplicate the original material.
4. New construction must incorporate corner and trim boards and appropriate door and window trim to be compatible with the adjacent historic buildings.
7. Replace only deteriorated wood. Reconstructing in order to achieve a uniform or improved, new appearance is inappropriate because of the loss of good historic materials.
8. An entire wooden feature that is too deteriorated to repair or is completely missing must be replaced in kind. If features are replaced, the materials they are made from must be compatible with the original in size, scale, and material.
11. If artificial siding is present on any elevation of a building and must be removed in order to repair the building structurally, it can be replaced on the building if no more than 25% of any elevation's artificial siding is removed. If more than 25% of the artificial siding on any elevation is removed for repair, it cannot be replaced.

Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabiltation:

6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials.