Lithomex

Specially formulated brick, stone and terracotta patching material
based on Natural Hydraulic Lime.

Repairing damaged stonework begins by identifying and understanding the reasons for decay. The usual reasons are excessive moisture, poor repairs, mechanical damage and natural decay. A major reason for damage is inappropriate repairs. Hard pointing or cement-based repair materials are very damaging to soft stone. Lithomex, a lime-based material, is flexible, porous, and lets the building breathe. Hard cement-based materials trap in moisture and salts. Patching stone can be very effective, affordable and can be reversible. The patching material must match the color and texture of the existing stone. It must adhere well, be breathable and have similar thermal expansion and weathering characteristics. Lithomex fulfills these requirements in most cases and, when applied by skilled craftsmen, will lend itself to a perfect match.

Non-pigmented Order Lithomex

Lithomex - Brick, Stone & Terracotta Repair Mortar Samples Kit:
(Cured samples only without actual useable material which is contained in The Master Conservator’s Kit)

Contains 24 samples of tinted St. Astier Lithomex (Based on Natural Hydraulic Lime Binders)
Cost is $300.

Any of the stock Lithomex brick and stone repair mortars can be blended at different ratios to obtain a new hue that may simulate the color of the material you are trying to match.

The following 24 tiles are in the Lithomex Brick, Stone & Terracotta Repair Mortar Samples Kit:

Non-Pigmented Lithomex	LMBR11 Chocolate Brownstone w/Mica	LMBR8 Light Brownstone w/Mica	LMBR7 Dark Browstone	LMEXST0060 Dark Reddish Brownstone
LMRD13.25 Brick Red Brownstone	LMEXST0021 Slate	LMRD5 Salmon Brick	LMRD13.5 Dark Brick	LMEXBR0013 Buff Brick
LMRD12.5 Deep Salmon Brick	LMTN4 Dark Limestone	LMTN 3 Light Indy Limestone	LMEXTC1002 Orange Terracotta	LM100 Yellow Terracotta
LMEXST0062 Raw Umber Sandstone	LM250 Taupe Sandstone	LMGN2 Serpentine	LMEXST0064 Blue Stone	White Modifier
Red Modifier	Black Modifier	Yellow Modifier	Blue Modifier

Examples of blends of Lithomex to create a custom Lithomex material:

Marble	Wissahickon Schist

Many factors affect how images appear on your computer monitor and how they print on your specific printer. It is suggested that you send us a sample or purchase the stock Lithomex kit so that you may view each tile individually or hold the tiles up to a building to determine a match. If you send us a sample we will call you, free of charge, to make a suggestion if one of our stock lithomex colors is similar to the sample you send.

The Master Conservator's Kit

The Master Conservator’s Kit is a collection of LimeWorks.us products used for on site mock-ups, small repairs and color simulations of Brick, Stone, Terracotta and Lime Mortars when attentively designing appropriate and compatible restoration mortars for the conservation of historic masonry elements/structures:

Contents:

• 24 cured sample tiles of the stock colors of Lithomex
  • To be used as a color guide when repairing brick, stone and terracotta
• 23 quarts of the stock colors of Lithomex
  • Used for actual on site mock-ups and repairs, casting and blending in varying degree with other stock colors of Lithomex to obtain new hues in designing a repair mix formula
• 1 gallon of non-pigmented Lithomex
  • Used for actual on site mock-ups and repairs, casting and diluting the intensity of the stock colored Lithomex.
• 1 quart of “Waterglass” (Potassium Silicate)
  • Used to consolidate friable masonry alone or as a priming conditioner before executing a repair using Lithomex
• 1 container of casein
  • Used as a natural plasticizer additive to Natural Hydraulic Lime for injecting breathable grouting and making a natural glue to fix stone (Recipes are offered with the kit)
• 1 ® Mortar Kit: Containing 9 cured sample channels of the stock colors of prepared lime mortar and 4 sample channels of blends using the stock colors of these prepared lime mortars. This example board gives the starting point on how to achieve hundreds of new hues to simulate original historic lime mortars using the stock material and adding regional inclusions and aggregates.
  • Used as a color reference guide when determining what colored ® Mortar would be most suitable for designing repointing or stucco mortars
• 1 Fan Deck of the 24 stock colors of High Calcium Lime Paint
  • Actual lime paint swatches representing the 24 stock Lime paint colors offered
• 1 Aggregate/Sand Library containing 14 available aggregates for consideration when ordering a custom pre-blended mix of ® Mortar after completing a mortar analysis and attempting to duplicate the grain sizes of the original sands used in an original mortar mix
  • Used to help distinguish the grades of sand components selected when designing a custom pre-blended lime mortar when creating a compatible historic replacement mortar or used to order a simulation of some of the inclusions observed in an original mortar blend.

The Graveyard Kit:

Please inquire for suggested recipes and take our class before using the material:

Waterglass is a grain strengthener, fortifier and conditioner put into a weak and friable stone prior to doing a repair with Lithomex.

Lithomex is brick and stone patching material.

Marble dust and NHL 2 is for making a lime putty to make a setting mortar.

Slag flecks and Mica are inclusions often found in original stones that are added to the Lithomex to create a detail.

Limepaint is a material where you just add water to make whitewash.

Casein and NHL 2 is used to make and injection grout for filling fissures in masonry.
Casein and NHL 2 and Waterglass is used to make a thin brick and stone attachment mortar for work remaining indoors.

Casein, Waterglass and Non-Pigmented Lithomex is used to make a thin brick and stone attachment mortar for work remaining outdoors.

The cost is $350 for the kit.
Workshops are scheduled with groups of 10 or more each buying a kit.

Examples of work performed using Lithomex:

Before Repairs

After Repairs

After Repairs

 

Before - Rough concrete balcony	After - A family crest sculpted in place
Before - Conshohocken United Methodist	After restoration to the bell tower	After restoration to the bell tower	Repaired brownstone using Lithomex

Built in the late 1800's, this New York City style "brownstone" home is the only one of its kind in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. The brownstones were pulling away from the back-up brickwork and each stone varied in its degree of degradation. The ornate faces of carved brownstone had blistered and exfoliated. St. Astier's Lithomex, a stone and brick repair material was used. Even the minute bedding cracks were repaired using a colored St. Astier Natural Hydraulic Lime for consolidation work. The facade was also completely repointed using only St. Astier Natural Hydraulic Lime and sand.

Photos: (Click a photo to enlarge)

Project: The Princeton War Memorial
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Architect: Ford Farewell Mills & Gatsch, Architects, Princeton, NJ
Conservator: Aegis Restauro, LLC, Belle Mead, NJ
St. Astier Product used: Custom Colored Lithomex prepared by deGruchy's Lime Works.US

Documents:

Lithomex Material Safety Data Sheet

Specifications for Brick / Stone Repair (Lithomex)

Lithomex User Recommendations & Data

Lithomex Data Sheet

Lithomex Cut Sheet

Water Ratios and Proper Mixing of Colored Mortars