Lebanon, NJ Job
Job Description:
Repoint Historic Stonework in a Weathered Ridge Joint Profile with Exposed and Antiqued Coarse Aggregate Inclusions The owner called to have LimeWorks.us come out to give some ideas on how to address a few areas needing patch pointing and the removal of some original external lime render and whitewash (AKA "Stucco over Stone"). Original Lime Render is supposed to be a sheltering coat to make more formal the crudely laid stone with very wide joint spacing and protect from the elements. This wall, however, is an inside wall and a prime feature of this internal space that was desired to be highlighted. The work we were called to look at was found mostly on a small peak within what is a planned bedroom and then potentially to also repoint small areas in the remainder of the other rooms. This posting is especially to highlight that the owner did not really know, as many still do not know, that the proper removal of all the ugly gray Portland cement mortar (which does nothing to accentuate the true colors found in any strata of stone) should be the first step to address historic rubble fieldstone properly when the work is going to remain exposed, seen and enjoyed. With products that LimeWorks.us sells to clean tenacious Portland cement from the pores of the stone faces, the beautiful colors which are inherent to a stone can be fully appreciated. The next step was to repoint the entire wall using Color Code DGM 100 in the ® Mortar line by LimeWorks.us and additionally add a percentage of larger aggregates to give both the muddy brown color often seen in the bedding mortar of historic stone walls which had clayey sand from the local creek used. This mix offers a more appropriate and complimentary texture and hue over the dark gray cement mortar caked on the faces of the stone and which were poorly finished. The DGM 100 mix is one of many choices to highlight the beauty of the stones and in this case the inverted "V" which we call "Weathered Ridge with Exposed Coarse Aggregate" was the joint profile used. This profile was used because it most closely resembles an authentic style of pointing work in the region and it was then antiqued to appear as old as when the work was first laid up. The contour of the new lime mortar joint work creates a sense of flow in continuity because it flows with the rubble stone joint to accommodate the size and positioning of the stones which can often be erratic and exceptionally wide. | View Next Job Back to Topics |
Customer Comment:
The repointing work done by Dave, Charlie, and Abe is the highlight of our home renovation project. I highly recommend deGruchy Masonry Restoration
View All Repointing and Repair of Historic Stonework Images View All Comments For Repointing and Repair of Historic Stonework | View Next Job Back to Topics |
20 Years later we received another comment:
As the owner of this property, I can affirm that having Andy do this project was the best investment we made in rejuvenating our house. The craftsmanship and attention to detail continue to be evident to all that view the result.
Steve, Rob and Jeremiah transformed our old painted-stucco-over-fieldstone home into a beautifully pointed dwelling beyond our dreams. These men are very focused and thorough; their work habits are of a high standard. Unanticipated problem areas were dealt with patiently, carefully and expertly.