Renovation
144 W South St
Frederick, MD
Work on this property earned the
2013
HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD
from the City of Frederick for
Bricks and Mortar Rehabilitation
Scope of Work:
The subject property was purchased June 28th, 2012.
On November 13, 2009, the adjoining house (146 W South Street) caught on fire, requiring holes to be cut in both roofs. The roof of 144 W South was not repaired, so from that point until July, 2012 the house was open to the elements.
Ceilings, floors and joists in the center of the house where the hole was were completely rotted through. Areas of the house were inaccessible due to the conditions of the floors. Mold was in almost every square inch of the house. Demolition was completed to the studs; any items of historic importance were salvaged for re-installation. As well, all metals removed from the house were recycled as opposed to being put in the landfill.
While the walls were open, a professional mold remediation company was hired to treat the entire house from top to bottom. All existing plumbing and electric were removed and replaced with all new, up-to-code materials.
Also while the walls were open, all joist bays on the second floor, and several exterior walls were sprayed with high R value foam insulation.
Natural gas was brought to the house so a gas furnace and central air could be installed. Two gas log fireplaces and a gas stove were also added. All windows were removed, glass replaced where necessary, re-glazed, sanded, painted and reinstalled with new ropes and cleaned and oiled pulleys. The existing claw foot tub was refinished and installed in one of the new bathrooms. The existing pedestal sink was refinished and installed in the downstairs half bath.
The front of the house had paint that was peeling and chipping. Using MDE methods, the old paint was removed, point-up done, and two new coats of masonry paint were applied. The entire roof was replaced. There were no handrails on the front stoop, so period appropriate rails were custom crafted and installed. The boxy K-Style gutters and downspouts were removed and replaced with period appropriate half-rounds. The back upper porch was falling away from the house - it had rotting joists and no support to the ground. The entire porch was rebuilt, including the cantilevered joists which were dry-rotted.
The basement was a damp dirt cellar with low clearance. The floor was dug down 2 feet and concrete curbs and floors were poured. The stone that was pulled from the dirt floor was used to build stairs out the bilco door where no stairs existed. Remaining stone will be used in landscaping the back yard.
The fireplace on the first floor had been covered with firebricks that were not period appropriate. When those bricks were removed, it became clear why it had been covered. Much of the brick behind the firebrick had disintegrated. The fireplace was rebuilt where needed, the flue certified safe for non-vented use, and gas logs installed.
Period appropriate trim for the base, doors, windows and crown were custom milled and installed throughout the house.
The two bedroom, one bath house has been converted to a two bedroom, 2 1/2 bath historic home with modern conveniences. All exterior doors and the basement door were sanded, restored and re-hung. All wood flooring that was salvageable, was restored. Where floors were not salvageable, old, reclaimed in-kind floors were installed and refinished.
Two 16 x 16 stone patios will be on each end of the yard - separated by 60 feet of lawn. A water feature will be accenting the yard between the two patios. A 10 x 32 parking pad will be installed at the end of the property, with alley access for off-street parking. Electric and water have been run to the rear of the yard to make the parking pad more efficient.
