COURTHOUSE RESTORATION
SCHEDULE OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED
IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE
FAIRFAX COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 1967

The following list comprises the schedule of work to be performed in the reconstruction of the Fairfax County Courthouse as set forth in the drawings prepared by Walter M. Macomber, architect for the project, in December 1965:

DEMOLITION—Remove main floor, subfloor and joists, taking care to leave two columns supporting balcony, and beams beneath floor untouched. Remove all material in such a manner as to be re-usable if suitable.

Remove all woodwork within building: wainscot, railings, bench, window & door casing, etc. Remove all frame partitions.

Remove cantilevered forward section of balcony back to existing beam, including stair.

Remove existing segmental-top two-storey windows at sides of building. Remove sash only from existing small windows, unless jambs are rotted or otherwise found unsuitable for re-use.

Carefully remove all finished flooring in balcony and porch chamber, taking care not to damage subfloor.

All heating pipes shall be removed and temporarily capped off below the first floor. All electrical wiring shall be removed and recapped below the first floor level except such as shall be needed for power tools, etc.

Contractor shall carefully remove all existing monuments and plaques within building, securely store them, and reset them upon completion at direction of architect.

MATERIALS—All new joists and studs shall be of construction grade fir, free of all parasites & decay, having a moisture content no greater than 18%.

All new subfloor to be 5/8" plyscord.

Apply sisalcraft paper between subfloor and finished floor.All flooring shall be 25/32" × 51/2" tongue and groove clear southern long leaf yellow pine, with relieved back & face edges slightly eased. The use of resawn used mill framing obtained from demolition companies is recommended in order to obtain straight grain. Architect must be submitted samples of flooring for his approval before use. No pieces shorter than eight feet will be used, except where necessary at juncture of floor & wall. All stair treads shall be of 1' 8" thick clear yellow pine, bull-nosed.

All interior woodwork to be of clear western white pine, S 4 S, of thickness as shown on plans.

Wainscot shall be of 3/4' thick by 35/8", 51/2" & 71/2" clear white pine, tongue & grooved, with a 1/4" bead on one face edge.

Doors, windows (sash & jamb) & balusters will be of clear western white pine. Front door jamb shall be of 15/8 th. clear yellow pine. Interior jambs of 11/8" th. Cl. yellow pine.

Pew material to be of 11/8" clear yellow pine, S 4 S.

Rails to be birch for staining.

Moisture content for all to be no greater than 12%.

FOUNDATION WORK—Point up all existing foundations, piers, footings, etc. in basement and crawl space.

Replace all supporting beams rotted or otherwise unsuitable for re-use.

Excavate existing crawl space to a minimum of three feet below joists, and cover with 21/2–3" thick broom finished concrete slab, on 4 mil polyethylene film.

Move existing basement stair to location on plan, and floor-over opening thus made to top of stairs.

MASONRY—Carefully remove several sample face bricks from existing sidewalls, clean all but weather-face, and submit to Locher Brick Co., Glasgow, Va. for duplication.

Remove segmental arches above two storey window openings, and extend window openings to same height as those of porch chamber windows. Using existing downstairs window sills, brick-in two rough openings required by new windows. Set steel lintels as called for on plan, and brick between vertical window openings. Take care that the new brickwork appears continuous with existing masonry & is properly toothed & bonded. Architect shall approve colour of mortar and duplicated brick before setting in place.Repoint or rebuild existing chimneys & fireplaces. Build new hearths of duplicated brick for downstairs fireplaces.

Repoint all existing brickwork, interior & exterior, as may be requisite.

WEATHERSTRIPPING—All double-hung windows shall be weatherstripped with "Chamberlain" No. 100-A Zinc Heavy-Duty, full-sash units, with protection at head, meeting rail & sill.

Front entrance door shall have spring bronze weatherstripping all around, except at sill which is to receive "Chamberlain" No. 869-A narrow brass threshhold with No. 826 bronze door hook.

INSULATION—Entire building to be covered with 4" thick batts of rock-wool or fibre-glass, combination aluminum foil insulation, applied immediately over lath between ceiling joists.

PAINTING & DECORATING—All woodwork, interior or exterior, shall be back primed with white lead before erection.

All exterior woodwork to receive two coats of white lead in oil. Remove loose or heavy accumulations of paint from existing woodwork before painting.

All interior woodwork to receive one coat of primer, one coat half primer & half enamel & finish coat of semi-gloss enamel.

Plaster surfaces, when thoroughly dry, shall be washed with zinc sulphate neutralizer. First paint coat shall be wall size and primer. Second coat two parts flat wall paint & one part size. Finish with egg-shell wall paint. Plaster cornice to receive first coat of size, second coat half size & half enamel. Finish coat semi-gloss enamel. Architect shall select all colours.

FLOOR FINISHING—Floors shall be lightly sanded to remove stains and imperfections & to reasonably level. Floors shall be stained, filled, shellaced and waxed. Colour of stain shall be selected by architect.

LATHING & PLASTERING—All interior surfaces of exterior masonry walls shall receive 3/8" gypsum lath securely nailed to 1" × 2" wood furring strips anchored to masonry. Coat masonry before furring with "Thoroseal" from Standard Dry Wall Products Co., New Eagle, Penna.

Entire ceiling to be lathed with high-rib metal lath securely nailed directly to ceiling joists. Stud partitions to receive 3/8" gypsum lath. Ceiling of porch to receive high-rib metal lath applied over existing wood ceiling. All inside corners to receive expanded metal cornerite. Outside corners to receive metal corner bead. Apply strips of metal lath 6" wide over openings in stud partitions.All plaster cornices shall be run in place and formed over heavy gauge metal lath, with moulding plaster. All surfaces to be plastered minimum 3/4" thick (including lath) in two coats; Brown & finish white. White coat to have smooth float sand finish.

GLAZING—All windows to be glazed with 9" × 103/4" welded glass edge or metal edged insulating glass one-half inch thick composed of two sheets of 1/8" double strength "A" window glass with one-quarter inch air space between. All glass to be set in frames with glaziers points. Back-bed w/thin coating of elastic glazing compound and putty-in smoothly.

SCREENING—All louvres in cupola to be back screened with fine mesh, copper screen wire.

FINISHED HARDWARE—All hinges, locks, latches, shutter hardware, etc. shall be selected by the architect. Allow $400.00 for finished hardware.