If you own a brownstone, you are already familiar with the upkeep challenges required to preserve the intricate details that give your home its unique charm. First, understanding the needs of your brownstone can be a time-consuming process. Finding specialists who can help you understand those needs and address the work adds extra challenges. On top, balancing a reasonable budget with quality work adds to the challenges when starting your brownstone restoration project. Here are some tips to navigate the challenges you may face when you start your home project:
Understanding if your Brownstone Needs Restoration vs. Repair
One of the first steps in your brownstone project involving facade and stop is determining if it requires a full restoration or specific spot repairs. Brownstone restoration focuses on a total replacement with a new layer of brownstone. This is necessary if you have not had work done in decades and have significant damage to large sections of the brownstone or just want a new look to your brownstone. Note that this is much costlier and more time extensive. Repair work however is a spot treatment and targets specific problem areas such as cracks in stones, crumbling brownstone or some water-damaged areas. With the help of experienced contractors like Dream Construction NYC, the scope of work needs to be evaluated and addressed.
Brownstone Facade Repair and Restoration: A Delicate Process
Restoring or repairing a brownstone facade or brownstone stoops is a very intricate task. Brownstone materials are naturally delicate stone and dealing with that requires quality and attentive craftsmanship. If a qualified contractor determines that brownstone restoration is required, they will remove the entire damaged layer of the brownstone to get to the solidstone and then will add a scratch coat and the additional brownstone layers. If only brownstone repair work is needed, then it involves a lot of patching. Affected areas are chipped off, and new layers are added. Understand that there are risks in matching the color, and texture of the stone or even applying layers quickly that lead to an uneven facade. Therefore it is very important to work with leading experienced contractors like Dream Construction NYC who treat this entire process with utmost detail and attentiveness.
Stoop Repair and Restoration
Brownstone Stoops like its facade also deteriorate over time, at a faster rate because of the constant foot traffic. Stoops also require the same process of chipping away the affected brownstone and applying new layers. However, it takes less time and is also reasonably less expensive than doing the larger facade. When brownstone stoop restoration or repair work for your stop, you should prioritize safety and accessibility when the work is being done. You may need to set up temporary access points or make adjustments to the entryway until the project is completed. Usually, good contractors think about the access points and set up their work process in a way that should not affect your day-to-day life.
Ironworks
Pay attention to the ironworks that exist in your brownstone home that complete the brownstone aesthetic. The intricate ironworks that exist in stoop railings, fences, and windows need to be regularly maintained. Ironworks need to be stripped off old paint, have sanding done, and primers and fresh coats of paint need to be applied. As these ironworks are intricate in design, it need to be handled with care and also as they are repainted you need to make sure the contractor knows to keep the site clean and covered so that any possible paint splatter is not a problem to nearby areas, which might lead to more stress on your end. At Dream Construction NYC, we always go the extra mile to make every step of the process as smooth and seamless as possible to reduce stress for our clients.
Cleaning your Brownstone
If you want to simply clean your brownstone, you can also do that. Power Washing is recommended but it also requires attentiveness because otherwise the stone may be damaged, For older or weak brownstones, hand washing may be better and safer. In dealing with some stubborn stains, a diluted muriatic acid solution can be used, though this should only be handled by professionals so that the stone does not erode further.
Budgeting and Planning Restoration Project
One of the top challenges in improving your brownstone is the cost factor. Brownstone restoration and repair projects can be very costly. There sometimes may be unexpected costs even after agreeing to a price point due to inaccurate estimates. A trusted contractor like Dream Construction NYC will provide reasonable pricing for the scope of the work and will be transparent with the work and the project timeline.