Complex Brownstones, Churches and Combination Repair/Restoration Efforts
The deGruchy Masonry Restoration team loves to restore brick and stone bell towers. We even made up a three-sided information sign that is put on display at each church. The sign has small ports to display photos of the progress we are making. We change the photos during progress so church congregations can see some of what we are accomplishing behind the black debris netting hung on our scaffold. The netting is to contain debris but restricts viewing of the actual work.
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Whole Building Before | During Scaffolding |
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Before Lithomex Stone Lettering Repair | After Lithomex Stone Lettering Repair |
Before Lithomex repair to window surround | After Lithomex repair to window surround |
Before Repoint with Ecologic NHL 3.5 and Rebuild with Lithomex | After Repoint with Ecologic NHL 3.5 and Rebuild with Lithomex |
After Repoint with Ecologic NHL 3.5 and Rebuild with Lithomex | After Repoint with Ecologic NHL 3.5 and Rebuild with Lithomex |
Before Bell Tower base repoint | During Bell Tower base repoint |
After Bell Tower base repoint | Before Bell Tower repoint |
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Andy deGruchy placing the Brass Cross with a Copper Open Bible (The name of the church) at it's foot, back on the steeple after a complete church facelift. A light shines up from between the bible and the cross. Andy deGruchy designed the arrangement of cross, Bible and light. Andy Wasik made this ornate metal object with fixture and custom fitted cap to go over the peak of the steeple. The bible has an individual copper page partially opened within the copper book.
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The copper finials which were damaged from lightening strikes were refurbished and the copper rods that now extend 12 inches above each of the four finials is completed grounded to create a lightening arrest system. The window frames were also refurbished and missing mill work reproduced in-house to complete the work needed while the scaffold was up.
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The copper finials which were damaged from lightening strikes were refurbished and the copper rods that now extend 12 inches above each of the four finials is completed grounded to create a lightening arrest system. The window frames were also refurbished and missing mill work reproduced in-house to complete the work needed while the scaffold was up.
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After
The same color of mortar was used to repoint the bell tower using Customized Ecologic Lime Mortar produced by LimeWorks.us. It may look the part of a mortar containing gray Portland cement but no Portland cement is present or required when using Ecologic Lime Mortar for applications such as this. The joint profile of a ruled raised ribbon was also recreated so that the work complemented the balance of the mortar used throughout all the church stonework. Caulk was removed from joints of the entry steps and replaced with Ecologic LimeCrete Ready-Mix mortar Customized which is engineered for durability in the service these horizontal applications will require for all anticipated snow and ice build up over the years to come.
| After
The same color of mortar was used to repoint the bell tower using Customized Ecologic Lime Mortar produced by LimeWorks.us. It may look the part of a mortar containing gray Portland cement but no Portland cement is present or required when using Ecologic Lime Mortar for applications such as this. The joint profile of a ruled raised ribbon was also recreated so that the work complemented the balance of the mortar used throughout all the church stonework. Caulk was removed from joints of the entry steps and replaced with Ecologic LimeCrete Ready-Mix mortar Customized which is engineered for durability in the service these horizontal applications will require for all anticipated snow and ice build up over the years to come.
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After
The same color of mortar was used to repoint the bell tower using Customized Ecologic Lime Mortar produced by LimeWorks.us. It may look the part of a mortar containing gray Portland cement but no Portland cement is present or required when using Ecologic Lime Mortar for applications such as this. The joint profile of a ruled raised ribbon was also recreated so that the work complemented the balance of the mortar used throughout all the church stonework. Caulk was removed from joints of the entry steps and replaced with Ecologic LimeCrete Ready-Mix mortar Customized which is engineered for durability in the service these horizontal applications will require for all anticipated snow and ice build up over the years to come.
| After
The same color of mortar was used to repoint the bell tower using Customized Ecologic Lime Mortar produced by LimeWorks.us. It may look the part of a mortar containing gray Portland cement but no Portland cement is present or required when using Ecologic Lime Mortar for applications such as this. The joint profile of a ruled raised ribbon was also recreated so that the work complemented the balance of the mortar used throughout all the church stonework. Caulk was removed from joints of the entry steps and replaced with Ecologic LimeCrete Ready-Mix mortar Customized which is engineered for durability in the service these horizontal applications will require for all anticipated snow and ice build up over the years to come.
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During
The copper finials which were damaged from lightening strikes were refurbished and the copper rods that now extend 12 inches above each of the four finials is completed grounded to create a lightening arrest system. The window frames were also refurbished and missing mill work reproduced in-house to complete the work needed while the scaffold was up.
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Customer comments:
| Job Location | Customer Comment |
| Easton, PA | Our church was built in 1875 and we have had many repair people work on it over the years. Never did any group show the professionalism and expertise as deGruchy Masonry. They constantly kept us informed and updated throughout our repointing project. They are truly THE BEST! Michael Viglione Property Warden/Vestry member Trinity Episcopal Church |
| Easton, PA | Dear Andy: I just wanted to drop you a note to express my sincere thanks for a job well done. I think Jeff and all of the men who worked on this project did an outstanding job. I think the project presented some challenges that you handled without any difficulties. I believe all of your workers are fine craftsmen who have done a great job. Please thank them for me. It was a pleasure working with you and all of your staff, and if the need ever presents itself in the future, your company will be the first I call. Thanks again. Sincerely, Wayne J. Unangst, Superintendent |
| Royersford, PA | The work crew was exemplary - competent, reliable, mindful of our needs, courteous, willing to address our questions. Please thank them for their fine work. |
| Reading, PA |
Hi Andy, I want to commend you on the job you did on our church. Everyone who's commented to me has been very impressed with the quality of the job. I don't get in to the church very often during the daylight, (except on Sundays, when I enter and exit through the back of the Education building), so I don't usually see the front of the church except driving past. The day when I went out specifically to look for your work, I only found two of the three spots you worked on. (Which is a GOOD thing, as it shows how well everything is blended. I didn't have any interaction with any of your personnel (other than your visit to talk to our Board of Trustees), but I heard no complaints from anyone. The other thing that really impressed me was your coming in under budget. In my job, I have to deal with a lot of contractors, etc. and commonly have to deal with costs adders due to initially underbidding. You told us up front how you would bid the job (shading toward worst case rather than best case), and that's what you did. I hope this will just be the first of many projects that you will be doing for us. Once again, thanks for a job well done, and we look forward to working with you more in the future. Sincerely, Dave Prine Chairman - Board of Trustees First Baptist Church |
| Lehighton, PA |
All work was executed by DeGruchy Masonry Incorporated in a professional manner with an acute attention to detail which produced a finished project of the highest quality. All representatives and workers of the company were pleasant and went out of their way to insure that we were satisfied with every step of the repair/restoration process. Please do not hesitate to contact me at (570)-325-3611 should you wish to discuss this matter in greater detail. Sincerely, Kenneth J. Leffler-Office Manager Zion United Church of Christ |
| Bath, PA |
Dear Andy deGruchy, I want to thank you and your team for the work you performed on our church. The results are nothing short of spectacular. Our building was worse than we expected and when the bricks actually started to fall out of the wall, we knew we had to take action. You were able to fix all the problems with the brick, even when the existing mortar was completely deteriorated. We really appreciate your recommendation of the copper craftsman who replaced our gutters and other complex copper flashings. Watching him work was like going back in time. The scaffolding you erected kept the areas around the church clean and we never felt that our congregation was in any danger. The bricks of our church look completely different after you removed the decades of deposits of dirt and grit. We always felt confident that your repair techniques and expertise matched the age and historic value of our church. We would be glad to speak to any of your prospective customers in the future about our experience with your team. God Bless, Michael Horn Congregational Council (2003-2009) St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church |
| Conshohocken, PA | This project was handled in a first class manner at all times. It was a pleasure working with your company. The finished product is beautiful, look forward to more excellent work and communication on the future projects as we move forward. |
| Radnor, PA | While everyone wants to believe that a stone house is maintenance free, after 90 years, this one needed some restoration. I was very pleased to have secured the expertise of your firm and the craftsmen that you had on the job. You and the team had just the right approach to handling each element of the job. We all enjoy seeing the final product. It is very nice to find a company that knows what they are doing and do the job as professionals. I enjoyed having the crew on this job! Thanks for your help. |
| Lancaster, PA | All of our questions/concerns were addressed. You really know your work and perform at a high level. |
| Allentown, PA | We are very happy customers! The quality of work is excellent and everyone at your company was a pleasure to meet and work with. Grace community wishes you all the best. |
| Sellersville, PA | It was a pleasure to work with the entire crew! Charlie made sure we, the church, received a first rate job! The pointing looks great!! |
If you would like information about a church advocacy organization, visit www.sacredplaces.org