2003-Present (Owner: PINNELL)

Preservation is the Pinnells' foremost concern.  In order to preserve the historical integrity of the house, several alterations have been made to the interior, repointing has begun on the exterior, and many more projects are planned for the future.  Dan Pinnell does the work himself, which includes construction of outbuildings that are not only functional, but also serve to provide a period-appropriate look to the property.  The previous owners renovated the interior in the 1960s and 1970s.  Changes made since 2003 include:   

• Replacing the faux brick linoleum kitchen floor with yellow pine boards, secured with cut nails.  

• Removing the half bathroom in the kitchen to restore the original floor plan and to reopen the area where the winding stairway once stood.  Pull-down attic stairs are currently the only access to the room above, but plans are to someday place a similar staircase as close as possible to the original position. 

• Replacing the unoriginal east and west kitchen windows with old windows salvaged from a local mid-19th century house. 

• To the left of the living room fireplace, where an interior door should have led to the cellar stairs, was a recessed bookcase built by the previous owner.  The original grain-painted door was found stored away in the attic, so one of the first projects was to remove the 20th century bookcase and return the door to its rightful location.  The interior door remains locked because there are currently no stairs leading from the living room to the cellar, but the change allows for a more accurate representation of how the room looked long ago. 

• Restoring the fireplace in the cook house/kitchen to working order.  A major undertaking for Dan and one of the biggest accomplishments to date.    
  

The most time-consuming, ongoing project is the repointing of all of the home's exterior stone walls (the replacement of lost or damaged mortar from a masonry joint).  Unfortunately, the repointing that was done in the 1950s and 1960s was not performed with the special needs of an historic structure in mind and an incorrect mortar containing Portland cement was used.  Today, sections of the house that retain the original mortar are more structurally sound than areas that were "repaired" in the 20th century.  Dan has already begun the slow, tedious process of removing the cement and repointing with a correct lime-based mortar, but this project will take years to complete. 

Dan feels an intense obligation to use the most current practices, materials and techniques in the preservation and restoration of historic architecture. One of his main objectives is to educate owners of early stone and brick structures about the destructive nature of Portland cement.

Portland cement was not manufactured in the United States until the second half of the 19th century, and while it is fine for structures that were initially built with a cement-based mortar, any buildings that were originally laid or pointed with a lime mortar, should be repaired with a traditional or natural hydraulic lime-based mortar. Since older brick is softer and more porous, it is vulnerable to damage unlike brick used in contemporary construction. While a lime-based or NHL mortar will allow a wall to "breathe," cement-based mortar causes moisture to become trapped within the wall. Trapped moisture that cannot penetrate the joint will instead force its way through the stone or brick, ultimately resulting in serious deterioration of the wall in the form of one or more of the following: subflorescence, efflorescence (migration of soluble salts), cracking, or spalling.

Unfortunately, many owners of pre-1870s stone and brick houses are completely unaware that their homes have been structurally compromised by the use of Portland cement. The majority of 18th and 19th c. masonry structures undergo significant water absorption and release, as well as movement. Portland cement works in opposition to these natural cycles causing a variety of adverse effects. Caulking doors and windows can cause the same moisture issues with the added result of accelerating wood rot. Although these preservation issues have been written about in countless publications, the average contemporary mason has yet to embrace the use of burnt limestone, oyster shell or NHL mortars, all of which are currently available.

The extremely time-consuming process of removing the cement, and repointing with the appropriate mortar will undoubtedly take Dan many years to complete on his own, not only because of the actual time involved, but also because so many other projects also require his attention. Dan firmly believes that the considerable time and effort spent are well worthwhile, because he knows that he is correctly preserving this historic structure for future generations.

Photo below: South elevation of main block after removal of Portland cement and repointing with an NHL mortar.

PRESERVATION OF A FIRST PERIOD,

18TH CENTURY WINDOW FRAME   

Photographs below document Dan's restoration of one of the home's second floor window frames, which was necessary after Dan discovered old insect damage while painting.  After removal from the wall, the sill was found to have upwards of a 30% loss of material.  In lieu of replacing the original fabric of the frame, repair by way of epoxies was chosen.  The damage was stabilized and consolidated by brushing and injection of a two-part liquid epoxy.  The lost areas were recreated with two-part semi solid epoxies reinforced with fiberglass rods.  It was necessary to completely rebuild the mortise and tenon joint at one corner and hand carve a red oak peg for that junction.  Creating a correct 18th century style frame could have been accomplished in 2-3 days.  This preferred alternative took 4 weeks.