Cornices and mansards
They are often the strong point in a façade, the decorative
elements that set the tone with a whimsical or
classical note. They are, however, fragile and often
hard-to-reach architectural elements. When beauty seems
inaccessible!
 We have discussed the aesthetic
importance of this architectural
element. If, however,
your building’s crown was removed, do
not despair: it is possible and sometimes
not very expensive to make a reproduction
of a beautiful sheet metal cornice.
Besides
its complexity and its fancy details, a building’s
crown takes all of its importance through its dimensions
and its proportions relative to the rest of the façade.
A beautiful stone façade which has lost its
metal cornice has also lost a good deal of its aesthetic
value because the different elements in a façade
are intimately related.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES
The photos illustrating this text show different types
of crowns. A wood cornice often seen on older buildings
(pic A) ; a parapet extending a more recent brick
façade (pic B); a mansard made of slate tiles
which covers half of or the entire last storey of
the building (pic C). As you can see, a crown is an
important element of your building’s general
appearance.
THE DANGERS
Several factors jeopardize crowns on buildings but
they can be relatively easily countered with proper
maintenance. A wood cornice needs regular scraping
and painting. A sheet metal cornice is somewhat fragile
because of its numerous soldered joints which sometimes
break; there is then a risk that rain infiltrates
the building. Here again, regular scraping and painting
are in order. A roof sealer can easily take care of
the open joints temporarily. Galvanized sheet metal
has its own protection. It is however altered as soon
as rust sets in; it must therefore be prevented with
a regular coat of paint.
 As
for brick parapets, you may notice that some are leaning
towards the roof. This is because the parapet’s
facing on the roof side is covered with sheet metal
and is therefore watertight. The side that is visible
from the street is made of bricks and has joints where
water will sometimes infiltrate. The joints will then
swell with freezing and thawing and this makes the
parapet lean towards the roof.
False mansards are a little more complicated because
they are made of different materials. The lower part
is wood, there are some sheet metal parts and of course
there are the slate tiles. The slate tiles will endure
but it is more likely their fasteners that will break,
with the result that some tiles will be lost. It is
possible to replace a few slate tiles. Even if the
new tiles are of a slightly different color, it is
not a sufficient reason not to do the replacement
work. A slate mansard has a great architectural value.
 CONSERVATION
As
we pointed out at the beginning of this guide, maintenance
is the best guarantee for the preservation of crowns.
We can see, even today, buildings more than a hundred
years old with crowns that are in perfect condition.
Keep in mind that repair and conservation work well
done by a careful artisan will often be less costly
than replacing the architectural element. Also, keep
in mind that a crown that was removed in the past
can be replaced in an interesting fashion without
necessarily reproducing it in all of its details.
It can simply be an element that recalls the general
shape, dimensions and volume of the original crown
and that will give an aesthetic and harmonious look
to your house.
www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/patrimoine
www.gorenovation.com
|
