(Listen to the full interview on NOLA building collapses here)
After a spate of building collapses in the area, many in New Orleans are wondering if the local architecture is safe, and what might be behind the issues we’re seeing. Danielle Del Sol is the Executive Director of the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans and conducted a survey that pointing to several reasons we’re seeing these problems.
Speaking to WWL’s Tommy Tucker, she emphasized that she doesn’t want the public to be alarmed about safety. “I think it’s a coincidence that so many buildings fell this fall and winter, so we need not be alarmed,” Del Sol pointed out.
That said, she adds a big caveat: “However, with a huge number of historic properties in the city that need maintenance and are not being maintained properly is an issue. We have a large number of negligent property owners who are not taking care of their buildings in this city and the city has not funded its own departments to ensure they have enough staff and resources to take care of issues and hold negligent property owners accountable,” she goes on to explain.
Del Sol notes that the construction materials used can vary in the region, further complicating matters. “These issues are not unique to New Orleans, but we do use different bricks in construction that are softer than bricks that were hard-fired in the rest of the country,” she notes. She also adds that the sheer number of historic buildings the Crescent City contains in a relatively small footprint will lead to the city seeing these issues at a higher rate than other cities might.
So, why are the bricks made in the region different than those created elsewhere? According to Del Sol, if you keep your eyes peeled for St. Joe bricks, you’ll see them in abundance around the French Quarter. That local company supplied many of the building materials during local building booms of the early 20th century. She notes that the soil used to create those bricks is a big factor in the difference in durability. “The nature of our soil here in Louisiana is naturally softer when you fire it to form a brick than the soil in other areas of the country like the northeast where the soil is harder,”
Regular inspections are something Del Sol is quick to note the importance of, especially when it comes to remodeling historic structures in the city. “Sometimes people work with contractors to do housing renovations and the people at the New Orleans Historic District Office have told me that two shotgun houses have collapsed mid-renovation in the past few years because the owners wanted an open floor plan and started ripping walls down without proper inspections,” Del Sol told WWL’s Tommy Tucker.
Del Sol recommends that homeowners get inspections done every few years, not simply when you’re selling your property. Between termites, extreme humidity, and soft soil, she emphasizes that it’s important for your building to be regularly assessed. “Even brick buildings can be damaged by termites and water,” Del Sol notes. Between the sheer number of historic buildings in New Orleans, alongside the myriad environmental factors, safety should remain a priority going forward.
