Masonry Magazine August 1988 Page. 13
A Chinese warrior (upper left) made of terra cotta from the Ming Dynasty, 200 BC. Terra cotta was used by most major architectural firms during the early nineteen hundreds, who commissioned specific designs for their buildings.
A TERRA COTTA PRIMER
by Edward E. Ryser
President
Ludowici Celadon Company
The renewed appreciation for the highly ornamented facades often found on older buildings has created new opportunities for developers, rehabbers and masonry contractors. It has also meant that they must expand their horizons to include a working knowledge of the repair and maintenance of materials with which they may have previously been unfamiliar.
One of the most commonly encountered such materials for the masonry contractor is terra cotta, a fired ceramic building material found on countless structures throughout the United States, most of which were built before 1940. Many of these buildings have become prime candidates for reconstruction and adaptive reuse, and the presence of terra cotta ornamentation on them is a major enhancement to their marketability.
Though extremely durable, terra cotta is nevertheless subject to damage and deterioration if not properly maintained over time. Many owners and developers who have previously neglected or omitted necessary maintenance and repair now have a strong economic incentive to undertake it.
The most logical choice to handle the work is a mason contractor. Building owners, developers, and the architects they employ are now regularly turning to these contractors for assistance.
Edward E. Ryser is president of the Ludowici Celadon Company, a manufacturer of terra cotta, clay roofing tile and other fired clay products. The company first began manufacturing terra cotta in the 1880s, and is now one of only a few national manufacturers serving clients' needs for custom and restoration architectural terra cotta.
A Brief History
Terra cotta was used in ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. It was first introduced to the United States from Europe in the mid-1800s. It won quick acceptance as a cost-effective and durable alternative for producing ornamental pieces to serve as decorative units in load-bearing walls.
The Chicago Fire of 1871, and the advent of metal frame high-rise buildings contributed heavily to the material's rapid increase in popularity. Architects searching for a lightweight, fireproof cladding material found the answer in terra cotta.
Terra cotta can take virtually any form. It gave architects more flexibility in combining colors, surface textures and precise details than had been available to them with any other masonry material. The standard design of terra cotta pieces called for them to be four inches deep with from two to two ½ square feet of surface area. The wall thickness of the terra cotta itself was from 1 to 1% inches.
A system of metal anchors, which could be either simple or very complex, was used to tie the terra cotta into masonry backup walls.
The plasticity and durability of terra cotta gave it a prominent place in all of the major architectural movements from the mid-1800s through the 1930s, including the Romanesque, Gothic and Queen Anne revival movements and the Chicago School, Beaux Arts and Art Deco movements.
It was used extensively by major architectural firms of the period such as Adler & Sullivan, who commissioned specific, unique designs for their buildings.
The material was also mass produced. A wealth of ornamental detail was available to architects, contractors and building owners who wished to embellish their stone or brick facades and had only to turn to the pages of a catalog to do so.
Terra cotta is a semi-porous material that will normally absorb and shed some water as it "breathes." When properly manufactured and installed, adequately protected from exposure to moisture, and permitted to shed excess water, please turn page
MASONRY-JULY/AUGUST, 1988 13