Battle Green Restoration
This late 19th century house was built by the owner’s grandfather and occupied continually by the family. The house sits among other equally wonderful historic buildings across from Lexington Green. Previous attempts to repair the exterior had caused irreparable damage to the siding and other exterior elements. Specifically, the lower edge of the clapboards had been continuously nailed and caulked which prevented the grand old house from breathing. As a result warm moisture laden air would condense behind the sheathing creating perfect conditions for rot and insect infestation. In addition, trees and shrubs on the north side had grown large and close preventing the sill from drying out. Carpenter ants turned the sill to powder. Master craftsman Christopher Crane and I addressed one side per summer for four years including; residing with clear cedar, repairing missing slate tiles, building copper roofs for the bays, installing a new rubber roof, replacing the balustrade at the roof edge, splicing a sill & corner post and rebuilding front columns & bases. We researched similar period houses from the area when the original element was missing so as to restore it as close to its original form as possible. Elements such as the roof balustrade were replaced using a maintenance free synthetic material with the original shape and proportions. To insure longevity to the exterior woodwork, we employed boat building materials and technology along with the traditional materials of cedar, slate, copper and lead.
Lead on wood cap, recycled gray slate
restored lead on wood ridge cap
Carpenter ants ate the sill at the corner post
Preparing the sill at northeast corner
Deterioration at entry porch Lexington MA
Columns are split and reglued using West System marine epoxy
Rebuilt columnThis house was built by the current owner’s father around 1900.
Sill replacement at south west corner
2008 -2013 Restoration of the exterior including structural repairs at corner posts, siding, columns, entry porch, dormer restoration, lead coated copper, rubber roof, slate work and roof top balustrade.
