THIS YEAR, with the incidence of Covid-19 infections at a moderate level and a predicted high temp of 78° for Rosh Hashanah, we implemented a particular plan to provide reasonably healthful air for attendees at our High Holy Day services.
THE CITY OF L.A. runs a rebate program for sidewalk repairs that sounds great in principle. In practice, taking advantage of the offer is somewhat challenging.
Sidewalk damage caused by “our” street tree
Below the jump, I outline how the program would work in our case, if we applied for a rebate.…
JUST IN TIME for the High Holy Day crowds, a pair of air purifiers was installed yesterday in our historic sanctuary’s HVAC system—one for each blower. These devices use needlepoint bipolar ionization (NBPI) technology, as described HERE—from when we were preparing to install one in our school building.
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| One of the new ion generators, mounted inside the forced-air unit (FAU) |
These ion generators are designed for a system that is up to 2.4 times as large as ours. That’s good, because our retrofitted system is only about half the size needed when the sanctuary is full of people. In other words, our air purifiers are properly sized for the space.
For links to evidence that the ions produced by this device are indeed effective at neutralizing airborne pathogens directly, see HERE.
ALTHOUGH I HAD provisionally concluded that duct smoke detectors were not required in our sanctuary, as described HERE, I nonetheless looked for an opportunity to get an authoritative opinion. That opportunity presented itself exactly one week ago, when Tom Nasrollahi, a mechanical (HVAC) engineer, made a site visit as a consultant on our main-floor restroom renovation project.
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| One of the new duct smoke detectors |
Unhesitatingly, Tom replied that these devices were indeed required in our sanctuary, according to code.
He explained that even though each of the sanctuary’s two systems has its own thermostat and each one by itself has a small enough blower to be exempt, they must together be treated as one overall system because they both participate in conditioning the same space. The system’s cubic feet per minute (CFM) for the total space is what counts.
Happily, a pair of detectors was installed yesterday. They were placed just upstream of the air filter before the blower intake (see photo).
Thus we have made a capital improvement (betterment) that addresses a life-safety risk, which is of course the highest priority use for our precious funds.
(How did it come about that the installer of our replacement heating system in 2017 did not include these devices at that time? Maybe I don’t want to know.…)
IN HONOR OF the High Holy Days, most of the brass fixtures in the sanctuary have now been professionally polished. This includes the door pulls and push plates between the lobby and the sanctuary, and on restroom doors. The difference will be immediately evident when you walk in.
And in a nod to the value of preventive maintenance, a protective clear coat has been added to those items, so as to preserve their shine.
Some other brass fixtures in the sanctuary, such as the banisters leading to the bimah, were manually polished. They will continue to need repolishing each year (but see below).
NOMENCLATURE: The Historic Structure Report (2003), in its cataloging of our sanctuary building’s architectural features, most often employs the term copper alloy rather than “brass.” The more general term is preferred in preservation and museum circles as a matter of accuracy. That is, the term “brass” is seen as possibly misleading because of the widely varying proportions of its ingredients (usually copper and zinc, but sometimes also other elements), which can shade into bronze, which is likewise a copper alloy. But in this blog I will continue to use the more common and informal term.
PRESERVATION TIP: The salty air in our ocean-adjacent location means that our brass tarnishes relatively quickly. Yet for brass items that are not meant to be touched (such as the chandeliers in the Social Hall), there is a relatively easy hack: After polishing such items, rub them with a cloth that has been sprayed with WD-40. The resulting thin layer of that lubricant will help to protect the brass over time.
(Indeed, it is said that WD-40 can also be used as brass polish, by spraying it on the metal and letting it sit for 15 minutes or so, and then rubbing it off.)
CONTACT INFO: The vendor that polished and coated our brass items was: V&M Metal Polishing (Chatsworth), vmmetalpolishing@gmail.com 818-632-0603, "ask for Vidal.”
APPRECIATION: Thank you to Carole Stein and Ginni Rosenfeld for this round of brass polishing! Long may it shine!
AS OUR ARCHITECT prepares to meet with City officials next month to discuss our entry accessibility plan, it is timely to revisit the stairlift component—which was introduced HERE (Feb. 12) and updated HERE (May 8).
Again, the overall goal is to ease the entry to (and exit from) our sanctuary building for people who find stairs difficult. Our doing so is required in order to get building permits to make further alterations to the facility, such as expanded restrooms.
Below the jump, I give updates on three aspects: recommended equipment, cost, and the permitting experience of a nearby church.
ALTHOUGH SELDOM NOTICED, a plenum (shaft) runs from floor to ceiling through the lobby-level “Ladies Lounge.” (It continues through the mezzanine, too.) It’s behind the wall that is straight across from the door to the lounge from the lobby. What is it doing there?
Below the jump, this post discloses what’s inside that plenum—and why.
IN FEBRUARY 2023, I described the sanctuary’s HVAC system in this post. Just recently, I have revised three aspects of my earlier understanding. The newer picture looks like this:
Below the jump, this post describes and documents the salient results of what I learned from my recent explorations.…
OUR PROSPECTIVE CONSULTANT, a mechanical engineer, has observed that our restrooms have exhaust fans yet no clear way to replace the exhausted air. He believes that in order to approve our permit for expansion restrooms, the City might well require a dedicated source for intake air. (HVAC people call it make-up air, presumably because it “makes up” for the lost air that the exhaust fan is removing from the room.)
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| A typical restroom exhaust fan |
This raises the question: What is the best way to supply make-up air to our restrooms?
This question will eventually apply also to the basement restrooms, since they are likewise slated for eventual expansion. So let’s think about a comprehensive solution that will work for them, as well.
Below the jump, I offer a couple of cautions about one option that the architect has mentioned as being fairly normal. Then I outline a custom alternative that takes advantage of our building’s unique configuration [revised 9/10].…
ON AUGUST 1, our president (Sol Ortasse) came across a double-folded document consisting of some two dozen typewritten pages. It is wrapped in blue construction paper, which is labeled in colored pencil as “Specifications for building Mishkon Tephilo congregation Venice, Calif.” Sol found it in the mezzanine’s left storage room, in a long plastic storage bin with a green lid.
In briefly looking over this document, I did not see anything to suggest that it would immediately help our architect or other projects. However, it does contain some potentially useful information if carefully evaluated. It also generates a new albeit minor historical mystery about our sanctuary building’s creation.
While waiting for the document to be digitally scanned so that it can be examined more carefully, I will share some initial observations, below the jump.…
PLYWOOD IS THE KEY to the seismic integrity of our sanctuary building, according to three structural engineers I have spoken with. Although no plywood seems to have been employed in its original construction, a layer was added overhead in 2004 during a re-roofing effort, as discussed elsewhere in this blog.
As of this past week, I can say with confidence that the roof’s plywood is adequate to ensure that our building provides at least a minimum life safety level of performance in the event of a serious earthquake.
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| Cross-section in a cut at the walkway alongside the roof's barrel, showing 3 layers: plywood, sheathing, and rafter. (I added a typical nail for comparison—but placed it too low.) |
Last month, in the process of making structural repairs to the roof, enough plywood was exposed that I was able both to see the size of the nails employed and to measure the nailing pattern used. Those two factors affect the seismic integrity of the roof.
Below the jump, I show and discuss my findings, while looking ahead to similarly strengthening the walls.…
CONSTRUCTION-RELATED NOISE is forbidden by law within the City of Los Angeles (i.e., at Mishkon) before 7:00am or after 9:00pm. That is, any such noise that is loud enough to disturb nearby residents. It includes the delivery of construction materials. (LAMC 41.40a)
Such noise is likewise forbidden within 500 feet of residential buildings on Sundays, as well as on Saturdays or holidays before 8:00am or after 6:00pm. (LAMC 41.40c)
For details (and the penalty for violation), see the municipal code:
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lamc/0-0-0-128777#JD_41.40.
