Los Angeles, Los Angeles County,
California, USA
Stabilization of the decorative cast stone components of the exterior skin on this 1914 residential hotel (since converted to apartments) was driven by the goal of arresting an already advanced decay process. This was cast stone stabilization project was unusual for us in that the damage and decay mechanism was uniformly distributed over the entire building. The logical conclusion to this phenomenon was that the original mix design for production of the cast stone had likely been executed in a substandard fashion. The degradation was so widespread that deteriorating cast stone was observed at all locations and elevations and had advanced to a dangerous degree, in some cases posing a hazard to pedestrians below.
After rendering all original cast stone trim elements, they received a saturating application of a water-repellent sub-surface treatment that rendered the surfaces highly repellent to moisture and further degradation. This affordable-housing facility is now ready for another long period of providing shelter for the community, and also providing a glimpse of how our built environment looked in the era of our grandparents.
