Three residential properties on Grove Avenue in Albany, NY were thoughtfully returned to their original appearance after nearly 80 years of renovation to the exteriors. Number 84 was a 1917 stucco-clad bungalow with double pitched roof and gabled dormer. The projecting eaves had been enclosed with aluminum panning and soffits while the front porch had been enclosed with wood double hung windows that cut into the original staved columns for weight pockets. The exterior restoration work involved the stripping of all the aluminum panning to reveal the wood eaves & rafters, the removal of the windowed enclosure of the front porch and restoration of all the wood trim elements and deep relief stucco.
Number 85 Grove dates to approximately 1915 and was originally a stuccoed bungalow with continuous roof and gabled dormer. However, in the mid-20th century the stucco was likely cracked and instead of repairing it, it was entirely removed and replaced with ¼”-thick brick veneer and asbestos shingles. While the wood trim was retained and left exposed the open front porch was enclosed with wood double hung windows. The exterior restoration work involved the removal of the brick veneer which has started to delaminate or sag, opening of the front porch and recladding the exterior walls with a combination of cedar clapboards and shingles.
Number 63 Grove is one of only four two-family homes on this early 20th century street. In the mid-1960s the house was entirely covered with aluminum siding and panning at the eaves, porch elements and window and door casings. With the open, stacked front porches intact and in solid condition, it provided the ideal opportunity to reveal what existed beneath the 40+ year old aluminum siding. Quick and easy removal of the aluminum siding uncovered beautifully intact cedar clapboard on the first two floors and cedar shingles at the attic gable ends. The aluminum that was wrapped around the porch columns however revealed that these columns had been previously replaced with pressure-treated wood, but after decades of being sealed with no ability to breathe, this wood was severely rotted. Restoration work included replacing the wood cladding on the columns, reconstructing eave support brackets and repainting all the wood siding and trim.
In all cases, the original wood windows and doors were fully restored, reglazed, and weatherstripped.