FNB: Opening the Windows, Part 1

This project has many dramatic and exciting parts.  Most of those parts are hidden from view - many will eventually be covered up with drywall.  The most dramatic, and the most public, is the removal of all of the brick and wood infill of the window openings and the installation of new, insulated windows that simulate the originals.

A little background - this photo montage shows some of the major changes of the First National Building over the last 133 years.  The most visible is the windows.

 

This week the restoration of those window openings began with the removal of the old windows and scores of bricks. 

The process was painstaking based on these considerations:

1. The original brick is 133 years old.
2. Since the brick is that old, it was probably made locally and is extremely soft.  Extensive vibration and / or stress on the brick could significantly damage the structure of the building.

3. We didn't know how sound the brick infill was installed or how much work would it take to remove those bricks?

With these in mind, Craig Siebenaler and his crew (Randy Manges, Jacob Manges, Ira Barrett, Daniel Cooley) worked very closely with Daniel Hammond (our mason) to strategically cut the infill and then cautiously hammer one brick at a time.  The first window took approximately 2 hours as they hammered, evaluated, adjusted and tried again.  The second window went much faster and, by the end of the day, five openings were freed.

Even now, before the windows have even been ordered, the difference is impressive.  This photo was taken from the inside, just after that first window was removed.  The opening is easily TWO TIMES the height of those replacement windows.  It's hard to show in a photo the DRAMATIC change in character as more and more light fills the room!

Craig and his team worked all day Monday and Tuesday and cleared all but one window opening - a total of eleven in two days.  It looks a little sad with all of that plywood covering the openings but we are making enormous progress.  I've said it many times today...it has to get worse before it can get better :)