I covered in the previous post how we removed the old and crumbling parapet until we hit solid masonry. This post will cover the first stage of the parapet rebuilding.
I had to break-up the process into stages, because along the way, I had to repair the cornice that was attached to the masonry. I will cover that part in the next post.
We started the rebuilding from the solid masonry we had exposed, up to the level where the original cornice roof tied into the masonry. The new cornice roof, which we were about to install, will tie in at the same masonry course.
The parapet had a depth of three wythes. The cornice would only attach to the first wythe, which meant we could continue to raise the back two wythes.
Like most of the building, the core of the parapet used Chicago common brick. Working with common brick is a different process than working with modern brick products. It requires certain steps and a certain type of mortar to produce a lasting masonry system.
I have described the process and materials in a previous post (Mending more masonry + Bricks and mortar), and recommend that you look up that post if you plan a project that would use Chicago common brick.
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