McCreedy undergoes masonry repairs

    The McCreedy Building on Washington?s Main Street is getting an exterior makeover. The building houses the county engineer?s office, and the engineers spotted some problems inside the building. Assistant County Engineer Lyle Moen said moisture is getting through the bricks and damaging the interior walls on the north wall and the north side of the east wall.

    ?The (interior) paint is bubbling up and the plaster is coming loose and falling off,? said Moen. ?It?s a serious problem that needs to be taken care of.?

    Larry Yoder Masonry Inc. of Riverside is doing the repairs to the outside of the building, which began July 16. Moen said the company will tuck-point the bricks and replace those bricks that are cracked. The cracked bricks are the culprits that allow water to seep into the building. The company estimates replacing about 500 bricks. 

    When Larry Yoder Masonry has finished replacing the bricks, another company will come in to clean the bricks with a high-powered water hose and cleaning solution. Then it will apply a water repellent to prevent moisture from sneaking in.

    ?The water repellent doesn?t allow water to come in, but it does allow moisture to exit the brick if there is still moisture inside it,? commented Moen. ?We had that done nine years ago, and that water repellent usually lasts about 10 years.?

    The whole process should take approximately one month from start to finish, noted Moen. Moen remarked that the building is close to 100 years old, and the bricks of yesteryear are not watertight like the bricks of today.

For the full story, see the July 30 edition of The Washington Evening Journal