On the fourth floor of the Rayburn House Office Building there is a five-foot wide ledge that surrounds the majority of the building. This ledge is covered with a copper flashing and acts as a gutter that helps protect the building from the elements. The caulking in the joints that run the length of the flashing is failing, which allows water to get behind the stone and causes the steel to rust and expand, thus damaging the stones. Craftsmen are currently caulking the joints to repair the areas, which are hard to access and require extensive training in fall protection to ensure the work is performed safely. When finished with the water table, the next step is to scaffold the area and cut out and caulk areas on the 5th floor, which has the most exposure to the weather. This project is expected to be complete this spring.
