Restoring a Brooklyn Heights Townhouse

Last week Brooklyn Heights Blog noted that scaffolding came down at 146 and 148 Hicks Street after the exteriors were badly damaged due to a tree falling during Hurricane Irene. CWB Architects restored #146, and architect Brian Hagood divulged some more information on the restoration process:

When a tree fell on this building in September, there was enough damage that we had to completely replace the old cement board siding. To match the building’s original historical style, new wood clapboard was the most obvious choice. But for maintenance reasons, the home owner wanted to install new fiber-cement board. Since we were replacing an existing material in kind, Landmarks was willing to accept fiber-cement siding as long as it matched the dimensions of wood clapboard and was painted by hand. The James Hardie company actually makes a product that would satisfy this aim called Artisan Premier Lap Siding. It is available in baked-in painted finishes that would last years longer than a conventional paint job. But since Landmarks was requiring a hand painted finish, the home owner decided that the maintenance benefits of fiber-cement board would be negligible compared to wood clapboard…

Click through to read the rest of the quote and see a picture of 146 Hicks before its renovation.

Hagood: Though we ultimately decided to go with wood, I was generally pleased with Landmarks’ decision to allow fiber-cement board siding. One of the problems with wood clapboard is that it is burdensome and costly to maintain. For an historic neighborhood this can sometimes lead to buildings that look shabby and neglected. When it comes to maintenance, I think the community should be willing to recognize the concerns of individual home owners and accept substitutes as long as aesthetic goals are met. Though I’m very happy with the wood clapboard that was ultimately installed, part of me wanted to see an example of well-executed fiber-cement board siding in Brooklyn.

Before damage


After damage