A team from LimeWorks.us recently ventured up to NYC. While there, they took some time to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art where a repair campaign in 2005 used St. Astier Lithomex to do a number of repairs on the Fifth Avenue street facade. Lithomex is a Natural Hydraulic Lime based stone and brick repair […]
Q: What is the correct method for total repointing? A: Correct total repointing requires removing the joint to a depth of approximately 2-1/2 times its width and then using a compatible mortar in relation to the final p.s.i. and both the liquid and vapor transmission rate as that of the remaining joint and brick. High […]
Blocks from the World Trade Center Memorial and the construction site of the new World Trade Center sits a half acre patch grass dedicated to raising awareness of the Great Irish Famine. This memorial was under construction on September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers fell. The memorial saved that day, simply because of the […]
Bricks can hollow back quite profusely in some cases. What are some of the causes? Don’t forget vermin. Accelerated wetting and drying cycles near the bottom of the brick building cause an increase in the decay of the soft bricks. However, where there is water and calcium rich lime mortar there can be ants and […]
Q: When people talk about “green” construction, I often wonder what the environmental benefit of the construction is. Is it new construction? If so what is the environmental impact? I would hope that a perfectly good existing building wasn’t torn down to make way for supposed progress. A: It is my belief that the greenest […]
Building on last week’s FAQ Friday, the use of lime paints doesn’t have to stop with use on the exterior of a building. Lime paints are great for use on interior walls by themselves or used as a pre-hydrated and dispersed pigmenting agent that can be mixed with Ecologic™ Mortar, NHL, or a combination of […]
Although they date back thousands of years, some of the best examples today of lime paint are those pictured in scenic postcards of gleaming white and pastel colored villages, so abundant throughout the Mediterranean. Many architects and designers currently seek a return to these methods and products of the past. Lime paint changes and evolves […]
When it comes to hardscaping with masonry, I am all for mortarless construction. The beauty of a well built dry stacked stonewall or paver application creates a natural aesthetic on any property. Often times however, there is a need or desire for a more permanent structure requiring mortar. Traditional brick garden walls in a Flemish […]
Q: I want to restore my old stone house and have heard there are ways to reuse the mortar already in my building during the repointing process. Can you explain how to do that and what are the positive and negative impacts? A: Reusing old historic mortar is possible in more ways than one. The […]
Q: Why are beautiful stone farmhouses and other historic stone buildings covered with stucco? Is it for insulation? If the stucco over stone is an original and historically accurate detail, is it then OK to remove it to expose the stone and leave it that way? Will this enhance or deflate the value of the […]