The Window That Worries Me the Most (Updated from 7/17)

THIS 4TH WINDOW from the bimah (3rd from the lobby) is a matter of concern.

For a brief analysis of its condition, see after the jump break.…

Another Water Intrusion Puzzler Solved?

THIS TALE BEGINS in April, when I noticed blistering and peeling paint on the corner column in front of the sanctuary. Along with the other columns, it had been painted less than a year earlier! Meanwhile, the other columns looked fine.

The painter and I guessed that water was somehow getting through the roof and running down the inside of this column. Then the primer was unable to adhere to the moist plaster.

So I tried to get to the bottom of the situation — literally.… 

A Closer Look at the South Side Water Intrusion

YESTERDAY, thanks to our gracious neighbor, I got a closer look at the exterior south wall.…

Our South Wall Seems to Be Getting Battered (rev. 8/20)

THE SOUTH WALL turns out to have many problems, only one of which I’ll address here. Namely, it seems to have suffered repeated physical assaults. The result is that the stucco has been dented, chipped, and cracked to the point of flaking off in large chunks.

The problem is almost entirely concentrated in the area where the trash and recycling bins are kept. As I shall demonstrate, the most obvious culprits are the handlers of those bins.…

Completion Report: Fixing the Play Yard’s Gate

THIS PROJECT WAS COMPLETED more than 9 months ago, on 9/22/21. I’m posting it now because the report itself exemplifies how every project involving a historically significant component is supposed to be documented. That is, it follows the report template provided in the 2003 Historic Structures Report, and recommended for all historic-cultural monuments. 

In retrospect, it’s a bit ironic that I first applied the template to a facilities component that has no historical significance! (I think I did so because this project was easier to write up — being less convoluted than the ones that involve our older components tend to be.) Yet I post it anyway, for the record. Who knows, the information may come in handy, in the future. For before-and-after photos, scroll to the end.…

Compromises in the Outer Wall on the South Side

THE EVER-ALERT Brett Barenholtz has called my attention to some breaks and gaps in the sanctuary’s stucco wall on the south side. 

I wasn’t previously aware of the problem, because that wall is not normally accessible to us, due to our neighbors’ fence around their parking lot. (Yes, it’s merely a matter of giving due notice to the owner, Perloff & Webster, and getting permission to go in; but I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.…) 

This post documents the issue—which needs to be fixed before the rainy season, and before doing interior wall repairs.…

What’s Next for the Sanctuary?

AS WE GET CLOSE to putting a stop (for a while) to rainwater intrusion and to termite activity in our sanctuary structure, it’s time to prepare for the next stage in its restoration: to rebuild, seal, and refinish the long walls.

This project is intended to integrate several goals: structural integrity, seismic safety, historic preservation, and aesthetic rehabilitation. Please understand that in order to achieve those goals, the walls will need to be torn open. In other words, they will look a lot worse while the restoration efforts and safety enhancements are underway. 

Although at this point we can only sketch a picture of what is needed, we are fortunate to have available the guidance of several professional assessments and consultations with experts.…