Archives: Projects

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Working drawings: different from architectural drawings are used for fabrication or assembly. They are intended to be used one time in the shop, and be lost in the process. This makes pattern making before the days of large format scanning and photocopy very expensive and time consuming. We can now digitize each pattern before it is cut and resurrect it again as needed.

In 2015 I left Rhode Island, and Casa Buena Builders to bring seamed roofing to the english-speaking world. I had been studying at night, bringing my skills up with folding and joinery; while working full-time in historic preservation, remodeling, and slate roofing. My favorite project of the tour that year was this seminar I was invited to give at the HPTC (Historic Preservation Training Center) headquarters in Frederick, MD.

Almost all of these techniques were completely foreign to the seasoned pros from the National Parks Service. I hope to one-day have all of these rules codified in English, and accepted at least internally within organizations like NPS. We may never be able to regulate the entire market like the better countries but within institutions and even preservation districts it is possible. I know all properties benefit from having roofs that are designed to last as long as the building.

This handout (PDF link) below demonstrates how to layout and cut the valley seam, from the ground as long as you know the two pitches of the intersection roof faces. This is very important with metal roof seaming. Much like in timber framing: the piece must be fully fabricated to exact specifications before they are assembled. In the same way: we do most of our design and layout on the drawing board, and on the cutting bench. There is very little “in place” fabrication, only folding assemblies.

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Posted 10th November 2008 by Kurtis

I’ve been working with the residents of this condo building for some time now to navigate the waters of the local landmarks ordinance with the intention of removing these hideous and poorly built entryway awnings.  These things were assumed by the landmarks committee “experts” to be original, and therefore in need of preservation. I’m not sure if they ever did any true survey or research work to come to this conclusion because there was evidence all-over a classical portico that preceded the current installation.

These things are corroded through and besides being an eyesore, they are a burden to maintain and would be impossible to recreate with the condo association’s budget.

In this photo it is easy to see the “ghost lines” of the former entryway surround with a flat roof. The sheet metal rectangle against the wall is also covering a limestone lintel that would have fit perfectly inside the original surround.

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After much back-n-forth with the “experts” at landmarks, we got our approval and demolition began! Further inspection upon demolition revealed even more clues.  A cast stone lintel, previously covered by the barrel vault, flanks the doorway.  The new design frames the stone lintel.

Posted 31st March 2009 by Kurtis

Things are starting to shape up on the Court.  We finished the trim carpentry on one of the two structures today.  Here are some photos of the progress:

Corbels installed…

View of the ceiling from the inside.

This was my first traveling job, in Hodgenville, KY. This gutter was a mess! Mostly due to lack of maintenance. If it had been kept up it likely would have survived a lot longer.

Most of the time, when you see built-in gutters done by modern craftspeople, they cut a profile pan into segments. You can see this below on the pictures of the lower gutters which were re-done at some point in the 70s. I chose to use a different design, after modeling this and finding the forces of expansion/contraction were working in the opposite direction. With a linear gutter, it expands to the ends however with this assembly it’s technically moving in/out.

One of the great things about slate roofs, is their ability to be repaired, without throwing out the whole assembly. In 2008 Louisville was hit with a major wind storm which caused some gargoyles to fall off the secondary tower on St. Boniface Catholic Church.

The going price for salvage slates was very steep. For visible areas: it is always best to source salvaged slates of the same quarry type so that the weathering matches. Since that was not available in this case, we purchased new slate at a much cheaper rate, and grafted old slates from an area behind the tower that is not visible from anywhere on the ground. This provided a very good match for the visible repair area.

This was my first project involving carpentry. I had done the built-in gutters on my own house, and labored for another contractor in the district to gain some experience the year prior so I felt confident.

If the original roofers had used Euro methods, and the porch had never been wrapped it is likely that this entire assembly could have been saved. Instead we found ourselves replacing the main beam, and all of the “lookouts”.

After the lookouts are installed, and the gutter pitched: it was time to design the new cornice. It was duplicated from the original using measured drawings.

The dentils were removed when the aluminum trim was installed, so this was the only element that needed new design. I picked the proportions based on a simplified/composite order.

The fairing strips are used to make the beam the same width as the column necks (another classical detail most modern builders miss). Since we were using new lumber, the nominal thickness compared to the old beams required this spacing to keep everything consistent.

I could kick myself a few times for never getting finish photos… Not shown in the photos was the arrival of the new appropriate columns, and capitols.

Google view from 2018, shows the whole composition. What an inviting porch!

I put an ad on craiglist, left my day job, and plunged head first into into contracting. My next commission was in a romantic revival suburb: “Senaca Park” in East Louisville.

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Later that year, I would do 2 more chimney caps, in the neighborhood for current KY governor Matt Bevin. I do not care for Mr. Bevin as a governor but as a client he was OK.

My first commission, nearly 12 years ago in Louisville, KY. I had spent the year prior studying Neubecker and working on my own house: a Sear’s Kit bungalow from 1927.

After completing the ridge cresting/finial project I got my first experience repairing slate roofing. This tower featured “peach bottom” slates that had been damaged by painters and misguided repairs over time.