Oregon Caves Historic Structures Report

PART VI
Recommended Treatment Summary

Interior Treatment Recommendations

Fiberboard Finishes

1. Re-attach all sagging and loose historic Nu-Wood using small (4d) finish nails to replicate the original installation.

2. If replacement becomes necessary, remove pieces from the non-public areas of the building that have already been stripped of some of their historic fabric to supply the public portions of the building.

3. When replacement supplies are extinguished, replace the historic Nu-Wood with a compatible modern fiberboard product. Replacement in kind is not an option for the Chateau, as Nu-Wood has not been commercially available for some time. It has been out of production for at least 35 years, as replacement pieces for flood damaged areas could not be fabricated from the original product. The replacement material should match the historic in texture, color, composition, and detailing. The beveled edges and v-grooves must be cut into new replacement pieces to match the historic appearance of the panels.

4. One possibility should be considered if new material is to be introduced into the building. Historic fabric from one room may be sufficient to repair many areas of the building, if used and appropriated carefully. Removing all of the historic fabric from one room and replacing it with new material should be considered, as the new room would have a consistency in finish that may not be possible with piecemeal replacement. The historic fabric in other areas of the building could be retained under this option, and one room's historic fabric would be affected, instead of many areas of the building.

5. The use of paint to hide water damage has been employed in some areas of the building. Unattractive portions of the building may be painted to hide this staining. Natural divisions should be maintained between painted and unpainted wall surfaces. For example, where the walls have already been painted, one entire wall plane is painted up to a corner or projecting element. This strategy has been employed in the dining room and many of the guest rooms. This strategy would conserve the historic fabric, but not the historic appearance (which has been significantly altered by the application of the glaze).

6. It must be remembered that the Chateau is a National Historic Landmark sited on National Park Service property. Any alteration to the historic fiberboard wall finishes must undergo a Section 106 review to determine the impact on the historic resource. Cooperation will be required between the concessionaire, NPS, and State Historic Preservation Office to mediate some course of action. Work affecting the historic fabric must not be performed without the guidance and approval of the NPS and SHPO.

Other Wall Finishes

1. The plaster in the kitchen should be patched with a three-coat system and finished to match the historic fabric surrounding the patch.

2. The knotty pine and redwood wainscot should receive maintenance as required, but furniture should be kept a short distance (approximately one foot) from the wall to avoid potential abrasion.

Windows

1. Inspect and repair the glazing putty at each window. The putty should be painted after it has cured to match the surrounding frame.

2. Re-finish the windows at the interior where the paint or stain has blistered or failed. The stain should match the original in color and hue.

3. Sand and revarnish the bases of the fixed windows on the interior. The depth and color of the varnish should match the existing finish.

4. Scrape and paint all exterior window frames. The paint color should match the historic color.

5. Scrape and paint all interior bathroom window frames.

6. Remove and re-glue all loose window frame elements. This work should be complete before other work is performed on the window.

7. Replace the trim holding the glass at the dining room's hopper window over the french doors. The contour should match the historic trim, and the new pieces should be painted to match.

8. Custom cut one piece of glass to fit the opening of the north facing lobby window. Install the new glass before other work is performed on this window.

9. Scrape and paint all interior bathroom sills. In areas of decay, a dutchman repair is necessary to preserve the historic fabric.

10. Hardware damage at the double-hung and casement windows should only be repaired using a dutchman repair. Wood putty or other methods of repair should not be used.

Doors, Interior

1. Remove the non-historic and non-compatible accordion style doors from the lobby area and the doorway between the coffee shop and dining room. If a door is absolutely necessary at these locations, a door matching the historic character of the Chateau should be designed and in stalled. The installation of doors in these locations should impact the historic fabric as little as possible, and their introduction should be easily reversible.

2. The fire doors should be maintained as a life safety device. The paint color of the doors should be kept as close as possible to the color of the guest room doors so the presence of the steel doors is minimized.

3. The guest room doors should not have any more holes drilled in them. Relocation of the door hardware has resulted in many new holes in each door, some of which are hidden by the door plate. If new locks are required, they should conform to the openings that currently exist in the doors.

4. Doors that do not operate should not be shaved down to fit the opening or swing pattern. This treatment of the historic doors is completely irreversible. If the doors do not operate properly, temporary doors matching the historic doors in design and appearance should be substituted until the lean of the building is dealt with in some fashion. The historic doors that are removed should be stored in a secure location to be used as replacements for other historic doors that may be damaged beyond repair.

5. All doorstops must be installed and functioning correctly. The doors are causing impact damage to the fiberboard wall finish, and incorrectly positioned or installed doorstops are also causing damage to the doors themselves. All doors should be inspected for stops attached to the base molding on the wall behind the door. These stops must stop the door short of impact with the wall, and should have a cushioned head to prevent damage to the door. Doorstops mounted on the hinges of the door are marring the finish of both the door and the trim, and are not historically appropriate for the Chateau.

Heavy Timber Frame

1. An engineer should be employed to inspect the three locations where moderate to serious checking is occurring. These are located in the dining room and lobby, as mentioned above. The members should be analyzed to determine if they are performing as they should, and are able to carry their load. The members may need to be repaired or reinforced as required, possibly by bolting. The bolts in the coffee shop beams are intrusive and non-historic, and should have been installed in a more sensitive fashion. Recessing the bolt heads and inserting wood plugs over the bolt heads would make them less intrusive.

2. The columns in the lobby should be protected from abrasion, as it is destroying the historic finish on these members. Chairs should not be placed near the columns, and objects such as ladders and other maintenance equipment should not be leaned on the columns to rest.

Attic Spaces

1. Place screening over the louvered vents in the small dormers and gable ends to prevent insects from entering the building and constructing nests.

2. Develop a hinge system for the main attic hatches. The hatches, especially the one at the south end of the hall, are being marred by the conduit near the opening. Hinging the hatches would protect the historic fabric and reduce the likelihood of accidental damage to the hatch cover.

Main Staircase

The main staircase is in sound condition, and requires no preservation work. If maintenance be comes necessary, it should be performed not only in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, but should also be carried out with the care and precision of the earlier dutchman repairs and baluster replacement.

Concrete

1. Improvements to the drainage system around the building will prevent water from infiltrating the structure through cracks in the walls, especially on the east side. Most of the water coming through the foundation is present on this side, due to improper drainage patterns. See Vegetation and Drainage.

2. Exposed rebar in the boiler room should be protected from corrosion. The portions exposed should be cleaned to bare metal, treated with a zinc paint, and the spalls surrounding the exposed rebar should be patched. This will avoid corrosion of the reinforcing bars surrounding the spalled areas.

3. All minor cracks in the concrete walls should be patched after the drainage pattern is improved outside the building.

4 The opening in the south end of the east wall should be filled with concrete to avoid the failure of the wood again. The concrete should be board formed and poured in place to match the historic concrete surrounding the opening.

5. The crack in the west end of the north wall of the first floor should be inspected by a professional. Monitoring should be performed to determine if the crack is static, or continuing to spread. This crack should be repaired or reinforced as necessary.

Systems

1. The electrical system and boiler should continue to receive periodic maintenance and inspection to assure that they are working properly.

2. The plumbing system should be carefully maintained to avoid leaks, and any preventative maintenance possible should be carried out to prevent damage to the interior finishes.

3. The two sprinkler systems should be regularly inspected and maintained as necessary to avoid leaks and damage to the building finishes.

Light Wood Frame Structure

1. A professional engineer should be employed to analyze the north wing of the Chateau. The building should be monitored to determine if the amount of lean is static or increasing.

Chimney, Interior

1. The east firebox should be cleaned out and reconstructed, using the historic fire brick. The narrow mortar joints in the historic assembly should be replicated in the reconstruction. This will avoid potential problems with the chimney later, and cleaning the brick should coincide with chimney sweeping.

2. Both flues should be periodically swept to avoid chimney fires. This is especially important at the east firebox, which is more heavily used.

3. The cracks on the west and north sides of the chimney should be monitored to see if the cracks are continuing to separate, or if they are stable. If separation continues, a masonry consultant should be utilized to remedy the situation.

Floor Finishes

1. Maintain the finishes at the main staircase, employing the same care and sensitivity as the earlier repairs if repair becomes necessary.

2. Maintain the exposed and stained wood finishes in the guest room closets as a record of the method of construction.

3. While the maple dance floor has been lost, the original wood floor of the dining room may exist under the current carpet. While the carpet is protecting the historic fabric, the restoration of this floor would contribute significantly to the character of the space.

4. The original lobby flooring exists under the current carpeting, and could serve as a basis for restoration. If this is pursued, the restoration should incorporate as much of the original floor as possible, and any replacement should be of a similar color and composition as stated in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Restoration.

Miscellaneous Elements

1. Continue routine maintenance on the dumbwaiter and creek diversion system to keep them operating efficiently and effectively.

orca/hsr/hsr6a.htm
Last Updated: 22-Sep-2001