Exterior Brick Wall Decorations That Enhance Curb Appeal
Masonry is one of the most classic and best looking architectural facades. That is an opinion that most people agree with. It almost looks timeless. Even in historic or modern settings, it looks as if it will be there for eternity.
By comparison, the plastic, vinyl siding houses across our suburbs look light, flimsy, and temporary. Those cheap buildings won’t last nearly as long. They aren’t really intended to last. They were designed to be cheap. It is actually that simple. In the olden days, the materials used to build these flimsy McCheapo houses didn’t exist. The use of plastic started in the 20th century. Even after the initial invention, it still took years before wide use became common.
This past week, we looked at a row home front porch that was well decorated with cast iron looking type of planters and architectural elements. These types of decorative details are often referred to as embellishments because they’re made to look like classic Architectural Hardware but in a repurposed type of context.
Today we’re also looking at a front stoop that has interesting decorations as part of a masonry building. As you can see in the picture below, Planters have been used to create an assortment of flowers and vegetation around the front stoop. We looked at a similar front porch last week with very little impediment or blockage of the space because many of the planters were either installed or set on to the wide open sidewalk or on to an area where they were hung from the masonry wall.
Here, the planters are mostly sitting on the leading end steps and the front landing. That front stoop has an extending landing that protrudes from the facade of the building and then the stairway turns to run parallel to the front facade. The planters take up a little bit of that walking path, but they look so good that it’s hard to say it should be changed.
Another adjacent front stoop, decorated with a variety of plants is shown in the next photo below. Here where it’s a completely hard surface facade and walkway, it helps soften the aesthetic, significantly, by adding these plants and flowers.
The picture below shows a view looking directly towards the front facade. You can see the entrance through an archway opening. The foliage of the vines helps soften this aesthetic because it is otherwise completely just concrete and a few different types of masonry brick.
You may notice that the facade and the brick used in the archway are lighter in color than the brick used in the paving. The paving brick at the landing and stairway is newer. It was either added in more recent years or was repaved after the original construction. Darker bricks can indicate a few different characteristics related to the components. It’s likely that the red or darker brick has a higher degree of iron content and or has been fired for a longer period of time at a higher temperature.
These differences matter significantly when restoring the masonry. It’s important, during repointing and or types of restoration, that mortar be compatible with the substrate. In the case of repointing, it means that it’s important to have a brick mortar that is compatible with the brick where it will be installed. Sometimes the most important parts of that compatibility, from a structural perspective, relate to the compressive resistance and density and the porosity. In historic times lime mortar was used prolifically.
In the next few pictures below we show where metal brackets have been installed on the upper areas of the facade to allow planters to be hung from the facade. It seems very helpful to have these hooks. They can be used for a variety of purposes and using them to hang planters makes the space look much better.
We generally recommend against installing screws or fasteners directly into historic bricks though. Here they are installed directly in the middle of the face of the brick. Generally, we prefer installations that go into the mortar instead of the brick. The mortar can easily be repaired while, in contrast, the face of the brick is very difficult to repair.
If the mortar is deteriorated to the point that it cannot hold a fastener like a screw, the mortar should be repaired before screws or fasteners are installed. Here though, they installed these fasteners directly into the face of the brick. We consider that installation a bit problematic in a historic masonry context.
Our company, Dupont Tuckpointing and Masonry, specializes in masonry restoration, historic brick repointing, and tuckpointing services in the Washington D.C. area. These buildings are uniquely historic, and their preservation requires skilled masons who are technically trained in the best practices and knowledge of proper restoration techniques.
We understand the significance of maintaining the architectural integrity of these historic structures, and our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to delivering exceptional craftsmanship. Whether you require masonry restoration, tuckpointing, or brick repointing services, we are here to help.
At Dupont Tuckpointing and Masonry, we take pride in our work and strive to ensure that every project is executed with the utmost care and attention to detail. We are committed to preserving the rich heritage of Washington D.C.’s built environment for generations to come.
If you have any questions or needs regarding masonry restoration, historic brick repointing, or tuckpointing services, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We would be delighted to assist you and provide you with the expertise and quality workmanship that your historic property deserves.
You can reach us by telephone at (202) 796-7644 and you can reach us by email from the contact form on our website at https://duponttuckpointingmasonrydc.com/contact-us/.
