First Bank of Joseph Restoration

Built in 1888, the First Bank of Joseph is the oldest original structure in Joseph, Oregon (elev. 4200ft). It is a brick structure covered with stucco and accented with Victorian tin trim. The windows are wooden framed with glass and mullions. For the past 124 years, the south and west sides of the building’s exterior have been exposed to the bright sun, battered by repeated rain and snow storms, constant winter freeze and thaw, and annual bird nesting within the decorative trim. The building exterior is in dire need of long-overdue maintenance and repairs before it deteriorates any further.

In April 2013, a licensed building contractor went up in a man-lift to perform a detailed assessent of the condition of the exterior of the 2-story building. He took detailed photographs of the observed damages that require immediate attention. The following is a list of the damages with corresponding photographs.

Turret Trim Damage

The four turret trim pieces at the roof line above the front doors are badly deteriorated; portions are missing, cracked, broken, or crudely covered with sheet metal. Rain and melting snow have leaked into and behind the trim causing further separation and deterioration. The turrets and surrounding trim pieces are in danger of becoming detached from the building and falling to the sidewalk! The turrets and surrounding trim need to be reconstructed and firmly attached to the building.

Turret and Molding Damage

Many of the decorative trim and molding pieces above the south-facing second story windows are crushed, leaking, sagging, and separating from the building. They have been forced away from the building by rain, snow, freezing & thawing over the years. For one hundred years the bird nesting material packed into the cracks has retained moisture and added to the problem. Any of these trim pieces could fall to the sidewalk at any moment. The trim must be removed from the building, repaired and replaced as needed, painted, and reattached firmly to the building and sealed.

Window Casing Damage

The window casing is sagging and pressing down on the top of the window frame above the front doors. A support needs to be inserted to keep the pressure off the window frame. Otherwise, the window may break and shower glass onto the sidewalk at the front doors.

One of the second story windows is not square or flush with the window casing. There is a large gap at the top which needs to be addressed.

Window Mullion Damage

Many of the seventeen windows are mission some of their mullions, and the paint is peeling from all of the windows. A portion of the window frame is missing on the first-floor window next to the Nez Perce doors. All of the seventeen windows need to be scraped, sanded, and treated with epoxy filler as needed. In addition, they will need to be primed and painted with at least two coats of premium exterior enamel paint.

Flashing and Stucco Damage

Some of the buildings flashing material is buckled or separated and leaking. The porch roofing material above the front doors is leaking and need to be replaced. There are several places where the stucco is badly cracked and has chunks missing. These damages need to be corrected and spot painted as necessary to match the building.

Painting and Trim

Finally, all metal trim should be scraped as needed, primed, and painted with two coats of quality exterior (DTM) paint.

Cost Estimate for Repairs to Bank Building Exterior