Some exterior work stands the test of time. In this example, we restored the exterior of 414 Liberty Street from a faded brick with old windows.

Before shot of 414 Liberty Street with worn brick
414 Liberty Street before, with faded brick and blackened, cracked sections.

As you can see, the front of the building was in rough shape. Entire sections were cracked and full of dirt and rot. The windows were missing and had been boarded up, giving the entire building an unwelcoming feeling.

Our restoration project primarily addressed this by installing new, weather-sealed windows with steel framing. That alone gave the building a modern, clean accent.

Replacing the windows with modern steel framed glass.

The brick was pressure washed, repaired, and re-painted. The middle area was repaired and cleaned free of rot, with a new strip to hold the awning.

Removing the rotted areas to make repairs
New repaired strip to hold the awning

Progress shot as the restoration neared completion.

And to really demonstrate how long a building can retain a sharp look when it’s done well initially, take a look at the photo below, 7 years later.

Image by @focalvibes

This photo was taken July 10, 2022. While there is a little discoloration in the middle again from lack of maintenance, most of the exterior holds up well.

The building has changed hands a few times since then, and as you can see in the finished photo above, does not appear to be actively used at the moment.