Photos and descriptions made by John B. Hogan 04/17/13

Casa de Balboa Exterior Problems

Textured gel coat deterioration, exposing resin and fibersProtective paint failed years before, allowing harmful UV radiation to destroy the gel coat surface. Once the gel coat has disappeared, the texture of the piece is permanently altered. This condition is almost universal on pieces exposed

daily to direct sunlight. Keys are included for scale.

Textured gel coat deterioration

Even in areas with only partial daily exposure.

Bonding adhesive failure

Exposing anchoring components, stucco coat, and roofing material to elements.Keys included for scale.

Adhesive failure found everywhere

Each of these locations provide access to water and insect intrusions.Keys included for scale.

Broken detail rests on roof

It’s lucky for the tenants and the city that this item fell onto the roof, rather than over the side for a 40+ foot drop onto a park visitor or employee. Made of solid resin, it weighs in at about eight pounds.

Keys included for scale.

East side of buildingThis view looks up toward the spot where the previous slide’s piece once called home. Note the sap stains from the poorly

pruned trees. Not only do they make the building look wretched, they are helping to accelerate its decay.

Eight pound detail piece in place

This is what one looks like before it falls. Note the cracks and peeling paint.

There are lots of them

Some are perched right over walkways .

A dangling piece, about 40 feet above the walkway below

Since it’s small and made of mostly fiberglass cloth, it’s not very heavy… but it looks pretty sharp on the edges. The city was notified about this particular issue a while back, but the worker couldn’t complete his task because of the swarms of Africanized

Bees present.

Poorly done patchwork fails quickly and looks awful, but provides easy access for bee colonies

Since the honeycombs are behind the façade, they are essentially permanent fixtures, and attractive to new colonies needing a home. Every few months, the city’s pest control contractors arrive to eradicate the latest colony. It’s usually less than 3 months

before another colony moves in.

Bees aren’t the only organisms making the CdB home

Some sort of fungus, possibly.

These wooden bannisters needed painting in the 90’s

Now the wood is bleached and split, likely requiring replacement.

This is a solid resin piece, gradually separating itself from the fiberglass base

It’s nearly 50 feet to the walkway and gardens below.Keys included for scale.

The decorative facades aren’t the only problems

Poorly placed sprinklers, overwatering, and lack of maintenance are defeating the stucco finish coat, and exposing the brown coat underneath. Minerals in the water will gradually dissolve it.

Water intrusion can threaten a building’s structural integrity

If moisture reaches the steel reinforcements inside the concrete, it can wick along the rebar, causing it to rust and spall the concrete walls and foundation.

Window surrounds

The decorative window surrounds are constructed of the same materials as the other façade elements; if they fail in a similar way, there will likely be leaks in window areas as well.

Casa de Balboa- will it have to be restored a second time?