Oregon Caves Oregon Caves Chateau Historic Structures Report

The treatment recommendations for the Oregon Caves Chateau are summarized in this section, separated into the same divisions as in the rest of the document. All preservation treatment must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation and Restoration, listed in Appendix B. These recommendations apply to whoever has the responsibility for building maintenance.

Exterior Treatment Recommendations

Roofing and Flashing

The treatment of the Chateau roof can be broken down into seven different components. These are both short and long term solutions, and are also basic maintenance. The recommendations for roof treatment are:

1. Keep the roof valleys clear of excessive snow loads. One valley has already received sheathing damage due to overloading, and the historic fabric has been compromised. The damaged area should be repaired before the next winter to avoid further damage. This work should be performed on a regular basis throughout the winter.

2. The fascia board for gutter support should either be removed or have a gutter permanently installed. The concessionaire has undergone a Section 106 review for the addition of a gutter above the main lobby entrance, and is allowed to place a gutter at this location.

3. The roof hatch near the chimney should receive a more permanent locking mechanism. Providing a set of stout latches and hinges would protect the door from being blown off of the building, and would reduce the risk of the hatch being dropped inside the attic after removal and falling through the historic fabric of the ceiling.

4. The growth on the roof should be kept to a minimum. A moss killer should be applied to the roof to reduce the growth, protecting the shakes from accelerated decay. Care should be taken when applying the chemical so that excess does not fall to the ground and damage vegetation around the eave line of the building.

5. The sheet metal roofing between the chimney and the ridge should receive a new layer of paint to protect the metal. The material is still sound, but neglect could result in further decay of this system, allowing water to infiltrate the attic space. The joints between the sheets should be inspected to make sure they are weathertight before the area is painted. If repair is necessary, the work should be done prior to painting.

6. The galvanized metal in the valleys should be repainted before the galvanizing is compromised. This needs to be done with care to avoid excessive amounts of paint on the shakes. The valleys should be cleared of debris and inspected for damage prior to painting.

7. Within five years, the roof will need to be replaced. The number of broken and missing shakes increases every year, and while the attic is dry at this point the chance of water infiltration into the building envelope increases every year. The historic exposure, texture, and thickness should be maintained, and the ridge detail should be kept the same. A copper or galvanized ridge flashing may be installed to curtail moss and lichen growth on the roof, but will not help in areas that are under the eaves. The fungicide should be used to control the growth on the roof. Replacing the roof would be an ideal time for other work outlined above, including valley flashing inspection, repair, and painting, flashing the fascia board above the lobby entrance, and repair of the sheet metal above the chimney. This work should be completed before the roof begins to leak, compromising the building envelope.

Brackets, Verge Boards, and Purlins

The brackets, purlins, and verge boards display various levels of decay. The purlins are protected from the elements, and as a result are in good condition. The brackets, on the other hand, have been subjected to the weather and require attention. The treatment of these three elements varies, but is consistent throughout the building.

1. The horizontal members of the log brackets are all in need of replacement. Excessive decay has rendered them useless as structural elements, and has diminished their decorative importance. The brackets should be removed from the building with care in order to perform this work, so the historic siding will be protected. The diagonal members should also be inspected at this time, and the decayed members should be replaced. The number of diagonal members needing replacement will not be known until the horizontal member is removed and the end grain can be inspected.

2. All verge boards suffer from a compromised paint coating. They should all be scraped and painted in situ, while the brackets are removed for repair. Any areas of decay at the intersection of the verge boards with the brackets should be repaired using a "dutchman" repair in which only a small portion of the board is replaced. This will protect the historic fabric from unnecessary removal from the building.

3. The under eave purlins are all in good condition. These peeled logs must retain the integrity of their paint coating to remain useful to the structure. The paint should be inspected on a yearly basis and repainted as necessary.

Chimney, Exterior

The exterior portion of the chimney is in good condition overall, with only minor treatment necessary.

1. It may be worthwhile to cap the chimney flues to prevent water intrusion into the building. This should be done in a manner that respects the historic character of the Chateau, and should not detract from the appearance of the building.

2. A moss killer should be used to prevent the growth from damaging the mortar.

Port Orford Cedar Bark Siding

As the siding is a character defining feature of the building, it should be preserved at all costs. The Port Orford cedar is becoming increasingly difficult to find due to a root rot that attacks the trees, and there is no suitable alternative for replacing the bark with another material. The rot is a disease of the Port Orford cedar only, and is caused by a pathogen named Phytophthora lateralis. This fungus infects the fine root system and moves up the tree, eventually killing it. It has only a limited distribution around the Oregon and California border in the tree's native range. It is spread by water, especially in the wet seasons within drainage basins, animals, and vehicles. The rot has infected the Siskiyou National Forest, but has not been detected within the Monument. The siding should be treated as follows:

1. Protect the siding from excessive moisture. This includes improving drainage around the building and implementing means to avoid splashback on the structure. Snow should not be piled next to the building when the road is plowed on the north side, and the southeast corner should be kept free of snow accumulation. Vegetation on the south side is harming the siding, and should be removed. See the Vegetation and Drainage Treatment Recommendations for improvements in this area.

2. Fasteners should be inspected regularly to ensure that they are not forming pockets of deterioration as they oxidize. If this becomes the case, the fasteners should be replaced through the historic holes with stainless steel, aluminum, or galvanized fasteners.

Catwalks and Fire Escapes

As these are critical life safety implements, these areas should be well maintained. They should be treated as follows:

1. Retain the paint coating on both the catwalks and fire escapes so they blend with the building, contrasting colors should not be allowed.

2. The wood deck of the catwalk is in need of paint, and the boards have bowed enough to create an uneven walking surface. The boards should be evened out and repainted to preserve them.

Vegetation and Drainage

1. Remove vegetation on the south facade of the building.

2. Install a french drain system of gravel beds and perforated pipe on the west side, allowing the water to drain out into the canyon below the building and join Caves Creek.

3. Install a similar drain system over the full length of the east facade, bringing water away from the building to a central drain pipe. This pipe should join the culvert already in place that diverts Caves Creek, and be designed in such a way that it does not easily clog or back up. This area is critical, as proper drainage will preserve the siding and prevent water from infiltrating the building through the foundation.

Windows and Doors, Exterior

1. Replace the missing sill on the second floor, west end of north wing. This missing element allows air and moisture to infiltrate the structure, and is a potential cause for damage to the building.

2. Scrape and paint all exterior sills and frames. The sill to the north of the coffee shop door will require patching to make the surface flat, as the wood from the 1954 window addition is seriously weathered.

3. Scrape and paint the exterior doors in the non-public areas of the building, including the doors on the west facade leading to the kitchen, second floor storage area, employee dining room, and boiler room. This will preserve the historic fabric and reduce the likelihood that these doors will need replacement.

4. Remove the bow from the lobby entrance doors. The door will most likely have to be disassembled to accomplish this, and wood or metal bracing may be necessary to straighten the door. Repaint the door using the current color.

5. The concessionaire has expressed an interest in restoring the historic hinge mechanism on the lobby entrance doors. A variety of pin hinges that mount in the head and threshold are available, but a brass mechanism should be used to reduce the risk of corrosion and to match the historic hardware.

6. Exterior window screens should all be firmly attached to the window frames using the eye bolt and hook hardware. Each frame should be removed from the building and inspected for loose joints and holes in the screening, then repaired and painted as necessary before re-installation.

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.