Terracotta Parapets

Commonly used to surround roofs and terraces, parapets are architectural elements that instantly attract the eye. The use of parapets dates back to the Roman Empire, when they served as defensive features for forts. Parapets are still found on a variety of buildings, including residential dwellings.

One material that was once frequently used to craft parapets is architectural terra cotta. Unfortunately, the nature of this clay mixture led to problems. Because architectural terracotta couldn’t be used to produce large pieces, numerous small pieces had to be attached together using joints to form the terra cotta parapet. This assembly method is associated with the serious problem of water infiltration. Once inside, the moisture often caused the underlying metal support system to rust and swell. This expansion caused the mortar and the historical terracotta to crack, which often set off a chain reaction of failure in historical terracotta parapets.

A world leader in historic terracotta restoration and preservation, TerraGlas can help if you have a failing terracotta parapet. When you rely on our expertise, you can restore your parapet to like-new condition or add a new parapet to your building without sacrificing the stylistic appeal and natural charm that terracotta provides. Our services include:

• Surveying – When historical terracotta parapets are in need of repair or restoration, surveying can help define the scope of the project and assess the severity of the damage. We can conduct historical research to determine the original condition of your terracotta parapets, take a complete inventory of installed and missing terracotta, and analyze the condition of the terra cotta and the underlying support system of the architectural parapet.
• Shop drawings – Using sophisticated CAD technology, we can generate detailed plans for replacement terracotta parapet pieces or an entirely new fiber reinforced terra cotta parapet.
• Models and molds – We can use various approaches to create models and molds for glass fiber reinforced terracotta parapets. If the terracotta parapet still exists today, we can use silicone rubber molds to capture the design and intricate details of the existing structure. If old drawings and photographs are all that is available, one of our artisans will create a model in clay and use it as the basis for the parapet mold.
• Casting and finishing – Our advanced terracotta based composite is placed in a stock or custom mold and allowed to harden. Custom glazes and other finishes (if needed) are applied once the fiberglass reinforced terracotta parapet sections are removed. The lightweight TerraGlas parapet pieces can then be easily brought to the site and set into place.

The architectural terra cotta replacement used by TerraGlas can help eliminate problems with water and moisture penetration. Using our historical terra cotta replacement, we are able to produce much larger pieces than are possible with traditional terracotta. That means a multi-unit parapet can potentially be replaced with a single piece of TerraGlas. Fewer joints mean less chance of water getting inside, which can help safeguard against future failure. This is just one of the many advantages of our historical terra cotta replacement. Our genuine terracotta-based material is also more lightweight, more durable, more affordable, and easier to handle than traditional architectural terra cotta. TerraGlas can be molded into a variety of forms and textures to ensure highly accurate historical reproductions, seamless repairs, and custom parapets that are exactly what you wanted.

If you’d like to discuss the unique challenges of your project and find out more about fiberglass reinforced terracotta and how it can be used to manufacture, recreate, or restore architectural parapets, we can provide a free initial consultation. Contact us to find out more.