Brooklyn Heights Landmark Exterior Repairs

Preventive maintenance on this residential building, located in the Brooklyn Heights historic district, was deferred for years. With six stories plus basement, the Orange St. structure is subject to New York City’s Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP). Correction of cited conditions required several projects, including brick replacement and mortar joint repointing on rear facades, parapet rebuilding and the street facades on Orange and Hicks and a Master Plan for window replacement.

One of the challenges was to provide an historically correct mortar color and appearance for brick walls that had much patching over the last decades. LFA worked closely the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Contractor during the extensive exterior repair program for this apartment building, which was designed by Emory Roth in 1924. Towers at four corners as well, as roof parapets were topped with terra cotta copings, many of  which were spalled and split. LFA oversaw the creation of molds for these copings as well as for balcony elements (confirm).  Use of fiberglass was approved by LPC for some balcony brackets.

The Owner sought to make improvements beyond work required by in the FISP; together we upgraded the appearance of the building by replacing elements such as decorative diamond-shaped medallions.  A Master Plan was also approved by LPC for new windows, making apartments more energy-efficient and soundproof.

The scope of work was to rebuild the parapet, replace several hundred feet of spalled brick, replace lintels, scrape & paint windows and fix any structurally unsound elements, such as the balcony stones which hung on rusty metal supports.