Opinions/Suggestions...PLEASE!!!
Interested in this brownstone. Owner says all structural issues with foundation and stairwell were addressed(new beams, etc.). There are multiple areas on the fourth floor where moldings have separated from the floor by about an inch. Is this possibly from when the house was jacked and then never repaired(it doesn’t appear that any cosmetic renovation…
Interested in this brownstone. Owner says all structural issues with foundation and stairwell were addressed(new beams, etc.). There are multiple areas on the fourth floor where moldings have separated from the floor by about an inch. Is this possibly from when the house was jacked and then never repaired(it doesn’t appear that any cosmetic renovation was done on the fourth floor)? What should I make of this and can it be fixed at a reasonable price? I will post another photo as well. Thanks.
This usually happens not due to house movement, but plaster coming loose. We took our moldings off (the ones along the bottom edge), fixed up the plaster, then nailed up filler strips–flat pieces that were planed to match up with the thickness of the plaster overhang, then put the moldings back on covering the filler strips and the plaster edge. Looks great. You can tint the new wood with artist oils to match the old wood.
if the movement has stopped and the house is solid, you should add a piece of molding such as a quarter round or what it known as a fillet molding to the baseboard to hide the gap. That’s what traditional decorative moldings are for, to hide gaps and flaws.
Stair guy was Bill, N.Y. Fine Circular Stairs at 884 Broadway. 718 218 9051. He was great! I always recommend him here. But my husband was the one who did the jacking up and steel plates on the landing.
rh- Do you mind sharing who your stair guy was?
Have you had the house inspected by a structural engineer?
Where on the stairwell was the structural issue addressed? I’m not understanding where it was jacked up that would create a separation like that (but then again I haven’t had enough coffee yet). If this area needs support, you can have plates made like we did, but it probably takes a structural engineer to do this.
Here’s our plates. I’m thinking yours would be the same idea, but for the ceiling instead of the stair landing….
http://www.flickr.com/photos/castleandkeep/297754819/in/set-72157594378041657/