Replacing Ornamental Bronze Light Fixtures

Technical Procedures Disclaimer

Prior to inclusion in GSA’s library of procedures, documents are reviewed by one or more qualified preservation specialists for general consistency with the Secretary of Interior Standards for rehabilitating historic buildings as understood at the time the procedure is added to the library. All specifications require project-specific editing and professional judgement regarding the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers are to serve as a general guideline and do not constitute a federal endorsement or determination that a product or method is the best or most current alternative, remains available, or is compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards. The library of procedures is intended to serve as a resource, not a substitute, for specification development by a qualified preservation professional.

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We’ve reviewed these procedures for general consistency with federal standards for rehabilitating historic buildings and provide them only as a reference. Specifications should only be applied under the guidance of a qualified preservation professional who can assess the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers serve as general guidelines and do not constitute a federal endorsement nor a determination that a product or method is the best alternative or compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards.

PART 1---GENERAL
1.01 SUMMARY

  1. This procedure includes guidance on the replacement of missing interior ornamental lighting fixtures to match the originals.
  2. See 01100-07-S for general project guidelines to be reviewed along with this procedure. These guidelines cover the following sections:
    1. Safety Precautions
    2. Historic Structures Precautions
    3. Submittals
    4. Quality Assurance
    5. Delivery, Storage and Handling
    6. Project/Site Conditions
    7. Sequencing and Scheduling
    8. General Protection (Surface and Surrounding)
      These guidelines should be reviewed prior to performing this procedure and should be followed, when applicable, along with recommendations from the Regional Historic Preservation Officer (RHPO).

1.02 SUBMITTALS

  1. Shop Drawings: All fixtures are to be reproduced from surviving references and surviving example fixtures. Fabricators shall be furnished with clean full-size drawings produced from existing fixtures. The lighting fixture fabricator shall furnish copies of shop drawings for the approval of the Contracting Officer.
  2. Samples: Submit a sample of each fixture indicating fabricators technique.

PART 2---PRODUCTS
2.01 MATERIALS

  1. Metals:
    1. All exposed parts of fixtures are to be of the materials as specified.
    2. Bronze: Cast bronze items fabricated from statuary bronze alloy and highly polished with no pitting of surface.
    3. If the contractor desires to use alloys in lieu of those herein specified, the composition of the same, together with finished samples of the metals must be submitted to the Contracting Officer.
  2. Castings: Patterns for castings shall be iron. The modeling of patterns must be crisp, true to detail and uniform in execution. All details of cast ornamentationmust be plainly brought out by hand finishing. Where ornaments are made in parts, the joints must be brazed nd designed so as to cause no break in the ornamentation. All burrs and sharp edges must be removed from wire ways.
  3. Wiring: Wiring for new fixtures shall utilize existing conduits where possible. Any damage to decorative plaster ceilings, cornice or pilasters shall be repaired to match existing (see 09200-03-S and 09200-05-R for guidance). Wiring shall conform to the National Electric Code.
  4. Finishes: The finish of bronze fixtures shall be hand finished statuary bronze. It shall be produced by polishing to a bright bronze color and then oxidizing tocolor, directed by the Contracting Officer.

PART 3---EXECUTION
3.01 ERECTION, INSTALLATION, APPLICATION

  1. Replace missing fixtures identical to surviving original examples. Bronze finish should match the clean finish of existing fixtures.
  2. For guidance on cleaning existing bronze fixtures, see 16510-02-R. For guidance on cleaning, polishing, oiling and patinating bronze, see 05010-01-R and 05010-22-R.