Overview

Downtown Collingwood is fortunate in having a large stock of historic buildings, most of which are structurally sound, with original architectural details largely intact. In many cases the details are in need of maintenance or repair, and renovations and alterations over the years have obscured or removed historical detail, particularly in the case of shop fronts. These guidelines aim to assist in the preservation of historic architecture, and the restoration of lost or concealed heritage character, through design that follows the original or is at least sympathetic to it, when new work is undertaken.

A Heritage Permit is required for any work, visible from the exterior, on any building in the District.

Historical and Technical Research

The original state of existing heritage buildings should be researched before work is undertaken. On-site investigation often reveals original details concealed under later work. Historic drawings and photographs exist at the Collingwood Museum and various archives. The Heritage Conservation District Advisory Committee can assist in research.

Maintenance, repair, replacement and restoration work should be undertaken using proper heritage methods. Modern materials and methods of construction can have detrimental effects on old construction if proper methods are not used. This is particularly true of old brick.

Building Maintenance

Proper maintenance of existing heritage buildings is the best way to preserve heritage character. It is both cost effective and good heritage practice to maintain flashings instead of waiting until water damage requires reconstruction of a parapet, for example. The loss of heritage detail and even entire buildings, due to simple neglect, is an avoidable tragedy.

Guidelines:

--Cleaning: Cleaning of buildings should occur in a non-destructive manner. Ontario bricks are soft and subject to deterioration by harsh cleaning methods. Good results can usually be obtained with detergents and water and a stiff natural-bristle brush. Some professional water-borne chemical agents are acceptable. Sand-blasting and high-pressure water blasting are prohibited.

--Painted Masonry: Historical photographs show that most original masonry in Collingwood was unpainted. Unless paint can be historically documented it should not be applied, and existing paint should be removed.

Building Maintenance

Guidelines:

-- Paint may be applied only where deterioration of the masonry leaves no other choice. It is important to use proper materials and methods for both applying and removing paint from masonry if future deterioration is to be avoided. Breathing-type paint must be used on masonry to prevent deterioration. (See illustration below)
 

-- Painted Woodwork: Original paint colours on a building might be found under subsequent coats. In addition, a palette of historic colours can be obtained at the Building Department.

Repair And Restoration

Repair and restoration should be based on proper heritage research, and be undertaken using proper heritage materials and methods.

Guidelines:

-- Brickwork: Brick repair should be undertaken using proper heritage materials and methods. Use salvaged material matching the original for replacement units, if available. If new material is necessary, it should match the original in size, colour and finish. Removal of old mortar should be performed with hand tools, not power saws or chisels. Lime mortars must be used for old brick; modern mortars are highly destructive to historic brick work, and should not be used.

Little things add up: (above photo) Weathering is deteriorating the bricks above the decorated string course near the top of the wall; the rustling sheet metal capital will soon let water into the brickwork if it isn't fixed, and the missing voussoir in the arch (since repaired) threatened the integrity of the wall above.
 
-- Stonework: Spalled stone can be restored using professional epoxy-based fillers matching the underlying stone. More serious deteriorations will require replacement by new material, matching the existing. Use of precast concrete is discouraged.

-- Decorative Woodwork: Deteriorated woodwork should be repaired if possible, rather than replaced. If replacement is necessary, wood should normally be used, rather than modern materials. Well-maintained and properly flashed woodwork is quite durable: the existing heritage decoration in Collingwood has lasted more than a century. In certain situations, with extreme exposure to weathering, modern materials are acceptable.

-- In all cases, repairs or replacement should preserve or reproduce original details. No reconstruction or removal of historic architectural detail should be undertaken without recording the original by drawings and/or photographs.
 

--Windows: Window frames and slashed should be repaired if possible, rather than replaced. If replacement is necessary, wood should normally be used, and window type and glazing pattern should match the original. In many buildings, the existing windows are not original, so the design of replacement windows will require some research.

--Energy Efficiency: Most energy losses in older windows occur at the cracks around the sash rather than through the glass, even when single-glazed. Stripping years of built-up paint from double-hung windows, so that a tight fit is restored between the sashes and the stops, is a simple way to enhance their energy efficiency. Installation of concealed weather-stripping and interior storm windows provides further energy savings.
 

Renovations

When a renovation on a heritage building is undertaken, it should be part of the renovation to remove later work that conceals the original design, or is unsympathetic to it. Research should be undertaken, and the design of new work should restore the principal architectural features of the original building. In general, signage and shop front renovations account for most of damage to the heritage character of buildings in the Commercial Core. Unsympathetic additions and cladding account for most of the heritage damage to house-form buildings.

Guidelines:

-- Original Shop Fronts: Original shop fronts had very high glazing in wood frames, with lettered signs on a narrow fascia above the glass. In many heritage buildings, the upper portion of the original glazing has been blocked off to provide a much larger sign area, significantly diminishing the heritage character of the building. Restoration of the original high window and narrow sign band is encouraged. Often, the original work still exists behind a sheet of plywood.
 

Shop Front Colours: Use original colours, if these can be determined by research, or choose from the heritage palette, available at the Building Department.

Signage: To preserve the heritage character of the District, the current provisions of Collingwood’s Sign By-Law 98-75, as amended, should be strictly followed. The main provisions of the Sign By-Law applying to the District are outlined below, with comments regarding heritage aspects:

1) One of the following main signs is permitted per business frontage in the Central Commercial Zones:

-- A ground sign no larger than 2.0 sq metres per side, with a total area no larger than 4.0 sq metres. A ground sign must be set back 3.0 metres from property lines.

-- A projecting sign no larger than 0.75 sq metres, projecting no more than 1m.

-- A fascia sign, with a width not exceeding 90% of the frontage.

-- An awning sign, on the skirt of the canopy, with letters no larger than 15cm. Awnings are required to be retractable.

Comments: Although set-back requirements offer few opportunities for ground signs, they are detrimental to the heritage character of the District, and should be avoided. As discussed under store fronts above, original narrow sign fascias have been replaced in many cases by deep sign bands concealing the original facias and upper windows. When signs are re-worked, effort should be made to restore or replicate the original condition. At minimum, new signs on deep non-heritage sign bands should be detailed, using mouldings, trim, and colour, to recreate the scale and proportion of heritage signage.

2) Except for awning signs, letter size is limited to 12" in the District.

3) Signs are generally to be front-lit, except for back-lit or halo-lit individual letters or symbols.

4) Secondary signs such as portable signs are permitted, with limitations on size and the length of time they remain in place. These don't require sign permits under the By-law.

Comments: What is behind a shop window has as great an effect on the streetscape as the design of the storefront. The original function of shop fronts was the display of goods available within. The pedestrian experience of “window shopping”, even after hours, contributes to the life of the street. Opaque panel or poster window signs, whether permanent or temporary, are unsympathetic to the original display function of heritage store fronts. When used to excess they are harmful to the pedestrian-friendly quality of the street. They are not encouraged in the District.

Cladding: Re-cladding of heritage buildings should maintain original materials and design if they are still present, and should restore them when they have been replaced or concealed by subsequent cladding. This issue mostly arises in house-form buildings, but it also applies to ground-floor fronts and rear additions in the commercial Core.
 

New Additions

New attached additions to heritage buildings should be designed to complement the design of the original building. Additions should be designed so as not to overwhelm the heritage character of the original building.
 

Outbuildings

Traditionally, garages or stables where built as separate rear outbuildings with gable roofs.

Guidelines:

-- Work on existing outbuildings should retain or restore original design features.

-- New garages should be sited as separate outbuildings, located to minimize their street presence. An attached garage is acceptable if it faces a side lot-line.

-- New garages should follow traditional forms, with gable roofs, frame or brick construction, and single bay wood doors with wood trim.

-- Other outbuildings, such as garden and storage sheds, should be of traditional wood construction. Pre-fabricated metal sheds should not be used where visible from the street.
 

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