Historic Zoning Commission

Old North Knoxville H-1: Level II

8-B-20-HZ

Applicant Request

Level II. Major repair or replacement of materials or architectural elements

Columns: Repair to two front porch columns, due to deterioration at the base and at the flooring below the base. Applicant will temporarily remove the column and repair the column shafts, bases, and flooring below, with pressure-treated wood when replacement is necessary.

Siding: Repair or replacement in patches, in-kind, of wood lap siding and sections of wood trim on west elevation.

Porch flooring: The balcony porch on the second story is uncovered and subject to extensive deterioration from rain, direct sunlight, and other moisture intrusion; the wood flooring warps, rots, and paint cannot be maintained. The first-story porch also receives significant moisture intrusion. Applicant is proposing replacement of the wood tongue-and-groove flooring on both stories with a composite tongue-and-groove flooring material, specifically Aeratis Heritage brand porch flooring. The Aeratis Heritage flooring is a composite PVC material which comes in 3-1/8" by 7/8" planks which are comparable to regular wood tongue-and-groove flooring planks.

Site Info

Two-story residence with wood weatherboard wall covering and a brick foundation. House features a hipped roof with lower cross gables clad in asphalt shingles, wood shingles in gable, and a pedimented lintel above attic windows. Two-story, three-quarter front porch featuring round Doric columns and a turned wood balustrade.

1. The house is a contributing structure to the Old North Knoxville National Register Historic District and the local overlay.

2. The proposed repair, and replacement in patches, to the existing siding and porch columns is appropriate under the guidelines.

3. The applicant has sufficiently documented the deterioration of both levels of porch flooring; replacement is appropriate. The second-story porch is significantly exposed to the elements.

4. The second-story porch flooring is not visible from the public right-of way, as it is on a horizontal plane and significantly elevated above the ground level. The first-story flooring is minimally visible from the public right-of-way, as the house is set back approximately 45' from the sidewalk, rests on a raised foundation, and is topographically elevated above the sidewalk.

5. The proposed flooring material is composed of solid extruded PVC planks, which are faux wood-grained to simulate wood flooring. The material can be painted, though the color proposed in the application matches the existing color on the porch. The Aeratis Heritage flooring system can be completed with a chamfered, half-round, or quarter-round nosing as an edge trim.

6. This particular material is a high-end composite flooring material which sufficiently matches wood tongue-and groove in design, color, texture, and visual qualities. Preservation Brief 45, "Preserving Historic Wood Porches," recommends selecting materials that can be painted in the field if composite flooring materials are used. The Aeratis Heritage material was approved for front and rear porch flooring 240 E. Scott Ave. in August 2018, with the condition that the material be painted to reduce sheen.