A Building Condition Assessment For the - City of Phoenix, · PDF fileA Building Condition Assessment For the SACHS-WEBSTER HOUSE Phoenix, AZ . A Building Condition Assessment Report

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A Building Condition Assessment For the

SACHS-WEBSTER HOUSE Phoenix, AZ

A Building Condition Assessment Report for the

SACHS-WEBSTER HOUSE Phoenix, Arizona

Prepared for: THE CITY OF PHOENIX 200 W. Washington St. Phoenix, Arizona 85003 By: MOTLEY DESIGN GROUP, L.L.C. 1114 NW Grand Ave. P. O. Box 13287 Phoenix, Arizona 85002 (602) 254-5599 Robert G. Graham, AIA - Historical Architect MDG Project No. 08-026 January, 2009

Sachs-Webster House

Building Assessment

Sachs-Webster House Building Assessment

Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 3 Methodology 5 Historical Overview 8 Building Description 12 Building Feature Analysis 17

Section A - Structure 18 A-01 Foundations 18 A-02 Vertical Load Systems 20 A-03 Floor Systems 22 A-04 Roof Systems 24 A-05 Lateral Systems 26

Section B - Exterior Shell 28 B-01 Foundation Wall 28 B-02 Exterior Skin 30 B-03 Exterior Doors 32 B-04 Exterior Windows 34 B-05 Exterior Floors 36 B-06 Exterior Ceilings/Soffits 38 B-07 Exterior Stairs 40 B-08 Roof and Roof Drainage 42 B-09 Insulation and Weatherstripping 44 B-12 Ventilators 46 B-13 Chimneys/Flues 48 B-14 Miscellaneous Exterior Features 50

Section C - Interiors 52 C-01 Partitions 52 C-02 Interior Doors 54 C-04 Flooring 56 C-05 Ceilings 58 C-06 Finish Carpentry 60 C-07 Casework 62 C-08 Interior Stairs and Railings 64 C-09 Fireplaces 66

Sachs-Webster House

Building Assessment

Section D - Systems 68 D-01 Mechanical Systems 68 D-02 Plumbing Systems 70 D-03 Electrical Systems 72

Section G – Site Work 74 G-01 Grading and Drainage 74

Section Z - General 76 Z-01 Egress 76 Z-02 Fire Resistance 78 Z-03 Handicap Accessibility 80

Rehabilitation Recommendations 83 Cost Estimates 89 Appendix A: Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation

93

Appendix B: Structural Engineering Consultant Analysis

97

Sachs-Webster House Building Assessment 1

Executive Summary

The Sachs-Webster House is an his-toric single family residence located near the intersection of 75th Avenue and Base-line Road in Phoenix. The house was built in about 1909 and was acquired by the City Parks and Recreation Depart-ment in 2007. It is currently unoccupied, The Parks and Recreation Department expects to use the house at a future date as a field office.

While the exterior of the house sub-stantially represents it early appearance, the interior was completely modernized in the 1960s, leaving few notable interior features. All of the outbuildings that used to surround the building have been re-moved. The house stands today in an empty dirt field adjacent to a retention pond and a drainage channel.

The house was found to be in gener-ally good condition, having been boarded up for several years. The outside of the house has evidence of weathering of all wooden elements, typical of a house that has not been maintained for many years. The roof is in very poor condition, and the roof framing is sagging but sound. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing sys-tems are inactive, missing, or at the end of their useful life.

With adequate investment in mainte-nance and repairs, the house is a good candidate for rehabilitation for continued use. The house will require few upgrades in order to serve as a field office. The most costly upgrades will be required to make the house more accessible. This will require the addition of a ramp or lift,

and the provision of accessible restroom facilities. Minor floor plan changes will be needed to provide safe exiting from the early south bedroom addition and to ac-commodate typical storage and office spaces.

Rehabilitation of the house is recom-mended in three phases.

In the Emergency Stabilization Phase, the roof would be replaced. Structural work to reinforce the roof structure will also be included in the stabilization. With these repairs, as long as the exterior door and window openings remain boarded, the building should have little deteriora-tion for several years.

The second phase would encompass Exterior Rehabilitation. Wall surfaces would be restored, door and windows would be repaired or replaced, and the eaves and other exterior elements would be repaired.

The second phase would be Interior Rehabilitation. While focusing on interior reconfiguration and repairs, this phase could also include exterior work required for occupancy, such as construction of an accessibility ramp and an accessible route from the public right-of-way and parking area. The interior rehabilitation will also include complete replacement of me-chanical, plumbing, and electrical systems.

The preliminary budget estimate to accomplish this work is:

Stabilization $ 43,794 Exterior Rehabilitation $ 57,977 Interior Rehabilitation $171,959 TOTAL $273,729

Sachs-Webster House

Building Assessment 2

Project Location

Sachs-Webster House Building Assessment

3

Introduction

The Sachs-Webster House, built c. 1909, is one of very few historic farmhouses remaining in the south-west Phoenix community of Laveen. The property was acquired by the Flood Control District of Maricopa County in about 2002 as a part of the Laveen Conveyance Channel project.

The property was given historic preservation overlay zoning in De-cember 2003 and was added to the Phoenix Historic Property Register as the “Sachs-Webster Farmstead”.

The parcel was conveyed to the City of Phoenix in 2007. The Parks and Recreation Department has been given control over the prop-erty.

In 2008, Motley Design Group was retained under their on-call consulting contract with the City of Phoenix to provide a condition as-sessment and recommendations for rehabilitation and adaptive use of the property. This report is the result of the project.

Sachs-Webster House



Methodology

The purpose of this Building Condition Assessment Report is to examine the existing conditions of building, locate deteriorated condi-tions or other deficiencies, and rec-ommend remedial actions to cure those deficiencies. The report inte-grates known historical data with inspection of existing building condi-tions to obtain recommendations that will be in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. In addition, the report is to analyze the building in terms of a change of occupancy from residential use office use, and provide an adaptive use plan for the building.

The history of the property has been documented in past studies and has only been summarized here. The definitive study is the “Histori-cal Documentation of the Webster House” prepared by URS Corpora-tion in 2001. Initial floor plan draw-ings prepared by URS as a part of

their work were used as a starting point, and were verified and elabo-rated upon for the current study.

The architectural team visited the site in October, 2008. Building fea-tures were investigated on an indi-vidual basis, following the Architect’s standard break-down of building and site features and systems. Photo-graphic documentation of each fea-ture or condition was made at the same time using digital photography. All parts of the building were ac-cessed. The structural engineer vis-ited the property at the same time.

The feature assessment rates the integrity of each feature as good, fair, or poor, in relation to the relative magnitude of work required to repair or restore the feature.

The significance of each feature is noted as original, early, or late to de-note the feature’s role in conveying the period of significance of the build-ing. Architectural significance of a fea-

Sachs-Webster House


ture is noted as CDE, or character-defining element.

The priority of importance of the recommended work on the fea-ture is noted as critical, serious, or minor. Features in the critical cate-gory are those that have failed; that are causing accelerated deteriora-tion of other building elements; or that are not in conformance with a code or law. Serious priority fea-tures are those that can be expected to fail within five to seven years. Features categorized as a minor pri-ority are those that have long-term consequences or that are not ex-pected to fail for seven or more years.

The analysis of each feature is then broken down into three parts:

description, deficiencies, and recom-mendations.

In the office, the report findings were documented. Work items were prioritized and grouped into logical work packages for future bidding and construction activities. Cost esti-mates were prepared based upon estimated quantities of each work item.

Rehabilitation Planning began with a programming meeting with Parks and Recreation Department. Input was also solicited from the Phoenix Historic Preservation Office. The proposed rehabilitation plan repre-sents the consensus of this group.


Sachs-Webster House


1949

1959

1969

1979

2004

2008


Historical Overview/Chronology of Development

The Sachs-Webster House was probably built in about 1909 by Wolf Sachs, a Russian emigrant and cattle rancher. The home was probably designed after a typical pat-tern of the day of the Pyramid Cot-tage form with Neoclassical detail-ing. The rusticated concrete blocks that are the predominant exterior material are said to have been cast on site. Forms for this type of con-crete blocks were readily available at the time from mail-order outlets. Local members of the Gila River In-dian Community (Maricopas) are said to have helped in casting the blocks and building the house.

Sachs died in the early teens and the property was sold in 1914. A succession of owners followed:

1914: Albert and Lena Ruff/Walter and Jessie Bartol

1920: Clarence G. Thomas

1924: Valley Bank

(Record Gap)

c. 1940s?: Miller Johns Company

1946: William and Elva Haggard

1968: Robert and Mary Webster

2002: Maricopa County Flood Con-trol District

The development of the prop-erty over the years after 1949 can be seen in the succession of aerial photographs available over this pe-riod. By the time the Flood Control District acquired the property, the farmstead as a whole included, in addition to the Sachs-Webster House, a second Ranch House; a Stucco Shed (formerly a house); a Vehicle/Utility Shed;, a 4-bay Car-port; a 5-bay Horse Ramada; and numerous other agricultural shed outbuildings.

The south bedroom wing of the house is an early addition, probably dating to the 20s or 30s. The earli-est clear aerial photo in 1949 ap-pears to show this addition.

Major interior alterations to the house probably date to the Webster period, after 1968. At this time the house appears to have been fully modernized: the interior walls were furred out and refinished; the ceil-ings were dropped; new flooring in-stalled; the cellar abandoned. And all new heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical systems were installed. The only exterior alterations appear to have been enclosure of the for-merly-screened back porch, by en-closing with windows; an addition of a new back porch stoop and stair;

Sachs-Webster House


and re-roofing with asphalt shingles over the earlier wood shingles.

All of the secondary structures and outbuildings have been demol-ished. The site is now barren ex-cept for the primary house and a modern retention pond enclosed in chain link fencing.

Significance/Integrity Evalua-tion

The property is most closely as-sociated with Wolf Sachs, the origi-nal builder. If the property were to be nominated to the National Regis-ter of Historic Places the historic name would thus be the “Wolf Sachs House.”

The significance of the property, in National Register terms, is inder-Criterion “C”, denoting architec-

tural significance. The area of signifi-cance would be “Architecture.” The URS study notes that the house is a rare surviving example of the Pyra-mid Cottage, and that “although ap-proximately 20 houses with Pyramid Cottage characteristics have been identified in Phoenix, few possess all of the qualities of the original Pyra-mid Cottage design that the Web-ster House (sic) maintains.”

The exterior of the house does retain a remarkable degree of archi-tectural integrity. But very few fea-tures of the original interior appear to remain. The site, as well, no longer provides much of a historic context for the house. Future de-velopment of the site may help to “repair” this lack of context.


Sachs-Webster House


Front (west) elevation

North side elevation


Building Description

The Sachs-Webster House is a one-story single family residence built in c. 1909. The house is built in the Neo-Classical style, also known as a Pyramidal Cottage. The plan of the house is roughly rectangular, with a medium-pitched hip roof with bellcast eaves and hip dormers front and back. The predominant wall mate-rial of the house is site-cast rusti-cated concrete block. The entry porch is recessed at one corner of the front side with the roof being supported on cast stone Ionic col-umns on square piers. The back porch is a wood framed projection with a shed roof. A side bedroom addition is also wood framed and shed roofed. Walls of the rear porch and side addition are cov-ered in painted horizontal shiplap wood siding.

The floor plan of the house appears largely unchanged from the original. The front door enters into a large living room at the east side of the house. A short hall connects to the kitchen and dining areas at the west end. Two bed rooms share a “Jack-and-Jill” bath-room at the south side. Typical of early 20th century homes, each bedroom is entered directly from the main living space. The wood

framed utility porch at the west end of the house connects to the kitchen/dining area.

The third bedroom, added to the south side of the house, con-nects through the Jack-and-Jill bathroom, probably by altering an original window opening.

The construction methods used for the house are typical of the period. The exterior masonry walls are un-reinforced. They support the conventionally-framed wooden roof structure. The floor is built over a crawl space and is supported on the exterior con-crete foundation wall and wooden interior foundations. All interior partitions are wood framed. Some are bearing roof loads. There is a small cellar beneath the original kitchen, constructed of cast-in-place concrete. The cellar door has been floored over, making the cellar inaccessible except through exterior window openings.

There is almost nothing left of the original site features. A small tree and bouganvilla plant are remnants of what was once a working farm yard, now demol-ished.

Sachs-Webster House


South side of house

East side of house in 2004 (photo courtesy Phoenix HP Office)


Existing Site Plan

Sachs-Webster House


Existing Conditions Floor Plan


Building Feature Analysis

Sachs-Webster House



A-01 STRUCTURE

Foundations

INTEGRITY: Good SIGNIFICANCE: Original PRIORITY: Critical Fair Early Serious Poor Late Minor CDE

PART I - DESCRIPTION

The foundations are concrete and concrete block. The footings are assumed to be of concrete. A concrete stem wall is visible at both the masonry and wood framed parts of the house. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

There is no apparent major settlement of the structure except at the northeast porch column and a minor settlement crack at the north wall. There is also a minor settlement crack at the front porch.

PART III - RECOMMENDATIONS

The northeast corner will probably not require underpinning to stabilize the footing. It is possible that the footing could be stabilized by improving the drainage at this location. Stabilization can be completed without us-ing helical piers at this time. This recommendation is the same for the north wall crack stabilization. It is recom-mended that the area around the entire house be regraded to improve the site drainage to divert rain runoff water away from the foundations.

Sachs-Webster House



A-02 STRUCTURE

Vertical Load Systems



The building is constructed of unreinforced hollow concrete block masonry. The walls are eight inches thick. The height of the walls is approximately 10’-8" from floor to top of the wall. The joist bearing is at 10'-8" above the floor. The exterior block walls rest on a concrete foundation wall. This foundation wall extends ap-proximately four inches above grade. Lintels over the windows and doors are precast concrete with four inches bearing.

The front porch is supported by a precast concrete column resting on a precast concrete cap over the lower porch wall at the entry.

The rear and south extensions have 2x stud walls with board sheathing. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The walls are in overall generally good condition. There are some minor settlement cracks at the front win-dow to the right of the front door. There is also a crack at the front corner pier of the porch. The concrete column supporting the porch is in good condition and free of distress.

The concrete lintels are in good condition and free of distress. The walls of the rear and south extensions are generally in good shape with some weathering and minor de-

terioration.

PART III - RECOMMENDATIONS Reinforcement of the walls is not recommended. The walls meet requirements of the Code for unreinforced

masonry construction. Pointing and patching of cracks and minor repair is all that is required at this time. The concrete columns will not require repair other than addressing cosmetic concerns. No reinforcement is

required. This also applies to the concrete lintels. The rear and south extensions’ wood frame walls will not require structural strengthening. Repair damaged

or rotted boards.

Sachs-Webster House


Wood joist floor system visible within cellar space


A-03 STRUCTURE

Floor Systems



The floor system of the house consists of 2x6 joists at 16 inches on center spanning approximately 6'-0" be-tween 4x6 and 4x8 runner beams. The runners are supported by wood posts. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The floor structure appears to be in good shape. The floor should support basic office loading. If additional load capacity is required, minor reinforcement can be performed to upgrade the floor system.


No action is required at this time. The floor structure should be checked for floor load capacity for intended use and may require reinforcement.

Sachs-Webster House


Roof structure looking west

Roof structure at front (east) dormer

Roof structure looking north near front hip

Roof structure looking west


A-04 STRUCTURE

Roof Systems



The building roof structure is a conventionally framed wood structure. The roof is a hip configuration with a small dormer at the front of the house. The roof pitch (slope) is approximately 6:12. The joists are 2x4 (full size) spaced at 32 inches on center. The roof has a 1x ridge board and 2x hip rafters. The roof sheathing is 1x4 boards spaced at eight inches on center. There is an extension to the rear of the house that is 2x framing in a shed configuration. The roof of the south addition is 2x wood rafters in a shed configuration with 1x board sheathing. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The main roof structure is in generally good shape and free of major distress, however, the roof rafters are over-spanned and there is a noticeable sag in the roof. The connections of the roof rafters were done without the benefit of modern framing anchors but have, in general, performed quite well.

A building of this size and type should normally have a formal roof diaphragm. Generally, the roof sheathing acts as this diaphragm. Board sheathing does not adequately provide this function for this building. The board roof sheathing appears to be in good shape. Some replacement may be required where sheathing is broken or deteriorated to provide an underlayment for a new layer of plywood. The rear extension appears to be in fair to good condition.

The roof of the side addition appears to be free of major distress.

PART III - RECOMMENDATIONS Major reinforcement of the roof structure will not be required, however, some repair and reinforcement

will be required. It is expected that the reinforcement of these members will consist of additional bracing of the rafters down to the interior walls.

The roof sheathing in damaged areas will require replacement. This appears to be minor in this structure. In-stallation of a new layer of plywood is not required per Chapters 9 and 11 of the International Existing Building Code. The hazard group, per tabled 1604.5 and 912.4, is not raised by this Change of Occupancy. The rear shed extension may require replacement of some sheathing and possibly damaged joists. Repairs are expected to be minor.

The shed roof of the south addition will require only minor repair/reinforcement.

Sachs-Webster House



A-05 STRUCTURE

Lateral Systems



The Phoenix area is in an area of only minor seismic activity. This area is in a somewhat moderate wind area due to wind speed (90 miles per hour) and exposure (relatively open and flat). The building was con-structed at a time when there was little technology to address seismic and wind responses in structures. This building was not constructed with any regard to engineering technology. Residential buildings built at this time did not attempt to formally address earthquakes or wind loading in their construction. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The building has survived wind and local seismic events during its life. The building does not appear to have sustained any major damage from any of these tremors or winds and is not currently under distress from any damage due to earthquake or wind loading, although, there is some distress due to other issues.


No specific recommendations are made regarding lateral strengthening. The current Existing Building Code does not address specific lateral issues for this size of building. Due to its small sized and configuration the build-ing is exempt form most lateral reinforcement upgrades. As noted previously, reinforcing the walls is not rec-ommended for this structure.

Sachs-Webster House


Typical concrete block and wood foundations.

Utility penetrations through concrete block


B-01 EXTERIOR SHELL

Foundation Wall



The foundation walls for most of the house are concrete to a point about 4 inches above grade, and then change to rusticated concrete masonry matching the walls above for three courses, up to floor level. Wood frame additions rest on concrete stems, and the rest of the foundation up to floor level is wood studs or posts covered in wood shiplap siding. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

There has been some damage done to the block foundation walls for installation of new sewer line and other utilities in the crawlspace. There is also minor cracking of the mortar joints in various locations, consistent with the condition of the walls above. The wood siding at the additions is weathered, also consistent with the wall surfaces in these locations.


Treat both concrete block and wood siding as called for under Section B-02, Exterior Skin.

Sachs-Webster House


Typical rusticated concrete block wall

Beaded mortar at front (east) façade

Paint and graffiti appear on the block surface

One missing block, shows hollow cores

Additions covered in shiplap wood siding

Wood siding at porch beams


B-02 EXTERIOR SHELL

Exterior Skin



Original exterior walls are built of 8”x8”x16” rusticated concrete block. Some special size units were cast also, in 4” and 8” widths. Window sills and lintels are either precast or cast-in-place concrete. They project out 1” from the wall surface. Un-rusticated (flat-faced) block was used in areas concealed under porches. Portland cement mortar was used throughout. On the side and rear elevations it is uncolored and finished flush with the block. At the front (east) side of the building the joints have a beaded profile executed in black-tinted portland cement mortar over the plain flat mortar joints.

Wood framed additions are covered in painted wood shiplap siding. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The lower part of the block walls has been marred by graffiti and gray paint (probably covering earlier graf-fiti). There is minor damage of some of the mortar joints, and a few of the blocks are missing or damaged.

Wood siding has generally failing paint finishes. Some areas of siding have been replaced with plywood, There is some surface weathering lower on the walls where paint finishes have failed completely.


Minor damage to blocks can be repaired with conventional concrete patching materials. The patching mate-rial should be color matched to the block using cured samples. Paint should be removed from the block using chemical removal techniques. Alternatively, the exterior could be painted gray as was done before. The painted alternative would be acceptable if continued graffiti is expected to be a problem. Painting over the graffiti would be less injurious to the walls in the long run compared with being cleaned repetitively using harsh methods.

Wood siding should be replaced in kind where it has been damaged or is missing. Weathered wood should be treated with a wood conditioner, and all of the siding should be repainted.

Sachs-Webster House


Door #1, Front door

Door #2, Front bedroom door

Door #3, Back door


B-03 EXTERIOR SHELL

Exterior Doors



There are three exterior doors. The two front doors were typical of the late Victorian/early Arts-and-Crafts period, having single doors with overhead transoms. The actual style of the original doors is not known. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

While the original wood frames all appear to be present, the doors have all been removed and replaced or covered over. The doors in place now are in fair to poor condition and have no significance.


Replace doors with new, compatibly designed doors in the original wood frames. Repair and repaint frames. DOOR SCHEDULE

Door Size Description Deficiencies Recommendation

1 3’-3” x 8’-0” Solid core wood door in original wood frame, with security door added, and transom panel filled in

Modern door and secu-rity door, transom re-moved

Replace door with com-patible period reproduc-tion, replace transom with window sash

2 3’-0”? x 8’-0” Similar frame to door #1, cov-ered with plywood

Door and transom re-moved, covered over

Replace door with com-patible period reproduc-tion, replace transom with window sash

3 3’-0” x 6’-8” Flush door in wood frame, with security door added

Modern door, and secu-rity door, poor condi-tion

Replace door with solid wood panel door in exist-ing frame.

Sachs-Webster House


Typical one-over-one windows

Typical one-over-one wood windows are still in place, covered over on exterior.

Sash removed at back porch, some replaced with aluminum


B-04 EXTERIOR SHELL

Exterior Windows


PART I - DESCRIPTION The typical window in the original exterior walls is a one-over-one, double-hung wood window. Eleven of

these are still present. Windows in the wood frame additions are all aluminum sliding type. The type of original windows in the additions is not known, but those at the back porch were probably casements or merely screened openings. There are two windows in the south addition and six openings in the back (west) porch.

PART II - DEFICIENCIES The wood double-hung windows have all been damaged to varying degrees by the act of boarding them up.

For the most part, this damage is limited to breaking out the glass in order to bolt on the exterior OSB panels. Otherwise the condition of the windows appears to be fair, with them generally being painted shut and with the paint failing on the exterior side, particularly near the bottom of the windows.

PART III - RECOMMENDATIONS All of the wood windows appear to be in restorable condition. All glass must be replaced, and the glazing

putty will have to be replaced as a part of that process. There may be some amount of wood repair (surface conditioning, repair of rotted areas) ant could not be assessed because the windows are boarded up. It should be possible to free up the sashes and repaint the windows, restoring them to operability. The aluminum win-dows are not a significant feature. They should be replaced with wood sash.

SCHEDULE: (Windows numbered clockwise in plan from front entry) Window # & Room Size & Construction Condition Recommendation 1 – Front Bedroom 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 2 – Front Bedroom 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 3 – Side Bedroom 3’-0” x 2’-0” Aluminum Slider Glass Broken; modern window Replace with wood sash 4 – Side Bedroom 3’-0” x 2’-0” Aluminum Slider Glass Broken; modern window Replace with wood sash 5 – Back Bedroom 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 6 – Kitchen 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 7 – Kitchen 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 8 – Utility 3’-0” x 4’-0” ?? Wd Casement Pair Sash Missing Replace missing sash 9 – Utility 3’-0” x 4’-0” ?? Wd Casement Pair Sash Missing Replace missing sash 10 – Utility 3’-0” x 4’-0” ?? Wd Casement Pair Sash Missing Replace missing sash 11 – Utility 3’-0” x 4’-0” ?? Wd Casement Pair Sash Missing Replace missing sash 12 - Utility 3’-0” x 4’-0” ?? Wd Casement Pair Sash Missing Replace missing sash 13 - Storage 5’-0” x 3’-0” ?? Sash Missing Replace missing sash 14 – Dining (interior) 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 15 – Dining 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 16 – Dining 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 17 – Bath 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 18 – Living 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 19 – Living 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint 20 – Living 2’-8” x 5’-9” DHW 1/1 Weathered, Glass Broken Repair window, replace glass, & paint

Sachs-Webster House


The porch floor is of simple concrete, painted red.


B-05 EXTERIOR SHELL

Exterior Floors



The only exterior floor is that of the front porch. It is a concrete slab on grade. At one point it was painted red. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The red paint finish, probably not original, has largely failed. There are cracks throughout the floor. They do not appear to have displaced very much, leaving the floor still more or less level and serviceable.


The paint should be removed from the floor using chemical stripper and bristle brushes. If any cracks have opened up, greater in width than about 1/32”, then they should be patched.

Sachs-Webster House


Roof eave construction

Overview of porch ceiling

Damaged eave soffit at north side

General cracking of porch ceiling


B-06 EXTERIOR SHELL

Exterior Ceilings/Soffits



The roof eaves are finished with a 1x4 fascia with cornice molding, and soffits of 3-1/2” bead board on fram-ing at 32 inches on centers. A larger crown molding provides closure at the wall. The roof of the front porch is finished with plaster, including the back sides of the perimeter beams. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

Most of the eaves are in fair condition. There is a severely damaged area at the north side, where roof leaks have led to damage resulting in many missing soffit boards.

The plaster ceiling at the front porch is in poor condition. There are numerous, serious cracks, probably in-dicating to some extent a de-lamination from the wood lath backing.


Exposed fascias and crown moldings will require some minor repair or replacement in kind. The missing soffit boards also should be replaced with custom milled matching material. All of the wood eaves should be properly prepared (surface conditioned where required for weathering) and painted.

The plaster ceilings should be removed and replaced. The preferred alternative is to install new plaster on metal lath over the old wood lath.

Sachs-Webster House


Concrete stairs to front porch

Concrete back porch and stairs


B-07 EXTERIOR SHELL

Exterior Stairs



The stairs to the front porch are of cast in place concrete. The tread dimensions are 8 inches high and 12 inches long. They appear to have been cast as a monolithic pour of concrete. There are no railings.

The back porch stairs are of concrete with steel railings, up to a concrete block landing. The concrete sur-faces were painted red. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The front stairs have settled, and moved relative to the porch itself. They have moved downward and away from the porch. The total movement has not been severe; less than ½” movement was noted. Lack of railings may be an issue in a change of occupancy.

The back stairs are not a significant feature. They are relatively sturdy and serviceable. The height of stair risers exceeds that required by modern building code.

PART III - RECOMMENDATIONS The front steps should be jacked up back into their original position, if found to be possible, and under-

pinned to prevent future movement. Riser height should be acceptable when applying the historic preservation provisions of the Existing Building

Code, which allows existing stair and railing conditions to remain unchanged in a change of occupancy for a building of less than 3000 square feet.

Sachs-Webster House


Several different eras and types of roofing are in evidence.

The existing roofing has largely failed.


B-08 EXTERIOR SHELL

Roof and Roof Drainage



The roof has a hipped form with bell-cast eaves. The original roofing material was wood shingles over spaced sheathing. This has been covered over with several colors and/or eras of asphalt shingles. Spanish tiles were applied over the ridges. A back porch has a modern shed roof of preformed steel panels. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The roofing has completely failed. Much of the shingle roofing has blown off. While no specific areas of leak-ing were noted, the roof should not be considered to be dependable. The back porch roof is an intrusive mod-ern addition.


All existing roofing should be stripped off down to the spaced sheathing. A new, compatibly designed roof material should be installed. The most accurate restoration would be provided by installing new, pressure-treated wood shingles. If both first cost and maintenance costs are controlling issues, then one alternative is composite false wood shingles (Tamko “Lamarite Shake”), and a second alternative would be to install laminated asphalt shingles in a gray-brown color. The back porch roof should be removed. If asphalt shingles are used, then a solid plywood sheathing will have to be laid over the paced sheathing.

Modern back porch roof

Sachs-Webster House


There is no insulation at all in the attic.


B-09 EXTERIOR SHELL

Insulation and Weatherstripping



The attic is open and well ventilated but has no insulation at all. The exterior walls of the house have been furred out 4 inches with framing and fiberglass insulation. Windows are mostly unaltered from the original. The foundation and floor framing is also un-insulated. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The un-insulated attic is a very significant source of heat gain and loss from the house. The exterior wall fur-ring contributes some to the efficiency of the house but obscures the original wall finishes and any trim that may exist. The historic windows can be expected to be fairly leaky.


Provide R-30 minimum insulation in the attic. Consider removal of wall furring, as the walls are far less criti-cal to the energy performance of the house than is the ceiling. It may also be beneficial to insulate the floor sys-tem. When the doors and windows are rehabilitated or replaced, weatherstripping should be incorporated wherever possible.

Sachs-Webster House


Hip dormer/ventilator is a central feature of the roof

Screened openings in the soffits provide attic ventilation


B-12 EXTERIOR SHELL

Ventilators



The central feature of the roof is a hipped dormer/ventilator. The sides of the dormer are covered in the original wood shingles. It appears that the front ventilation opening was originally enclosed with wooden louvers. Many of these louvers are missing, and the opening is closed with insect screen.

The attic is additionally ventilated by a series of rectangular vent openings in the soffits, which are enclosed with insect screen.

The crawlspace does not appear to be ventilated, unless vents are provide into the small cellar. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The louvered vent in the dormer is in poor condition. About half of the 1x louvers are missing. The insect screen, exposed to the exterior, detracts from the historic character. One piece of casing trim is missing from the south jamb. The soffit vents, largely just screened openings, are in fair condition. The screening appears rusty and near the end of its life.

Crawlspace ventilation is probably insufficient to discourage mold, rot, and termite problems.

PART III - RECOMMENDATIONS The louver should be rebuilt, using the original parts as much as possible. The missing louvers should be rep-

licated with new material, the missing casing should be replaced, and the entire louver should be painted. Screening should be installed on the interior, attic side of the louver.

Replace screens in the soffit vents. Verify venting of the crawlspace. If not ventilated, consider installing unobtrusive ventilators in hidden loca-

tions such as under the wooden porches.

Sachs-Webster House



B-13 EXTERIOR SHELL

Chimneys/Flues



The fireplace chimney is built of the same rusticated concrete block of which the exterior walls are com-posed. The chimney appears to be unlined. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The chimney has been graffiti-tagged. Lack of a flue lining may be dangerous for continued woodburning use.

PART III - RECOMMENDATIONS The fireplace should not be used for woodburning unless rehabilitated (see “Fireplaces”). The top of the

chimney may be capped with sheet metal to eliminate weathering, bird/bee problems, and energy loss. Treat exterior chimney surfaces as recommended for walls.

Sachs-Webster House


Porch supports are composite columns of precast concrete (cast stone).

The posts are marked by graffiti


B-14 EXTERIOR SHELL

Miscellaneous Exterior Features



The front porch is supported by a pair of concrete (cast stone) columns. The columns are a modified Ionic order. They are supported at porch-railing height by piers built up of concrete blocks. The porch rail itself is capped by a cast-in-place concrete slab about two inches thick. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The columns are in good condition overall, but each is marred by spray-painted graffiti. There is also graffiti on the porch rail cap.


The graffiti should be carefully cleaned from the columns and other concrete surfaces using chemical strip-pers and bristle brushes. Care should be taken not to scratch or abrade the surface of the columns.

Sachs-Webster House


Interior walls are covered in modern drywall finish.


C-01 INTERIORS

Partitions



The entire interior of the house was “gutted” of finishes at some point and the interior is finished entirely in modern drywall. The floor plan layout, however, appears to be largely original, with the exception of the south side addition. The interior side of the exterior masonry walls was furred out with 2x4 studs and drywall. Original plaster appears to be present applied directly to the block behind the furring. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The drywall surfaces are generally in good condition, with spot damage is various locations. The wall finishes do not contribute to the historic character, having a modern “skip trowel” texture. The exterior furring may provide enhanced energy performance, but obscures the original plaster finish as well as interior trim.


The original plaster on the interior partition walls, having been lost, is not recoverable. It could not be easily determined if the modern drywall extends up beyond the dropped drywall ceiling; it appears unlikely. If the ceil-ing is raised, the drywall will probably need to be raised or extended. Removal of the wall furring at the exterior wall should be considered if energy performance does not outweigh historical integrity in importance.

Sachs-Webster House


A typical interior door


C-02 INTERIORS

Interior Doors



All interior doors are relatively modern, hollow core flush wood doors with mahogany finish. They are probably contemporary with the “gutting” and refinishing of the rest of the interior. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The doors have no historical significance and detract from the character of the historic house. The doors and their hardware are in fair to poor condition.


The doors require replacement. New doors should be of a compatible design, preferably a stile-and-rail type wood panel door of simple design, such as a 4- or 5-panel door.

Sachs-Webster House


Existing carpet in living room

Vinyl flooring in kitchen


C-04 INTERIORS

Flooring



The interior floors are covered throughout with modern materials. Flooring types include carpet, sheet vi-nyl, and vinyl-asbestos tile. The condition of the underlying (wood?) floor could not be determined, due to glues and mastics that were applied to the surface. Plywood underlayment was found under the carpeting, which may be covering the entirety of the original floor. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The flooring materials present in the house are all modern and do not contribute to the historic character. They are generally soiled and damaged. The condition of any earlier historic floor remains undetermined. It is likely that damage to the earlier floor would have been sustained due to the installation of plywood underlay-ment. An asbestos survey is needed; the 9” square vinyl tile found in the house usually is an asbestos-containing material, as if the black cut-back mastic used to glue it down.


Remove existing flooring materials at least down to plywood underlayment. Vinyl tile and mastic may re-quire special techniques, as determined by an asbestos survey. The possibility of uncovering the earlier floor should be investigated. If not recoverable, a new floor finish may be applied over the plywood (if in good condi-tion). A restored floor would probably be wood strip flooring, either stained or painted, probably of fir. In an adaptive use an alternative material such as commercial carpet or composite wood or laminate flooring would be acceptable if the original floor finish has been lost.

Sachs-Webster House


Damage to modern drywall ceiling

The original plaster ceiling is in place above the modern dropped drywall ceiling.


C-05 INTERIORS

Ceilings



The ceilings within the house have been furred down with drywall on new wood framing to a height of 8’-2” above the floor level. The original ceilings were 10’-10” high above the floor. The original ceilings are still in place above the drywall. The original finish was plaster on wood lath. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The dropped ceiling level presents a very different character from the historic condition. While reducing the volume of the space (and perhaps related cooling costs), it also reduces the ability of the interior to feel cooler due to stratification of warmer air higher in the room, overhead. The historic plaster has a very poor finish and could be seen to be damaged in several locations. The overall condition could not determined without exten-sive removal of the modern ceiling finish.


The modern ceilings should be removed. If in restorable condition, the plaster ceilings above should be patched and refinished. If they are beyond repair, then the ceiling finish should be replaced with either new plas-ter or drywall with a hand textured finish.

Sachs-Webster House


“Streamline” trim is typical at doors and windows


C-06 INTERIORS

Finish Carpentry



All existing interior finish carpentry is painted, “streamline” style casings and trim typical of 1950s-80s builder construction. It is assumed from the age and style of the building that wider trim, typically 8-inch base-boards and 5 to 6-inch casings on doors and windows, would have existed originally. There is definitely no trace of the original trim on interior doors. The area where casings would have occurred for exterior doors and win-dows is covered over by modern furring, so it is not definitively known whether any of the original trim exists, or whether the style of the original trim trended toward the earlier Victorian or the later Arts-and-Crafts (Bun-galow), which was typically less ornate. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The existing trim is in fair to poor condition. The style of the trim detracts from the historical character of the house.


In a rehabilitation, new trim should be installed on doors and windows that is more respectful of the design of the house and its period. Additional investigation should be conducted to determine if any of the earlier trim can be found, or if the style can be discerned from the paint patterns that might be evident where it has been removed. Lacking any form evidence, the simplest trim that provides the generally correct proportion and size should be installed. It may be either painted or stained.

.

Sachs-Webster House


Kitchen cabinets are 1960s vintage, in poor condition

Additional view of kitchen cabinets


C-07 INTERIORS

Casework



All interior casework and cabinetry is relatively modern, and contemporary with the interior “gutting” and rehabilitation work that was done. The cabinets are generally of stained veneer plywood with plastic laminate countertops. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The cabinetry is generally in poor condition having been vandalized and used for many years. It is not a sig-nificant feature and its character does not enhance the historical house in any way.


Remove and dispose of the existing cabinetry. Provide new cabinetry as needed for the adaptive use of the building. New cabinetry should be simple and unobtrusive and of a modern, differentiated design.

Sachs-Webster House


There is a “remnant” interior stair into what was once an accessible cellar. (This photo was taken with camera held through a ventilation opening – the cellar itself was not easily accessible.)


C-08 INTERIORS

Interior Stairs and Railings



There was a wooden stairway into the abandoned cellar. The stair is not accessible from the house, the trapdoor having been covered over with modern finishes. The stair is built of 2x treads on a pair of 2x stringers. There is no railing. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The stair appears to be in useable condition. It appears to have an acceptable rise and run from a safety perspective. Lack of a railing is a shortcoming.


If the cellar is left unused, no work is necessary. If unused but made accessible for mechanical purposes then the stair should be further evaluated and repaired if necessary. (The trapdoor in the floor would need to be re-stored as well.) If the cellar is needed for occupied space, then the stair would require upgrading to close in the risers and provide a railing and guardrail on the exposed side.

Sachs-Webster House


The fireplace has been modernized.


C-09 INTERIORS

Fireplaces INTEGRITY: Good SIGNIFICANCE: Original PRIORITY: Critical Fair Early Serious Poor Late Minor CDE


There is a working masonry fireplace in the Living Room. It has been modernized. The face of the fireplace has been completely covered with tumbled brick veneer. The same brick was used to form a hearth extension about 12 inches deep from the face of the fireplace. The firebox and chimney/flue appear to be original. There is no damper. The flue is unlined concrete block. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The fireplace is completely out of character with the historic nature of the house. While not certain, the brick facing may stop at the dropped ceiling, which would present an issue if the ceilings were raised to their original height. Under a change of occupancy, the fireplace could not be used without upgrades for safety pur-poses, including a larger hearth slab and lining of the chimney. The lack of a flue presents a channel for energy loss.


The fireplace could stay as it is as long as use of the fireplace is prevented. It would be preferable to remove the brick to make the design of the fireplace more compatible with the house. If the fireplace is to be used, it should be retrofitted with a cast-in-place liner and a damper should be installed.

Sachs-Webster House


Mechanical system remnant on roof


D-01 SYSTEMS

Mechanical Systems



The house had been retrofitted for air conditioning. Ductwork remains in place in the attic. There is a remnant of an air conditioning unit on the roof, at the back slope. A return air duct was placed in a chase near the Kitchen, to the floor. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

None of the old HVAC system appears to be useable. The ductwork in the attic has been disturbed and appears largely disconnected.


As part of an adaptive use rehabilitation, provide all-new HVAC system. The attic remains a good place to run ductwork. If vandalism threats can be addressed, a split system A/C with ground mounted condensing unit is preferred over a roof mounted package unit in order to reduce the visual impact of the system.

Sachs-Webster House


Existing bath fixtures


D-02 SYSTEMS

Plumbing Systems



The plumbing fixtures throughout are contemporary with the last interior improvements, c. 1970. There is a full bath, a half-bath, and a kitchen sink. Some of the plumbing has probably been upgraded or replaced, as ABS sewer pipe was noted penetrating the foundation. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

None of the plumbing features carries any historical significance. In an adaptive reuse for other than residen-tial use, the restroom will have to meet accessibility guidelines, None of the facilities currently does. The exist-ing fixtures are also in fair condition, but would need significant reconditioning and cleaning to make them ideally useable.


Provide new plumbing fixtures as required for new adaptive uses. Remove and dispose of the existing sys-tem. Evaluate the waste and vent system, and reuse the main sewer line if feasible. All supply plumbing should be provided new from point of connection.

Sachs-Webster House


The existing electrical service has been damaged.


D-03 SYSTEMS

Electrical Systems



The house has a modern, residential type electrical service entrance and meter on the north wall of the house. It appears that the house wiring was completely replaced at the time the new service was installed. Wir-ing is generally non-metallic sheathed cable (Romex). PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The system is in fair condition, except for the service entrance which has been completely vandalized. The system does not meet commercial standards, however, and probably would not meet the needs of any expected adaptive use.


Provide an all-new electrical system, including a new electrical service entrance and meter section and new wiring in conduit or BX armored cable. Provide lighting and wiring devices as necessary and appropriate to the adaptive use. Lighting fixtures that are unobtrusive and differentiated (such as recessed cans) are preferred over surface mounted fluorescent fixtures or the like.

Sachs-Webster House


Existing grade at north side

Existing grade at east (entry) side


G-01 SITE WORK

Grading and Drainage



The grade level around the house is relatively level. Planter curbs abut the foundations in some areas. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

While there is little evidence of foundation settlement at this time, the existing grades could cause such damage in the future.


The site should be graded to prevent standing water within 10 feet of building foundations.

Sachs-Webster House



Z-01 GENERAL

Egress



There are two routes of egress from the house: The front door and the back door. Each exit must traverse an exterior stairway. Except for the bathroom and south bedroom addition, the route to the exits is open and unobstructed. Under an office use with a gross floor area of 1790 square feet, the building would have a building code occupancy count of 18 people. This qualifies as a “B” (Business) occupancy. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The exit capacity is generally acceptable. The stairways lack compliant railings and riser heights. In an adap-tive use for offices, rooms are generally not allowed to exit through other rooms other than entries, hallways, or where the exit is open and unobstructed. The south bedroom currently would have to exit through a bath-room and a bedroom before emerging in the Living Room where the exit door is. Most interior doors are less than 32 inches in clear width


Existing stairways should be acceptable to the building official (unchanged) when applying the historic pres-ervation provisions of the existing building code for a change of occupancy less than 3000 square feet. An alter-native exit should be provided for the south bedroom if it is used as an office. Door widths also should be ac-ceptable as they are under the existing building code as long as the Building Official agrees that they are of suffi-cient height and width to safely traverse the exit.

Sachs-Webster House



Z-02 GENERAL

Fire Resistance



The building is of masonry and wood frame construction and would be classified as a Type V-N construc-tion under the IBC. It is far removed from property lines and from other buildings or structures. The gross floor area is 1790 square feet. The occupancy is proposed to be changed from R-3 (single family residential) to B (business). PART II - DEFICIENCIES

The building complies with the fire resistance requirements of the building code for the change of occupancy without modification. The size of the building is below the threshold requiring fire sprinklers in a Change of Oc-cupancy under the Sprinkler Ordinance.


No work will be required to accommodate the proposed Change of Occupancy.

Sachs-Webster House



Z-03 GENERAL

Handicap Accessibility INTEGRITY: Good SIGNIFICANCE: Original PRIORITY: Critical Fair Early Serious Poor Late Minor CDE


The building site is currently undeveloped. The site around the building is dirt. The building entries are both reached by way of short flights of steps. There are no railings at the front steps. There is a change of level at the front entry door in excess of ½ inch (it is more like a full step). Within the building, most spaces are open, however the bedrooms can only be reached by doors with a clear width less than 32 inches. The toilet facilities are typical of residential construction. PART II - DEFICIENCIES

As it sits, the building is not fully accessible. There is no accessible route from the public right of way or from parking. Neither entry is accessible to wheelchairs, and even the rear entry does not have compliant railings. Proposed office spaces are not accessible. The toilet facilities are also not accessible.


Assuming a change of occupancy to business use, at least one building entrance is required to be accessible. This would most readily be achieved at the back door. An accessibility ramp or lift is required to reach floor level. The existing back stoop should be reconfigured or replaced to provide full access, that is, with stair treads & risers and railings that comply with ADA guidelines. The back door may be altered if necessary to provide full access, as it is in an easily modified wood frame wall. At least one office should be made fully accessible by pro-viding a door with a minimum 32 inch clear opening. A new restroom should be provided that is on an accessi-ble route and that provides facilities that fully comply with ADA guidelines.

Sachs-Webster House



Rehabilitation Recommendations

REHABILITATION PLAN

Program

The Sachs-Webster House will be used to support the programs of the City of Phoenix Parks and Rec-reation Department. At this time of this report the exact use of the building had not been determined. It was agreed among participants that a general use as offices of some kind would be appropriate. This may be a field office for the southwest valley operations of the department, or may be a maintenance office.

The rehabilitation plan is thus in-tended to maximize the number of offices in the building, with an ap-propriate balance of support spaces such as restrooms, break room, work space, and storage.

Adaptive Use Analysis

Offices are most obviously ac-commodated in the historic bed-rooms of the house. Access to the south bedroom needs to be more direct from the main circulation spaces. Alteration of the existing restroom and the closets connecting

to the other two bedrooms could make a short corridor possible to reach this office space.

The consensus of the program-ming group was that a dedicated conference room (with the typical table and chairs) was not necessary, and that a less-formal seating ar-rangement for conferences may be appropriate. The best opportunity for this type of use is the historic Living Room, as it has plenty of room for comfortable seating and is central to the house. It also allows use of the fireplace as a focal visual element.

The current Kitchen/Dining area would be rehabilitated as an addi-tional office, which could be fully accessible to the handicapped, and open work space (mailing, copier, storage, etc.). The existing wood-framed back porch would accom-modate the break room, rest room, janitor’s closet, and water heater. Clustering all of the plumbing fix-tures together in this fashion is the most efficient approach.

Sachs-Webster House


The back door would be reha-bilitated as the accessible entrance. The back entry porch should be re-moved and rebuilt to comply with accessibility requirements and should incorporate a ramp. An ac-cessible route must connect to this entry. Operationally, if the back door is not normally used and left unlocked, then a door bell or buzzer would be required to alert staff that someone is requesting entry.


Schematic Rehabilitation Plan

Sachs-Webster House


Restoration and Stabilization Work

The following analysis will pre-sent the work items recommended by this report by order of priority.

WORK ITEM PRIORITIES

CRITICAL PRIORITY

Critical priority work items in-clude systems which have failed, or which will lead to accelerated dete-rioration. Also included are the items that will require attention as a part of the Change of Occupancy to office use.

In specific, the most critical item to be addressed is the failure of the roofing system. Without a good quality and weathertight roof, the building will rapidly deteriorate. From a condition perspective, most other building systems are stable, at least for the short term, but the doors, windows, and soffits/eaves have suffered quite a bit of damage and can be termed “failed”.

As for the Change of Occu-pancy, the application of building codes to historic buildings is a con-stantly evolving field. Few old build-ings remaining today meet the letter of modern building codes and all of their detailed requirements. How-ever, most building codes include a certain grandfathering of existing conditions as long as the building is not “unsafe”. Further leeway is usu-

ally afforded to listed historic build-ings.

The City of Phoenix has adopted the 2006 International Building Code (IBC) as their model code. This is typical of most jurisdictions in Ari-zona. Many jurisdictions have also adopted the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) which defines much more comprehensively in what ways existing (and historic) buildings can be considered “not unsafe”. Phoenix is one of those that has adopted the IEBC.

The building has not yet under-gone a Change of Occupancy classi-fication. IBC and IEBC require many building systems to be brought into modern code requirements. Specific allowance is made for historic build-ings when the alteration will “de-stroy the historic significance” of the building. All changes made to the building are required to meet code requirements.

Handicap accessibility considera-tions are generally governed (in ad-dition to building code) by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which is not a building code, but a civil rights law. ADA requires that “reasonable accommodation” be made to all existing buildings. Ex-ceptions are given to historic build-ings only if the required alteration would damage the historic integrity of the building. Alterations would also not be required if they would be structurally impracticable or if


they would create an economic hardship. The application of the ADA is particularly tricky because compliance is judged in court (in the process of a legal suit) after the fact rather than by a code authority prior to construction. For this rea-son, handicap accessibility should remain a high priority for future renovation work.

In brief, the major items that will have to be addressed in a Change of Occupancy include mechanical and electrical systems that meet com-mercial requirements, and handicap access to, and within, the building and facilities.

SERIOUS PRIORITY

Items which carry medium-term consequences if left untreated in-clude items such as exterior walls stairs. Other features at or near fail-ure include many items of interior construction such as flooring, ceil-ings, and casework.

MINOR PRIORITY The remaining items are not of

an immediate nature and fall into the Minor priority category. This in-cludes items that may be deteriorat-ing but are stable, or may be ser-

viceable with a minor repairs, even if not original features.

SUMMARY; PHASING

Priority of stabilization, preser-vation, and restoration work out-lined in the building feature analysis is outlined in the table on the fol-lowing page.

As a practical matter, if the building will be vacant for some time, stabilization or replacement of the roof is the highest priority. Most of the other Critical priority items are related to occupant safety and to Change of Occupancy issues. Any structural work affecting the roof should be done at the same time as the roofing in order to avoid future disturbance of the roofing. The remainder of the work should probably be divided into two phases: Exterior Rehabilitation and Interior Rehabilitation. The Exterior Reha-bilitation phase would involve all work necessary to restore the exte-rior building envelope to a weather-proof condition, such as repair of walls, windows, doors, and porch elements. The Interior Rehabilitation Phase would include all remaining work necessary to accommodate the new use and formalize a Change of Occupancy.

Sachs-Webster House


WORK ITEM PRIORITY SUMMARY

CRITICAL A-04 Roof Systems B-03 Exterior Doors B-04 Exterior Windows B-06 Exterior Ceilings/Soffits B-08 Roof and Drainage B-12 Ventilators D-01 Mechanical Systems D-02 Plumbing Systems D-03 Electrical Systems Z-01 Egress Z-03 Handicap Accessibility

SERIOUS B-02 Exterior Skin B-07 Exterior Stairs B-09 Insulation and Weath-

erstripping C-04 Flooring C-05 Ceilings C-07 Casework

MINOR A-01 Foundations A-02 Vertical Load Systems

(Walls and Columns) A-03 Floor Systems A-05 Lateral Systems

(Wind/Seismic) B-01 Foundation Wall B-05 Exterior Floors B-13 Chimneys/Flues B-14 Miscellaneous Exterior

Features C-01 Partitions C-02 Interior Doors C-06 Finish Carpentry C-08 Interior Stairs and Rail-

ings C-09 Fireplaces G-01 Grading and Drainage Z-02 Fire Resistance

ADDITIONAL REHABILITATION WORK ITEMS

- Wall reconfigurations for access to south office, partitioning for accessible office and accessible restroom

- Work counters, shelving, and casework - Kitchenette - Mop sink/Janitor’s Closet - Site Walkways


Cost Estimates

The following cost estimates are

given as a guide for future project phasing, budgeting, and fund raising.

Each item is related to a specific recommendation of the Building Fea-ture Analysis. Some of the recom-mendations given in the different sections of the analysis overlap or repeat, so not all recommendations may have a one-to-one correspon-dence with a work item in the cost estimate.

Additional features were added to the list of work items in response to rehabilitation work (see previous section). These items are marked with an “R” prefix.

The unit costs for each item were taken from a combination of industry estimating manuals, records of past projects, and personal ex-perience. Some items are very diffi-cult to estimate, because the project is not yet designed. For these diffi-cult-to-estimate items, lump sum

costs or square foot costs were used to arrive at an educated guess as to the value of the work. All of these items should be re-evaluated as more information is gathered and as designs proceed to refine the scope of construction work.

The costs given cover only the basic rehabilitation work and basic site development set forth in the Rehabilitation Recommendations. Additional work may be desireable in order to ideally fit the final use.

At the time of this assessment, there has been no survey and identi-fication of potential hazardous mate-rials within the building, such as as-bestos and lead paint. OSHA stan-dards require that a hazardous mate-rials survey be completed within six months of the beginning of any reha-bilitation project. Additional costs should be anticipated for abatement work related to this area.

Sachs-Webster House


EMERGENCY STABILIZATION PHASE Item Description Quantity Units Rate ExtensionA-04-02 Rough framing reinforcement 1 ls $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000 B-08-01 Demolish existing roofing 2550 sf $ 1.01 $ 2,576 B-08-02 Install roof sheathing 2550 sf $ 1.40 $ 3,570 B-08-03 Reroof/wood shingles 2550 sf $ 6.00 $ 15,300 SUBTOTAL $ 26,446 General Conditions 20% $ 5,289 Contractor OH & Profit, contingency 20% $ 6,347 Estimated Construction Total $ 38,082 A/E Fees $ 5,712 TOTAL $ 43,794 EXTERIOR REHABILITATION PHASE Item Description Quantity Units Rate ExtensionB-02-01 CMU Wall & Foundation Repair 1 ls $ 2,000.00 $ 2,000 B-02-02 CMU Wall Cleaning 1350 sf $ 3.50 $ 4,725 B-02-03 Wood Siding Repairs 100 sf $ 5.00 $ 500 B-03-04 Prep/repaint wood siding 500 sf $ 2.00 $ 1,000 B-03-01 Exterior Door replacement 3 ea $ 500.00 $ 1,500 B-03-02 Rehab exterior door frames 3 ea $ 300.00 $ 900 B-04-02 Window repair 11 ea $ 500.00 $ 5,500 B-04-03 Window replacements 9 ea $ 300.00 $ 2,700 B-05-01 Porch floor cleaning & repairs 1 ls $ 500.00 $ 500 B-06-01 Wood eave repair 300 sf $ 3.00 $ 900 B-06-02 Paint/eaves 300 sf $ 2.00 $ 600 B-06-03 Plaster porch ceiling 117 sf $ 5.00 $ 585 B-07-01 Repair front steps 1 ls $ 1,250.00 $ 1,250 B-12-01 Repair/paint attic vent 1 ea $ 300.00 $ 300 B-12-02 Replace soffit screens 6 ea $ 25.00 $ 150 B-12-03 Crawlspace vents 2 ea $ 300.00 $ 600 B-13-01 Metal cap at chimney 1 ea $ 100.00 $ 100 B-14-01 Clean/rehab columns 2 ea $ 150.00 $ 300 G-01-01 Grading & Drainage improvements 1 ls $ 500.00 $ 500 Z-03-01 Demolish back porch 1 ea $ 400.00 $ 400 Z-03-02 New back porch & ramp 1 ls $10,000.00 $ 10,000 SUBTOTAL $ 35,010 General Conditions 20% $ 7,002 Contractor OH & Profit, contingency 20% $ 8,402 Estimated Construction Total $ 50,414 A/E Fees @ 15% $ 7,562 TOTAL $ 57,977


INTERIOR REHABILITATION PHASE

Item Description QuantityUnits Rate Extension

B-09-01 Insulate attic 1700 sf $ 1.20 $ 2,040 C-01-01 Demolish wall furring 1 ls $ 1,000.00 $ 1,000 C-01-02 Drywall repair/refinish 1 ls $ 2,000.00 $ 2,000 C-01-03 Plaster wall repairs 1 ls $ 500.00 $ 500 C-01-03 Paint int. walls 6000 sf $ 1.00 $ 6,000 C-02-01 Demolish int. Doors 13 ea $ 50.00 $ 650 C-02-02 New interior doors & frames 1 ea $ 500.00 $ 500 C-04-01 Demolish Flooring 800 sf $ 1.00 $ 800 C-04-02 Asbestos abatement 300 sf $ 2.00 $ 600 C-04-03 Wood flooring 1700 sf $ 6.50 $ 11,050 C-05-01 Demolish ceilings & framing 1700 sf $ 1.00 $ 1,700 C-05-02 Patch & repair plaster ceilings 1700 sf $ 2.00 $ 3,400 C-05-03 Prep & Paint/ceilings 1700 sf $ 1.00 $ 1,700 C-06-01 New wood trim package 1 ls $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000 C-07-01 Demolish casework 1 ls $ 500.00 $ 500 C-09-01 Demolish fireplace facing 1 ls $ 500.00 $ 500 C-09-02 New fireplace facing 1 ls $ 2,500.00 $ 2,500 D-01-01 New mechanical system 1700 sf $ 12.00 $ 20,400 D-02-01 New plumbing system complete 5 fixt $ 1,500.00 $ 7,500 D-03-01 New electrical system 1700 sf $ 10.00 $ 17,000 R-01 Wall demolition 1 ls $ 500.00 $ 500 R-02 New partition walls 600 sf $ 5.00 $ 3,000 R-02 New doors/frames 15 ea $ 300.00 $ 4,500 R-03 New restroom finishes 1 ls $ 3,000.00 $ 3,000 R-04 New restroom accessories 1 ls $ 250.00 $ 250 R-05 Casework & counters 35 lf $ 150.00 $ 5,250 R-06 Site walks 1 ls $ 2,000.00 $ 2,000 SUBTOTAL $ 103,840 General Conditions 20% $ 20,768

Contractor OH & Profit, contin-gency 20% $ 24,922

Estimated Construction Total $ 149,530 A/E Fees @ 15% $ 22,429 TOTAL $ 171,959

SUMMARY Stabilization $ 43,794 Exterior Rehabilitation $ 57,977

Interior Rehabilitation

$171,959

TOTAL

$273,729

Sachs-Webster House



APPENDIX A: The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards

for Rehabilitation

Sachs-Webster House



THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION

The following Standards are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.

(1) A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site or environment.

(2) The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

(3) Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

(4) Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

(5) Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.

(6) Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of the deterioration required replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.

(7) Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.

(8) Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

(9) New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

(10) New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

Sachs-Webster House



APPENDIX B:

Structural Engineering Consultant Analysis

Sachs-Webster House


A Building Condition Assessment For the - City of Phoenix, · PDF fileA Building Condition Assessment For the SACHS-WEBSTER HOUSE Phoenix, AZ . A Building Condition Assessment Report

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