Terra cotta: Especially near the top of the building, the terra cotta is badly eroded. The terra cotta edging is not merely ornamental, but acts a seal to keep water from entering the brick walls. Spokane's cold winters are especially hard on masonry. Water seeping into the interior of the terra cotta through cracks or open mortar joints freezes, causing the glaze that serves as its protective coating to flake off. As more of the glaze is lost, more water enters the unit and the deterioration spreads. Eventually, as water enters the brick walls below, damage will effect walls even in the interior of the building.
Brick masonry: Although the brick used for the exterior faces of the building is of high quality and in excellent condition, that used for the roof side of the parapet walls is of lower quality and in worse condition. Some of the brick faces have fallen off and 25-40% of the mortar joints in this area need to have the mortar repaired or replaced.
Mortar: The mortar joints used to set the terra cotta blocks in place are in poor condition, especially those near the top of the building and the decorative eyebrows above the window heads. Not only does this means moisture is penetrating to the interior of the terra cotta, but eventually the mortar will no longer bond the terra cotta in place.
Wall supports: The concrete buttresses on the tower roof which support the terra cotta wall are badly damaged. The concrete of the beams is breaking away and through the cracks one can see that the steel inside is badly rusted.