*Using the modern grapevine jointer in brickwork is a form of what is also called “bastard pointing” whereby the genuine article

LimeWorks.us was commissioned by Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tamaqua, Pa., to diagnose and address the failure of a church tower which utilized man-made cast stone for trim details.

For the record, Doug Scott a local mason to Charleston for over 25 years, had a hand in all this!

For the record, Randy Ruth a graduate of the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology had a hand in all this!

They seem to love me in de Islands. Got invited to Barbados and others to run more workshops. I guess

The following are examples of training work we have done. Wehave provided training for volunteers of non-profit run historic sitesand

Charleston, SC – September 30 to October 4, 2012 Cap is missing bricks on both ends of entrance arch to

Please watch our 3 part video series on our Lime Test Wall in Cameroon Africa  

Click here to read a PDF with the details of this workshop!

Trappe, Pennsylvania, USA - May 2009 AiP’s project at The Speaker’s House had a different format than usual, but all

12th annual International Preservation Trades Workshop , IPTW 2008 “A Place for the Trades” Barre, Vermont. July 18-20, 2008 Andy

The Bronx, New York, USA – August 2008, August 2009, August 2012 On a sunny morning in August, 2008, more

New Paltz, New York USA – August 2007 Restoration work at the Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck House has been a multi-year

During the summer, Melissa Luo interned at LimeWorks.us and assisted our laboratory staff with mortar color simulation projects including determining

Vibrant and beautiful, the St Astier lime paint range is the perfect compliment to lime plaster, render and harling, suitable

Israel Nature and Parks Authority The Conservation of the Archeological Parks The use of St. Astier Natural Hydraulic Limes First

External rendering on wooden lath using St. Astier products. Timber framed buildings, historic or new construction have a tendency to greater

External Plastering (Rendering on Metal Lath Using St. Astier Products) The main difficulty in working on lath is ensuring the

Choosing the correct sand when making a mortar is of extreme importance. Sands should be clean and uncontaminated by clay/silt.

INJECTION – PURE LIME PUMP NHL5 1bag + 10.5gal of water Capacity: 35 cu. ft./hr NHL 3.5 1bag + 10.5gal

Lime Concrete for Floors, exposed aggregate / tamped finish Ingredients. 10 x 66 lb bags (660 lbs) NHL 5 per

NHL Renders General information Sands for renders Background preparation Two coat work Three coat work Protection Good working practices Render

Pointing with NHL Understanding mortars Choosing mortars Resistance to salts Protection and working practices Repointing: preparation, application, finishing Repointing dense

Background Prepare background Re-point and dub out as necessary with compatible mortar. Stipple Coat Cast or sprayed on only Must

External Plastering (Rendering) On Concrete Masonry Units To obtain the highest vapor permeability a block construction should be built with

Cob is a very simple (and efficient) form of construction that has probably been around forever in some form or

This method is particularly suitable to ensure optimum bonding even on smooth surfaces. Spraying is recognized as the best method

Using St. Astier NHL plastering mortars instead of non hydraulic putty mortars reduces the working time by about 50%.  NHL

The purpose of a shelter coat is to provide protection to surfaces that suffer unduly from the effects of erosion

Defect Causes Remedies Shrinkage & Cracking greater than 3/16″Less than 3/16″ Hairline cracks General or partial movement of the background

Mix & Go is a premixed product designed to provide all the benefits of traditional lime mortars for wider general

NHL Mortar preparation: can be mixed in normal Mortar mixers. Put approx two-thirds the amount of water, one third the

St. Astier NHL products for use with masonry cladding. For the purpose of this document Masonry Cladding means thin sections

Traditional ashlar jointing and bedding mortars were made with lime and crushed chalk, usually with a small amount of crushed

NHL products are bought by weight but mixed by volume. Their low density in comparison with other binders means that

If you have a “chink” in the armor of a building it is usually due to different or moving materials

The United States of America and its Heritage The central theme in the inheritance we receive as citizens of the

A Quotable Quote: Why you should send your kids to Trade School… “My mother has always been unhappy with what

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This is part of a series of blog entries that will feature mason, Randy Ruth. Randy was the former lab

Our Ecologic™ Mortar uses a sharp well graded proprietary blend, so it’s not just ANY sand! The dictionary definition of

by Debra Grube and Samantha Horvath LimeWorks.us is providing a custom blend of our Ecologic™ Mortar for the restoration of

Here’s How St. Astier Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) Plays An Important Role In Construction As A Green Build Material. St.

An Undertaking of Passion and Love LimeWorks.us is a big part of helping to restore a prominent landmark in New

Straw bale construction is the best of both worlds, it is a green and sustainable way of building and can

The University of Virginia is the only US university with a World Heritage designation, it’s conservation is of the utmost

The Chemical Heritage Foundation released an episode of their award winning podcast Distillations.  In this episode, Randy Ruth, formerly of

Here’s a brief summary of the project at the First Congregational Church of Hudson (OH) project by John Burnell, Principal,

We’re so proud to be part of an incredible restoration campaign currently taking place at the University of Virginia. The

Watch our Limelight on America’s historic barns. Historian Jeff Marshall discusses his appreciation and understanding of barns, barn builders and

The Technical Install Team of LimeWorks.us was called in to reverse some of the inappropriate finish that had occurred over

Q: There are some bricks in wall that are mismatched in color. Is there a way to have them match

Silicate Dispersion Paint is also known as Inorganic Mineral Paints and is unique in regard to its ability to breathe

The historic Shirley Plantation is situated along the James River right outside Richmond Virginia. It was constructed in the early

Historic masonry restoration completed by the Technical Install Team of LimeWorks.us in Moorestown, New Jersey. This circa 1790 historic brick

The prestigious Lawn at the University of Virginia is currently in the middle of an enormous restoration campaign. This past

Two weeks ago I attended The 12th International Congress on the Deterioration and Conservation of Stone in New York City.

Alfred’s Victorian Restoration Story –  with Andy deGruchy This beautiful late 19th century Hummelstown brownstone was recently restored by deGruchy Masonry Restoration, the

The 2012 APT/ IPTW Joint Preservation Conference is almost here. We’ve been busy preparing for the workshop we’ll be participating

1 man 560 hours 28 days 1 Beautiful/ Durable/ Breathable Mural Jim Gloria of the Totts Gap Art Institute completed

The Parry Mansion located in downtown New Hope Pennsylvania is one the finest relics of the river town’s historic past.

This beautiful late 19th century brownstone was recently restored by deGruchy Masonry Restoration, the Technical Install/Training Team of LimeWorks.us. Using

While it may not be directly in front of you, information about our building heritage in the United States and

Founded in 1718, the French Quarter or Vieux Carré is the oldest neighborhood of New Orleans. Much of the quarter’s

With temperatures across the U.S. exceeding well beyond the 90° F during the day and relentless scorching sun I have

Join us June 27th in Lancaster PA at the Central Pennsylvania Preservation Society. Lab Tech Randy Ruth will be presenting

For well over 30 years it has been common practice to prescribe the use of a Type-O masonry mortar for

This beautiful church was designed by Frank Furness and is located at the corner of 19th and Titan in South

The walls are complete in the powder room at the Bucks County Designer House in Doylestown, PA. Here is a

LimeWorks.us was commissioned to complete a Tadelakt plaster application at the Bucks County Designer House in Doylestown PA. Tadelakt is a

Ecologic™ Silicate mineral paints are mineral paints made using potassium silicate, also known as waterglass. They are combined with inorganic, alkaline-resistant

Quick and short of it…. Make sure the sand meets ASTM C-144. But you might ask yourself, what the heck

New Orleans. It’s quite the town especially during the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, known as Carnival. Technically beginning

                    Photo Credits: Bryan Papciak Sean K Maxwell Kate Milford Steven

Of course following the Lithomex technical data sheet is important to ensure a quality application, but what about the little things

The Newport Tower is a peculiarly placed piece of stonework.  It currently resides in Touro Park surrounded by one of the

You might ask yourself… How is Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) a green building material? The simple answer would be that

Often when applying Lime Paint the surface texture may be rough, such as that of a brick, stone or stucco.

In the heart of what is now Chinatown on the Lower East Side in Manhattan lives the Eldridge Street Synagogue.

Q: I want to use Lime Paint as a finish of my basement walls but am worried about it chalking.

A team from LimeWorks.us recently ventured up to NYC. While there, they took some time to visit the Metropolitan Museum

Q: What is the correct method for total repointing? A: Correct total repointing requires removing the joint to a depth

Blocks from the World Trade Center Memorial and the construction site of the new World Trade Center sits a half

Bricks can hollow back quite profusely in some cases. What are some of the causes? Don’t forget vermin. Accelerated wetting

Q: When people talk about “green” construction, I often wonder what the environmental benefit of the construction is. Is it

Building on last week’s FAQ Friday, the use of lime paints doesn’t have to stop with use on the exterior

Although they date back thousands of years, some of the best examples today of lime paint are those pictured in

When it comes to hardscaping with masonry, I am all for mortarless construction. The beauty of a well built dry

Q: I want to restore my old stone house and have heard there are ways to reuse the mortar already

Q: Why are beautiful stone farmhouses and other historic stone buildings covered with stucco? Is it for insulation? If the

Seven factors that can affect the color of lime mortar in no particular order of significance, Lime, aggregate, pigment, water

Q: Someone wants to sandblast my house. Should I let him sandblast? A: Invasive cleaning methods such as sandblasting or

Q: As fall encroaches upon us with its cold weather, a question that is going to be popping up with

Basements are notorious for moisture problems. Mold can spread quickly and cause serious health problems throughout a home. Here is

This is an incredible video that really shows the difficulties of burning limestone the old way. Stacking wood, limestone and

Q: I have an old brownstone house and some of the stone have been falling off, what can I do to prevent

Fall has arrived, this morning it was in the 40s! Randy has quick answer today in his FAQ entry… Q:

Q: I have painted drywall in my home and would like a lime plaster finish. How can I achieve this?

We got an email back in 2011 with some amazing photos of Ian Cramb. These photos are from 1958 in

Q: Is pointing with lime different from pointing with cement? I’ve done work with cement but I want to know what

Hooray, Today is Friday! Another rainy weekend will be upon us here in Pennsylvania, but now it’s time for another

Shall I use Lime or Cement? Q: Could I perhaps use cement and sand? What is the advantage of using