27 Chestnut St Salem Historical Commission --Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness
Supplemental information
27 Chestnut Street
The house is presently heated by two gas-fired boilers, one of which is leaking and requires replacement
as soon as possible before a catastrophic failure. Investigation of the boiler revealed that the adjacent
hot-water heater is at the end of its expected life and should also be replaced. We propose to replace the
boiler with a high-efficiency Lochinvar unit with a combined vent/intake sidewall vent, 10" x 13.5", as
shown in Figure 4-5A on page 23 of the installation manual (attached). A sample of the vent itself is
also available for the Commission’s review. The vent for the hot-water boiler would be a simple 3"
down-turned painted PVC pipe extending approximately 4".
We propose to remove the glass in one basement window and replace it with a painted plywood panel.
The existing window is a nine-light window protected by steel bars and an outer fixed nine-light storm
window. The new panel would occur at the plane of the storm window glass, adapted to and retaining
(or, if necessary, matching) the frame of the storm window.
Location
Our initial preference was to locate the vents at one of the existing basement windows on either side of
the bay window. This location is directly adjacent to the boiler room, and because of the setback and
vegetation, would have the least impact on the public view. However, one window is too close to a
corner (per code and installation requirements). The other abuts an active entry, which could be
adversely affected by exhaust fumes; there is some additional concern about vapor moisture on the
underside of the bay window. This location would also require removal of a small storage structure.
The proposed location is the next window to the south. We also investigated other options. Using other
windows on the same wall would interfere with current and future use of the interior space. We
considered locations on the south and even the west side of the building, but determined that these are
not feasible due to the required pitch of the vent piping.
Mitigation
A survey of the immediate neighborhood indicates that these side-wall vent installations are common
and vary substantially in both the kind of equipment and the treatment of the panels. We feel that a
black painted finish (as opposed to white) is most appropriate in this location. There is already a black
painted entry to the basement on this elevation, and a black panel (with a white frame) would most
closely represent the visual character of the existing windows. We feel that a white panel tends to attract
the eye, and in this situation, would be a distraction from the white bay window. In addition, the vents
themselves would be painted black.
We recognize that this location is within the public view. We therefore propose to add evergreen
planting (rhododendron or yew) inside the fence to provide screening. This planting work would be done
in the spring, although we hope to do the rest of the work as soon as possible.