In this interview, Scott Perkins, senior director of preservation and collections at Fallingwater, shares an overview of the recently completed work and offers a look ahead at what’s next in our ongoing World Heritage Preserved efforts.

Our preservation teams have wrapped up several important projects over the past several weeks at Fallingwater, just in time for autumn’s arrival.

As noted in the August blog update, scaffolding was temporarily installed on Liliane’s second-floor terrace to support our concrete specialists, Graciano, as they completed additional repairs to the parapets. That scaffolding has now been removed, and painting will soon be underway on the repaired areas.

In addition, the scaffolding on the north side of the house has been disassembled, with third floor roof roll repairs there now complete. The scaffolding has been in place since early 2025, making this a major milestone in our World Heritage Preserved efforts. A small scaffold stair remains to assist Fallingwater’s crew to return stones to the second-floor terrace off Edgar Sr.’s bedroom.

In mid-October visitors will also see the built-in planter on display again on the Pottery Terrace with a lovely array of late-season native flowers.

Be sure to check back for the October Preservation blog update, where we will share another staff/preservation team interview and a behind-the-scenes look at ongoing efforts.

As summer begins to wind down, our preservation team is putting the finishing touches on many of the work activities that occurred this month. One of the most significant efforts this season has been the waterproofing of the third floor Herb Terrace. Now that the concrete slab has been sealed, our crews are preparing to reinstall the sand bed and flagstone surface. Once the stone is placed and the terrace is reopened, visitors will once again enjoy access to this terrace.

If you’ve been following our preservation blog (thank you) for any length of time, you will remember an entry from May 2025 — on the careful steps taken to reach this stage. It’s been a meticulous process, but one that ensures the long-term viability of this important space for generations to come.

Concurrently, preservation efforts have continued elsewhere on the site. At the end of August, scaffolding was installed on the south side of Liliane’s second-floor terrace. This temporary structure will be in place for only a few weeks and allow concrete masons to make repairs on the outboard side of the parapet. At the same time, the scaffolding currently on the north side of the house will be removed, marking an exciting step toward fully reopening the home’s exterior to the landscape.

Looking ahead, mid-October promises to be a quieter time, giving us a moment to enjoy the colorful foliage and to prepare for the preservation challenges that come with winter.

In this interview, Jamie Hudson, preservation project manager at Fallingwater, offers an overview of the extensive work carried out as part of the World Heritage Preserved efforts. With a front-row seat to the challenges and achievements of this landmark initiative, Jamie brings a rare perspective shaped by her hands-on experience here at Fallingwater. Her understanding of preservation practices and the significance of the site adds a compelling layer to the interview, making this a must-watch for anyone interested in architecture, preservation or the ongoing stewardship of cultural landmarks.

The third-floor Herb Terrace, located outside of Edgar Kaufmann jr.’s Sleeping Alcove, has been the focus of several preservation efforts over the years, the most recent taking place in 1988 and 2001. The terrace was back in the preservation spotlight again in June when our preservation crews and outside contractors spent the month removing the roofing above. Originally, the terrace roof system was constructed employing a waterproofing method that used cold-tar – an asphalt-based tar – which was commonly used on houses built during the time of Fallingwater’s construction in the mid-1930s, and one that has been found in various parts of the house.

Sometime prior to the 1988 preservation, this cold-tar waterproofing was covered with a cementitious parge coat, which was applied across the terrace’s horizontal surfaces and at the base of its walls. However, instead of removing the cold-tar first—which is standard practice today to ensure proper adhesion and long-term performance—that parge coat was applied directly over it.

During a recent inspection of the Herb Terrace, crews found that the parge layer had almost entirely delaminated. This means the bond between the cement and the underlying surface had failed, likely due to not removing the cold-tar underneath. To allow for proper waterproofing reapplication Allegheny Roofing and Sheet Metal’s team completely removed the entire parge layer as well as the older cold-tar coating.

To learn more about the current waterproofing methods employed at Fallingwater, refer to the March 2025 preservation blog entry.

With each new phase of preservation, we deepen our understanding of the materials used in Fallingwater’s original construction as well as those introduced during past preservation efforts. At the same time, we continue to refine best practices by applying modern techniques that support the long-term conservation of this architectural landmark.

Now that the large scaffolding structure has been removed, major preservation efforts are underway to replace waterproofing on both Edgar Sr.’s and the Herb Terrace—two areas vital to the house’s resilience and visitor experience.

The current work involves lifting the original flagstone from the terraces to access the layers beneath. These layers are comprised of older waterproofing and a plywood subfloor. Enclosures built by Fallingwater’s own maintenance team protect these areas as Allegheny Roofing & Sheet Metal installs updated waterproofing systems. After installing new plywood and two layers of cold-applied waterproofing, liquid flashing will be added to all vulnerable areas. Drainage will be improved before the team begins replacing the stone and finishing the joints with mortar.

Work is expected to finish by Labor Day weekend, in line with the preservation calendar that guides ongoing maintenance at the house.

Drainage issues are also being addressed in the built-in planter on the Pottery Terrace, as managing proper water flow is a vital part of preserving Fallingwater.

Looking ahead, visitors this summer will see scaffolding erected along the north façade to allow for replacement of the roof over Edgar jr.’s sleeping alcove. An enclosure over this area will allow our skilled team to carry out the work regardless of the weather conditions. As the house undergoes these crucial repairs, visitors will experience preservation in action and learn about the complexities of stewarding modern architecture.

In March, significant progress was made in the World Heritage Preserved campaign at Fallingwater. A major milestone was the completion of the grout injection project, which concluded after several months of intensive work. Crews from Masonry Solutions International injected nearly 12 tons of grout—approximately 1,740 gallons—into the house’s hollow walls to help mitigate water infiltration issues. For more in-depth information on the grout injection process, please see the December 2024 update.

Preservation also advanced on Liliane’s Terrace, where deteriorating concrete walls were skillfully demolished and rebuilt. Large sections of compromised concrete were removed, exposing the steel reinforcement within. The steel was then cleaned and coated to protect against corrosion. Afterward, new concrete was poured into plywood molds, followed by the hand-applied parge coat—a cement layer designed to replicate the original finish—before the walls were repainted.

Preservation crews are nearing the completion of some of the most intensive restoration work that occurred this winter at the house. We’re now in the process of dismantling the scaffolding and enclosures in the west and south facades of Fallingwater—most notably the large tower above the waterfall, prominently visible from the Iconic View. You can watch along on our YouTube channel and the Fallingwater Live Cam, as we transition from our Preservation-in-Action tours to our Guided Architectural tours.

February was a significant month for preservation efforts at Fallingwater. As noted in our January and December blog posts, much of Fallingwater remains surrounded by scaffolding and protective enclosures. Inside these spaces, a variety of specialized contractors are working, assisted by our own dedicated preservation and maintenance team. Continued work on the west living room terrace, steel conservation on our window frames, grout injection into the voids within our stone walls, and repairs to degraded concrete were among the project this month. Much of the work was similar to that undertaking last winter.

Before crews could install new waterproofing membranes and flashings on the west terrace, Fallingwater’s preservation maintenance team first prepared the area by constructing plywood enclosures, insulating and heating them to ensure a warm and dry workspace. Next, each piece of the flagstone surface was numbered and removed before the existing water membranes underneath them were removed. Once the terrace was prepped for Allegheny Roofing’s crew to begin work, the old waterproofing and plywood subfloor beneath the stone was removed with new plywood installed, followed by two layers of cold-applied waterproofing membrane. Once the membrane was in place, a liquid flashing material was applied to all corners, drains and vents for added water-repellent protection. As with the east terrace, the drains will be refashioned to improve the movement of water beneath the flagstone. The finishing touch, expected in March, will be for our team to relay the stone and apply mortar into the joints.

In addition to the West Terrace waterproofing, steel conservation work occurred, focused on the double bifold glass doors leading from the Living Room to the West Terrace. Our window conservators, H.P. Steel Window Restoration, secured and stabilized the door track supporting the bifold doors. The conservation of a further selection of window frames also kept our contractor busy, with a full glass replacement of all doors in the house slated for later in 2025.

During the tour off-season, one area of focus for Fallingwater’s preservation team has been the reinforcement of the Canopied Walkway. This Wright-designed walkway, which connects the Main House to the Guest House, has also faced deterioration of its concrete over time.

Although the majority of the Canopied Walkway is in good condition, the stone pier that supports the lower part of the canopy required significant repairs. Constructed of reinforced concrete, this element of Wright’s design is only four inches thick, and cracks have caused the steel reinforcing bars to become exposed to the elements. This exposure has allowed water to wick into the concrete, leading to the expansion and corrosion of the steel, which, when untreated, could potentially cause structural damage.

To mitigate this, our preservation team implemented a fiber-reinforced cement matrix (FRCM) as an intervention, strengthening the concrete through an application of a fabric-like fiber polymer mesh. The process began with removing the deteriorated material and hand applying new concrete onto which the FRCM mesh was applied to further reinforce the canopy structure.

In addition to the work on the Canopied Walkway, the preservation team continued its significant progress on waterproofing membrane replacement atop the Servant’s Quarters. This process followed a similar approach to our recent roofing project on the lower guest house roof, which has been detailed in previous blog updates (see June and July 2024 blog entries below). This work at the Servant’s Quarters concluded last week.

As you may have noticed on the Fallingwater Live Cam, scaffolding now envelopes much of Fallingwater’s south and west facades. This preservation work is expected to be completed by the end of March. We plan to have the scaffolding removed as soon as we can, but the scale of the preservation work demands meticulous attention to detail and some flexibility in the scheduling. Stay tuned to our social media platforms and this blog for updates. And, don’t forget to schedule a Preservation-in-Action Tour to see this work in action!

Fallingwater Tours

As you may already know, Fallingwater’s preservation crew was busy building scaffolding at the Main House at Fallingwater in early December in preparation for the largest leg of our World Heritage Preserved efforts. Starting December 1, 2024, crews from BrandSafway Industries of Pittsburgh began erecting scaffolding at the base of the waterfall that extends upward to enclose the house’s chimney mass– covering nearly the entire south and west elevations of Fallingwater. The scaffolding, which took nearly three weeks to complete, creates a safe, level area for the preservations crews to waterproof and reroof much of the Main House.

Fallingwater’s maintenance crew has also utilized the scaffolding and begun turning the structure into a climate-controlled environment by attaching sheets of insulation board and draping plastic sheeting to keep the elements at bay for workers while also creating a means to contain construction debris and dust.

For fans of the Fallingwater live stream (also known as the Fallingwater Cam), you’ll be able to watch as final preparations are made on this enclosure. Soon, Fallingwater will be shrouded behind the scaffolding and climate-controlled barriers.

The scaffolding and enclosures will impact your view of the house’s exterior through the end of March 2025. You can experience this work and preservation in person via a Winter Walk or during special preservation tours starting in March.

Fallingwater Tours – Fallingwater

Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on the roofing and masonry repairs in the Main House.

November has been busy with preservation efforts here at Fallingwater. We have finalized the work on the Guest House roof and fully dismantled the scaffolding which has surrounded the building for the past few months.

New scaffolding was erected along the north wall of Fallingwater, just outside of Edgar Kaufmann Sr.’s Study to allow for grout injection to begin. The process involves drilling grids of portholes in the mortar joints on the exterior stone wall to allow for grout to be injected. As the grout is pumped into the stone masonry walls, it flows into existing voids, fills them up, and eventually hardens. These voids have long been problematic for the house, allowing water to travel from the outside into interior spaces. By filling all these voids with grout, water will no longer have pathways to flow inside.  

While the contractors are drilling and injecting the grout on the exterior of the wall, contractors on the interior are watching for water and grout leaks.

In addition to the grout injection, our preservation crews are also working on the Servants’ Quarters roof. The process will be the same that the Guest House underwent – see the July 2024 blog for a detailed overview of that process. A large scaffolding enclosure was erected over the Servants’ Quarters in order to provide a warm weatherproof area necessary to complete the roofing work. Preservation efforts at the Servants’ Quarters are scheduled to wrap in late December.

Listen to Pamela Jerome, president of Architectural Preservation Studio, DPC in New York City, explain her many roles at Fallingwater over the past few decades. As the principal architect in charge of restoration at Fallingwater, co-author of our preservation masterplan and 10 years as project manager, Pamela has seen Fallingwater inside and out more than almost anyone else. In this video, Pamela discusses the current and future preservation work planned for 2025 and 2026. You can find our full preservation announcement here about work happening now through the end of this year.

The Fallingwater preservation team will soon be removing the scaffolding from the Guest House—concluding that phase mid-October—to the Carport. This area serves as the conclusion to our tours and the venue for membership discussions. Although the new scaffolding arrangement is designed to minimally interfere with tours, it may surprise some visitors. While this will have some impact on your tour experience, visitors are encouraged to view this process as part of the necessary and active preservation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterwork.

We are also preparing for our most significant project to date for World Heritage Preserved. Scaffolding will soon envelop the southern and eastern sides of the house that overlook the Iconic View. This scaffolding structure will be very large and obstruct two of the most significant viewing angles of Fallingwater. However, the scaffolding will facilitate the necessary space and support for the concrete and window restoration work scheduled for late November. We plan to have the scaffolding removed before we open for the 2025 season.

As we wrapped up the roof work on the Guest House, our preservation crews have, for the first time since Fallingwater was erected, removed a window from a building. This window is located at the back of the Staff Quarters facing the Guest House.  

The window was removed by window conservators from HP Steel Window Restoration of Wappingers Falls, NY, on September 4, 2024, after several days of carefully hand-chiseling away the mortar that has held the frame in place for nearly 90 years. After the window’s removal, it was transported to HP Steel’s workshop to make repairs to the steel in areas where it had degraded or corroded, then apply a fresh coating of paint as well and replace the glass. The window is scheduled to return to Fallingwater the week of September 30, 2024, for reinstallation.

More importantly, the window removal process gave the preservation crew and Fallingwater staff a rare glimpse into how the windows were originally installed during the construction of the Staff Quarters. The removal was fully documented and with this new understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright’s building methods, we can approach future preservation projects with greater insight. This knowledge will help us preserve his vision more effectively while adapting to contemporary needs.

In early July, we used a resurfacing machine to roughen the surface of the concrete on the main Guest House roof. A roughened concrete surface was needed as part of the installation of the new roofing system installation. To minimize noise disturbances to our visitors, the work took place outside of our regular tour hours.

The first step in the new roofing system was to apply an epoxy coat was applied over the entire roof slab. Epoxy is a special roof coating that helps combat moisture by penetrating and filling any cracks and imperfections in the concrete, creating a solid waterproof layer over the roof slab. A torch-applied roofing layer was placed over the epoxy system to protect it. These layers of roof replacement were completed in mid-July.

They also completed other concrete patching on the East Terrace of the Main House, including the rounded parapet wall over the hatch.

We completed several significant projects at the Guest House in June, including the partial demolition and concrete recasting of the Guest House’s east parapet wall. It required repair due to the deteriorated stucco and significantly compromised concrete initially found during a routine inspection. Although slow, meticulous and sometimes hampered by weather, work on the wall is now complete.

Also, the removal of the existing Guest House roof was completed in preparation for the installation of the new roofing system. During demolition, we found that the existing roof insulation board was fully saturated with water, and the concrete below was also holding water, which necessitated significant drying time for the slab before the new roofing material could be applied.

Meanwhile, we installed a mock-up of the new roofing system on the furnace room roof to ensure good application. Confident after monitoring and observations that the application was successful, the team continued preparation for the main Guest House roof replacement.

April showers didn’t bring May flowers, but rather delayed preservation activities at the Guest House and Main House East Terrace and ushered in a reminder of the importance of our comprehensive World Heritage Preserved restoration effort.

As if on cue, the wettest April ever recorded in the region since 1871 was ironically perfect timing for us to test if the various applications of grout injection and masonry improvements worked to avert and prevent water from entering the Guest House and Main House. Although there was success, we learned there is still more work to do.

We were pleased to welcome John Matteo of Matteo Ferran Structural Engineers back on site in late April to further evaluate the Guest House east parapet wall to determine the extent of necessary demolition to repair it. Through various assessments, he helped determine that the first 18 inches of concrete was intact and in normal condition.

However, he noted that in some areas, the stucco had delaminated and water was observed trapped within the layers of stucco and concrete. The deteriorated stucco was removed at one of the locations, and the concrete found behind it was in good condition. Careful demolition of the east parapet wall occurred, though ultimately most of it was removed due to its poor condition. Members of Fallingwater’s maintenance team then worked alongside masons from Graciano to reconstruct the parapet.

Other Guest House masonry repairs included the dismantling of the stone parapet wall above the furnace room roof to reveal the existing slab construction and its waterproofing material transition between the furnace room and Guest House roof slabs. The disassembling confirmed additional waterproofing and moisture issues in these areas, all to be addressed in the coming month.

Mother Nature’s elements were on full display this April in the mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania when heavy rains from several storm systems caused devastating flooding, high-velocity winds and property damage across the region. Fallingwater wasn’t immune, as water rose above the Plunge Pool wall and above the first two hatch stairs. But thanks to our quick-thinking and hardworking maintenance team, branches, litter and other debris that washed down Bear Run were removed before they could cause any serious damage to the house. 

Even so, moisture found its way inside the house, through the roofs and walls, and caused leaks in several locations, such as over the hatch in the living room caused by a cracked and deteriorated area of the concrete terrace above it. There are locations in the house, including Edgar Sr.’s study, Edgar jr.’s study and Liliane’s terrace, where leaks occur regularly during heavy rain events. Our contractors and maintenance teams conducted visual assessments throughout the house to identify additional water issues, which will add in upcoming repairs to masonry, roofing membranes and flashings in these areas.

On the dryer days, waterproofing repairs continued on the East Terrace. Allegheny Roofing and Sheet Metal contractors installed lead flashing at the masonry walls of the East Terrace. To prepare for applying silicone sealant, our maintenance team repointed the boundaries of the flagstones at the concrete walls and installed grout at the flagstone borders. A direct result of these applications, and other ongoing waterproofing and masonry work, will be to permanently address leaks in walls and ponding occurrences on the roofs and terraces.

As we prepare for Fallingwater’s 61^st tour season, we are pleased with the progress that occurred over the winter months. Waterproofing the East Terrace was completed by Allegheny Roofing and Sheet Metal contractors. Once the contractors finished, our maintenance team carefully replaced the flagstone and filled its mortar joints to return the terrace’s topmost layer back to its original appearance. Because the mortar needs to cure, the terrace will remain closed to the public into April.

We also removed the scaffolding along the driveway and front entrance after dismantling the temporary heating system installed to allow the masons to work comfortably while they completed grout injection, installation of capstone flashing and stone repointing. Our entire maintenance team was needed to efficiently “unwrap” the house for visitors to enjoy the new preservation work on opening day.

This month’s preservation work involved erecting scaffolding and then wrapping it in plastic to create a warm environment for contractors to work. Three scaffolds along the north face of the main house allow for grout injection along the driveway and repointing of the north wall of the main entrance, dining room and kitchen area.

Using the knowledge gained from the Guest House, grout was injected systematically along the pottery terrace roof parapet, while the repointing crew worked near the kitchen door and Edgar Kaufmann Sr.’s terrace. Providing heated temporary enclosed spaces necessitated an additional generator to increase power to keep the masonry at a consistent temperature for efficient (and effective) repointing.

The roofing team finished work on the concrete roof of the bathroom in the Guest House applying pea gravel to finish the waterproofing system there, and continued preparing for a waterproofing membrane on the skylights above the library desk and beneath the flagstones of the East Terrace.

As we begin a new year, contractors and the Fallingwater maintenance team erected temporary enclosures on the East Terrace to keep the work site warm and dry. The maintenance team carefully removed all the flagstones to expose the underlying waterproofing membranes. Then, the roofing team removed the existing membranes in preparation for installation of new materials.

As work progressed on the East Terrace, the roofing team simultaneously worked on the roof of the Guest House in another temporary enclosure. Here, the team applied a new waterproofing membrane to the concrete slab roof of the bathroom, an area Frank Lloyd Wright referred to as the “monitor.”

As we continue preservation, the next area of focus is the East Terrace. Some temporary exterior changes to Fallingwater have occurred in conjunction with our ongoing work. Before the roofers can install new waterproofing membranes and flashings to the terrace, our Fallingwater maintenance crew prepared the area.

First, our team erected a temporary enclosure to keep the work area warm and dry. Then, they removed the flagstone and underlying bedding of sand to expose the existing waterproofing membranes below.  Once the terrace is prepared, the roofers will remove the existing membranes and replace them with new ones to make the terrace watertight.

Although access to the East Terrace will be closed while this work is completed, visitors on tours through December can observe this preservation work in progress.

Due to cold weather during November, extra steps were necessary to keep Fallingwater’s preservation projects on track. One added step was creating an enclosure for the roofers. This kept conditions warm enough to apply a waterproofing membrane onto the raised roof of the Guest House bathroom, which Frank Lloyd Wright always referred to as “The Monitor” in all correspondences.

We also constructed an enclosure over the main stone masonry wall of the Guest House. In addition to this enclosure, the masonry team draped blankets over the stone to keep the work area warm. If the mortar gets too cold it won’t adhere to the stone as it dried. With the grout injection completed at the Guest House, a five-man team finished work in this area by repointing the walls.

October was another busy month for the Masonry Solutions International team. They worked to meticulously inject grout into the voids, left during the original construction, of Guest House walls. The method used prevents the development of air pockets. Injecting the walls with grout will improve overall wall stability and integrity, and decrease the ability for water to enter the house from the roof.

The team used water to wash away extra grout material in an effort to prevent staining of the exterior stone wall surfaces. This clean-up method also ensured a finished appearance to the walls.

In this short video, Scott Perkins, Fallingwater’s senior director of preservation and collections, provides an update on some of the preservation work that occurred during September on the Guest House roof. Learn about work to replace portions of the concrete roof and see some of the new products and materials being tested to prevent water from entering the Guest House from underneath the capstones.

You’ll also see one of the voids at the top of a Guest House wall, where grout will be injected to fill the space in an effort to prevent further water damage.

Learn more in this two-minute behind-the-scenes glimpse by clicking the video play button to the left.