Removing UGLY Facade
Can anyone give me a ballpark figure for what it would take to remove this facade and make the brick underneath look presentable? I realize it depends on the condition of the underlying brickwork so a range of figures would be helpful. Has anyone done a similar job and have pointers on things to consider?…
Can anyone give me a ballpark figure for what it would take to remove this facade and make the brick underneath look presentable? I realize it depends on the condition of the underlying brickwork so a range of figures would be helpful. Has anyone done a similar job and have pointers on things to consider?
This is a house that we’re thinking of making an offer on, but that ugliness could be a dealbreaker!
as others have said, this facade can probably clean up really well. Pig Three’s suggestions are good ones. The texture of this facade painted bone white IMO could look really handsome, in a mid century kinda way.
We’re redoing our brownstone’s facade, which I expect is a very different price point than regular brick, so I won’t even bother weighing in with costs, but I can suggest going to the NYC Municipal Archives on Chambers St. and taking a look at the 1940 tax survey photo of the house. That *should* give you an idea of what was underneath (I’m assuming the stone facing was added less than 60 years ago!). We used the photo of our house as a starting point for the restoration, so it may be helpful to you/your contractor/your architect, whatever route you go. Good luck!
Hi Dean,
Isn’t your building a wood house underneath like the ones to its right?
In any case I think Minard is right on the costs for doing a historic district renovation. You’d also need to factor in new windows ($15K?) and of course an architect who can get your project approved by landmarks ($15K).
We have exactly the same thing 135 Henry St Brooklyn Heights.
When my wife saw it at the open for inspection she almost didnt bother walking up the stairs to see the apartment.
We’ve inquired about getting it replaced and refinish the outside with Brownstone but no one else in the building is interested in the costs.
Now that we’ve lived with it for 2 years…. it’s kind of grown on us.
I’d still be interested in getting a ballpark figure if you get an answer though.
please, do not go brownstone or paint to look like brownstone. Boring, boring, boring. It was just a popular building material around a specific building period. It did not signify anything other than boring uniformity.
I like PigThree’s suggestions, I think you’d end up with a good looking house if you did that, but I’m not sure you can leave the facade. Look at the cracks between the windows on the left as you face the building, first floor and second floor. It looks as though the stucco is de-laminating, although it’s hard to be sure from the photo. If that’s the case, you need to deal with it. A spot repair is not really the way to do this, it’s almost impossible to spot patch this stuff successfully. Once a section starts to come off, it’s only a matter of time before it all does. Because of the way this stuff is installed, when it peels off, it peels off in large sheets, which can be disasterous. You had the exact same situation posted on here a month or so ago with a house (I think it was on Sackett) that basically had the whole facade peel off.
Ask to look at the house again before you make an offer and lean out the window and rap it with your knuckles, you’ll be able to hear if it’s coming loose. The stuff that’s secure will have a much different sound than the stuff that’s loose. If it’s loose, then you know that you have to budget sooner rather than later for a removal and you can use that as part of the negotiations.
Formstone has its fans. It’s mostly associated with Baltimore, and John Waters has called it the polyester of brick. I say embrace it. Clean it. Add a mod or retro door. Don’t try to historicize it with a cornice or really old door.
Is the reason to restore the brick a solution of blending with the neighbors? Is the house in a landmark district?
There are many other possibilities if brick isn’t an absolute must.
Minard is almost certainly right about the underlying brick being ruined and is probably in the right ballpark on cost if you faithfully restore. But to “Brownstone” over this wouldn’t be nearly as expensive and could incorporate historic details that exist on brownstones nearby. Of course there are more modern design solutions where historic replication isn’t part of the equation. Its a matter of taste.
I’ve seen these fronts painted with a darker brown color similar to brownstone hue and really not bad.