Why is this section of the south wall different from the others?

THE TITLE of this post is a sincere question that is being posed to our waterproofing contractor, Cameron Figgins of Absolute Maintenance & Consulting. My focus here is on the concrete stem wall (also known as the foundation wall), which juts out along the bottom of the overall exterior wall.

Why does the section on the right of the pilaster
look so different from the one on the left?
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

My concern is not aesthetics but rather that the rightmost section seems less well protected from future water intrusion.

I’ve been wanting to pose that title question in person since mid-August, but I haven’t succeeded in meeting up with Cameron on site. So last week, I asked him via email. He promptly replied:

Please send me something from a few different angles.… I'm really interested to see what you're talking about here, see what you might mean.  

In response, I am uploading photos to this post. Below the jump break, I document how the easternmost section of our wall looks markedly different from the other sections. 

The challenge of heating the sanctuary on Shabbat morning

IN THE WINTER, it’s a challenge to protect our worshipers from airborne illness while also keeping them warm enough, and while minimizing water damage to our facilities from rainfall. Fortunately, given the relatively temperate climate in Venice, we face this challenge only a few months of the year. Yet during those months, the situation requires active management. 

The HVAC control interface via the internet
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Each week during cold weather, the trade-offs need to be weighed. Factors include predictions for the outdoor temperature, the wind velocity and direction, the amount of rainfall — and how prevalent and how severe the covid-19, flu, and RSV infections are locally. 

Below the jump, this post discusses the challenges and trade-offs. It suggests some management guidelines, based on my experience last winter.

Maintenance needs of the new front gates/fence

NEARLY ALL of the newly installed iron gates/fence on Main Street is double powder-coated. Its fabricated sections were all carted to an industrial-sized oven, where they were coated with a dry powdered plastic (much like toner in a laser printer) that was then baked on, for a durable finish. 

That’s the best way to coat ferrous metal that sits near the ocean. Tougher than paint, it should last for a dozen years before rust starts to show through. 

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

That being said, there are a few iron pieces that needed to be welded on site, and therefore could not be powder coated. Those pieces have been primed and painted. I.e., they are likely to start showing rust first, before the rest of the gates/fence does. 

Below the jump, I provide documentation for those pieces, so that our maintenance staff can keep on eye on them. (I’ll also note the moving parts that will need periodic lubrication.)

Women’s restroom renovation: Accessibility and code compliance

In the 2003 Historic Structure Report (HSR), our consultant’s recommendations included a pair of observations that are germane to the planned modifications to the women’s restroom on the sanctuary level. 

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Below the jump, I excerpt from their observations on the topics of Accessibility and of Compliance with Health and Safety Codes.

“Tied-truss” sanctuary roof structure (revised from 8/12/23 version)

ROOF DESIGN is an abiding topic of interest to firefighters, because they need to quickly evaluate the stability of burning buildings. Thus it is not surprising that John W. Mittendorf, a retired battalion chief and training commander for the Los Angeles Fire Dept., discussed various types of roof construction in 2004 on the website Fire Engineering. His articles focused on “older truss roofs” — those that were common in large buildings constructed from the 1800s until the 1950s.

Chief Mittendorf, circa 1993

Below the jump, this post discusses what I learned about Mishkon’s sanctuary roof from Chief Mittendorf’s articles.

Tie-rod connection detail (as exposed in south wall, August 2023)

HERE IS A SERIES of interior photos of the area above the termite-damaged post, at the tie-rod connection that was exposed in August 2023. Studying these images helped Benny and me (in consultation with the contractor) figure out how best to effect a repair of the post.

Exterior view of the tie-rod connection, 
above the post
(As usual, click/tap on an image in order to enlarge it.)

A crucial step was to establish the structural integrity of this tie-rod connection — that is, the meeting point of the rod that crosses the ceiling and the top chord (arch) of the truss that holds up the roof. We were counting on that meeting point to be stable (undamaged by termites), so that the contractor could temporarily support the roof by propping up the tie rod, just long enough to swap out the post for a new one. 

Fortunately, as shown by the photos below the jump, the termites did not get into the tie-rod connection itself.

Friends of Mishkon — germinating a support organization

DURING THIS YEAR of the 75th anniversary of our historic sanctuary building, the time seems ripe for a Friends of Mishkon organization to emerge.

Friends of Mishkon would enable our former members, their families, denizens of Venice, and others to channel their good wishes for Mishkon in support of restoring our historic building. And it would enable that building to receive the loving attention that it deserves from more than just our current synagogue membership. It’s a win-win proposition.

Below the jump, this post outlines what this support organization might look like…