It’s been nearly a half century since the Frankfort home of Kentucky's government got the kind of attention it’s getting this fall as power washing crews tackle the front of the Capitol Building.
Project Manager Bernie Engelman says this type of thorough cleaning and mortar joint work hasn’t been done for 40 to 50 years.
He says it’s needed to help protect against weather-related damage, “If water were to get into the cracks or into the mortar joints, and start getting in there, it could freeze and thaw and pop parts of the limestone off.”
The just over $1 million job is expected to take until mid-February to complete. No work is being done on the Capitol dome or the building’s interior. Engelman says scaffolding will remain when lawmakers return for the 2017 session, but entry to the Capitol will be maintained through the front doors.?
