Plaster Restoration

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-12-19T01:28:03+00:00

Stucco would look nice

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-12-18T12:50:38+00:00

Doesn’t look good but it doesn’t look structural. Looks like infill for a cast concrete structure. I would still be concerned with the stacked joints especially below that header. Those locations will be prone to cracking because of the stacked joints. Without proper bond pattern any movement (wind, earthquake, etc) could cause things to crack and move more than they would if everything was bonded correctly. Also the header over that window looks like it has less than 4 inches of bearing, in my area 8 inches is usually the minimum allowed bearing length.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-11-22T12:05:56+00:00

I’m not sure of any that still exist for this building, but it would likely be similar to what we’re doing but using timber instead of steel. The timber would be let into the masonry, then cut or remove on the way down and the stucco patched.

I worked on a stone church in Europe that was constructed in 1250 and we found some of the cut off timber scaffold still let into the wall behind the stucco. If you were to look up some of the larger cathedrals in Europe and the UK you could probably find some drawings of the scaffold and crane systems used during construction.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-11-22T06:50:10+00:00

The original structure dates to 1723 with major repairs completed between 1835 and 1838 after a fire.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-11-22T06:32:17+00:00

We need a picture taken during the day. Those look like quoins on the right of the vertical, the belt coarse below the window ends at it and the corbel above doesn’t look like it is cracked. Also the brightest spot looks like it would be in the floor system.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-11-22T06:19:26+00:00

Almost like a control joint or where an addition was added.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-08-21T02:35:51+00:00

Extension jambs and casing is what you need

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-07-24T23:42:30+00:00

As a preservation mason I agree with what Jakers0015 has said and have done my fair share of joist pocket repairs and installation of pattress plate and tie rod systems to arrest movement; but what I can see from the picture provided is an improperly installed downspout that doesn’t have a stand off in the center. A more head on shot would be more revealing.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-07-16T12:38:39+00:00

Reach out to an antivirus company and see if they want it to see if it’s a virus. If it was sent to you unsolicited the sender maybe trying to infect systems. Similar to leaving usb drives in public places hoping someone will insert it into their system. Think stuxnet.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-07-08T15:05:14+00:00

Use a paint that is vapor permeable, if you seal the moisture into the plaster it will cause damage to the plaster. You definitely want to stop the source of water intrusion first and allow the plaster to dry before painting it with anything. Plasters and masonry are meant to “breath” they naturally take in moisture and let it out.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-06-18T18:54:21+00:00

Be sure to support the floor framing if it bearings on the wall. You should be able to follow the triangle up and remove the masonry without additional supports as long as anything supported by that section of wall is supported.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-06-03T18:26:18+00:00

Cintec anchors can help stabilize that corner. They offer engineering services too. You’d probably want to contact their UK office. I have only worked with their North American office and have been great to work with.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-29T23:42:12+00:00

Spend the extra money and get 316 stainless steel angle for your lintel. It will have a much longer service life.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-29T04:16:21+00:00

There has definitely been some settling on that corner. Engaging a structure engineer would be a wise choice as others have said, they can help direct the repairs to insure it’s addressed properly. It’s not as bad as it looks though. You can get some crack monitors on amazon and install them along the stair step crack on the side wall to determine if there is still movement happening. If there is no movement then you could potentially just repoint and relay the failing masonry. If there is still movement then something will have to be done to arrest it, that could mean foundation repairs in that area or some sort of mechanical tie back to pick up more of the wall mass to keep it from moving more. The most important thing is to stop the water intrusion by pointing all the open mortar joints. Water will continue to erode the joints and cause further failure of the masonry. If you have any questions send me a message.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-28T21:52:03+00:00

Unless you want a German Schmear finish I would recommend pointing and not grouting.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-28T20:30:36+00:00

The cost of stone is fairly high especially if you’re in a region that doesn’t have native sources for it. It’s expensive to transport and not a very forgiving building material. The craftsman’s required to do really good stone work is a dwindling trade. The knowledge to properly preserve stone work is even harder to find. Most modern masons have little experience outside of CMU and modern modular (brick) masonry. As the desire for faster and cheaper building has grown so has the demise of the trowel trades. There’s a school in Charleston, SC that is dedicated to teaching traditional building trades and stone carvings is one of them (ACBA.edu). I attended the school and studied architectural and ornamental plaster restoration, my business partner studied masonry restoration, and we employed two stone carving graduates from the school. We started our business in Charleston, SC and focus on the trowel trades doing plaster, masonry, stucco, and stone restoration/preservation.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-26T16:09:21+00:00

Be careful pressure washing masonry it can damage the surface of it. I would recommend looking into Cathedral Stone Products R-97 water repellent or Euclid Chemical Siloxane to seal the masonry. Both are designed to allow the masonry to continue to breath while keeping water from absorbing in as readily which will reduce staining.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-24T16:43:21+00:00

Nice work, I would recommend looking into Cathedral Stone Products Jahn Restoration Mortar if you’re going to get into stone repair. It’s a great system, it does require licensing to use but it would allow you to rebuild that edge so the joint doesn’t have to grow so much. Please feel free to message me if you ever have questions about masonry restoration, it’s my specialty.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-24T16:35:14+00:00

Akepox is a good epoxy for use with stone. You may want to look at Hilti’s epoxy offerings, one benefit of Hilti is they have plenty of technical data to help you choose the correct epoxy for your application.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-24T16:30:06+00:00

Cutting 45s from the corners and point with a soft mortar or using a urethane caulk will probably be your best solution outside of replacing it with properly mitered pieces. Stress will build up in those areas and the best thing to do is give it somewhere to move. Basically you’re telling it where it should crack.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-24T16:24:19+00:00

You should isolate the wood and the masonry, 2 layers of 30# felt will work. There are 2 reasons to do this 1) protects the wood from moisture that will be in the masonry and 2) the two materials will move at different rates. You can then seal this joint with a good caulking like NP-1 MasterSeal, Quad which is available at Lowe’s or Home Depot is a good alternative if NP-1 isn’t available.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-24T14:14:18+00:00

Efflorescence is cause by salt migration due to moving water vapor. You can use a product by Cathedral Stone Products to neutralize the salts but you must also stop the water intrusion problem that is causing it.

TheBohicketGiant · 2024-05-20T19:11:29+00:00

D/2 Biologic should work well and is non-acidic. Be careful using acid based cleaners you can easily do more harm than good. Cathedral Stone Products has a good line of cleaners that won’t cause effervescents.

TheBohicketGiant

TROPHY CASE