Comprehensive Restoration Services
From minor repairs to complete facade reconstruction, our services address every aspect of historic brick masonry care.
From minor repairs to complete facade reconstruction, our services address every aspect of historic brick masonry care.
The mortar joints in historic buildings serve multiple functions beyond simply holding bricks together. They allow moisture movement, accommodate minor structural shifts, and contribute to the building's aesthetic character.
Modern cement-based mortars are stronger than the bricks themselves, causing stress concentration and eventual brick face spalling. Our lime-based mortars remain softer than the bricks, protecting them from damage while maintaining appropriate flexibility.
Each project begins with mortar analysis to determine the correct lime-to-aggregate ratio, sand type, and finishing technique that matches the original work.
When bricks have deteriorated beyond conservation, careful replacement becomes necessary. The challenge lies in sourcing bricks that match not just in color, but in texture, density, and weathering characteristics.
We maintain relationships with reclamation yards and specialist brick manufacturers who can supply period-appropriate materials. For particularly unusual bricks, we sometimes need to source from demolished buildings of the same era.
Replacement work follows traditional bonding patterns, ensuring new bricks integrate structurally and visually with existing masonry.
Victorian and Georgian buildings often incorporated decorative brickwork including corbels, arches, string courses, and ornamental panels. These features require specialized techniques beyond standard wall repairs.
Corbelling involves cantilevered brickwork that must maintain structural integrity while preserving decorative form. Arch restoration demands understanding of load distribution and thrust lines.
We approach each ornamental element individually, analyzing its structural role before determining appropriate restoration methods.
Years of atmospheric pollution, biological growth, and inappropriate previous cleaning attempts leave many historic facades discolored and damaged.
Aggressive cleaning methods like high-pressure washing or abrasive techniques can remove the brick's protective outer surface, accelerating future deterioration. Our approach uses gentle systems including steam cleaning, poultices, and carefully selected chemical cleaners appropriate to the brick type.
Post-cleaning treatments can include breathable protective coatings where appropriate, though many historic bricks perform best when left untreated after proper cleaning.
Chimneys face unique challenges: constant exposure to weather, thermal cycling from fires, and structural stress from height and wind loading.
Many chimneys require complete rebuilding above roofline once deterioration reaches a certain point. We reconstruct using traditional methods including properly formed flues, adequate wall thickness, and appropriate capping.
Even non-functional chimneys contribute to a building's character and weather protection, making their maintenance important beyond their original purpose.
Rising damp in older buildings often results from blocked or damaged original damp-proof courses, or from ground level changes since construction.
Injected chemical damp-proof courses and impermeable renders trap moisture rather than resolving the underlying issue. Our approach focuses on breathable solutions including lime-based renders, improved drainage, and where necessary, carefully installed physical damp-proof courses.
Understanding how traditional buildings were designed to manage moisture is key to implementing effective, long-lasting solutions.
Select a service above and complete the form to begin your restoration consultation.