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HoagiesDad t1_iy01twx wrote

It’s still very hard to find a contractor in Philadelphia. My suggestion would be to wait till spring anyway. Hopefully it can be restored. Those cornices really give so much character to city homes.

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Fattom23 OP t1_iy07or5 wrote

It was always part of the plan when I bought the house. But the work seems so specialized that I don't even know: it could be a thousand dollar job or thirty. I just have no clue.

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HoagiesDad t1_iy0s0mj wrote

It really depends on the house and type of cornice. Wooden ones are obviously more expensive if things need to be replaced. I would assume the siding coving it was mainly because they didn’t want to paint it. I did 4 over the years. I rented a lift, got a heat gun and a scraper and went to town. The work isn’t that hard but the lift and labor will probably cost you around $3000. It adds at least that much to the value of your home if you do it right. Factor that into your decision. If I knew your block I might be able to give you more advice.

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Fattom23 OP t1_iy0tv8e wrote

I'm on the 1300 block of North 29th. I assume that the covering meant that the work was going to be expensive, but if it's a 3K or so paint job, that gives me some hope.

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William_d7 t1_iy4c5fr wrote

It could be a matter of paint but it could also be a roof/flashing/water leak issue. Be prepared for either if you take the metal off.

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Fattom23 OP t1_iy4dzcd wrote

Thanks for the heads up. It never occurred to me that that part is actually structural and there could be real issues with the removal.

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