Masonry Magazine July 1980 Page. 20
New York Landmark Church Restored
St. John the Baptist Church, Syracuse, N.Y., one of the oldest Catholic churches in the state, has undergone a complete facelift that has left the more than a century-old relic more majestic than ever.
ProSoCo, Inc., Kansas City, Kan., a major manufacturer of compounds in architectural maintenance and restoration, supplied the cleaning agents used in the six-month project. The work entailed removing layers of paint covering the 109-year-old brick facade, cleaning the brick and then sealing the entire exterior.
ProSoCo supplied Sure Klean Paint Stripper, Restoration Cleaner, and 7% Percent Acrylic Weather Seal used in the project. Genesse Building & Waterproofing, Inc.. Rochester, N.Y., was the general contractor.
Test Results Released on Water Permeance of Masonry
Revived interest in water permeance testing has rejuvenated a controversy as to the relative merits of Portland cement-lime mortars vs. masonry cement mortars in the production of weather-resistant walls.
In May, 1979, the Masonry Cement Research & Education Group, an association of 31 masonry cement manufacturers of the U.S. and Canada, contracted with Construction Technology Laboratories to conduct a series of tests in accordance with ASTM E514, "Water Permeance of Masonry."
Sixty-six walls were to be built and tested, including all M. S, and N mortar combinations, as shown in the Proportion Specification of ASTM C270, with concrete and clay masonry units, each from a single source.
Three objectives of the program addressed the properties of the construction materials, the water-cement and cement-aggregate ratio of mortars, and initial rate of absorption of the clay units. Two objectives addressed the test method to permit improvements on those portions judged to be improper. Some specimens were cured prior to testing and some subjected to sequential water exposure. The tests proved to be effective.
A significant factor in this program was the consistency of workmanship. A single bricklayer constructed all of the walls, thereby eliminating an influencing factor on the test results. The walls were constructed in a sequence more in keeping with field procedures. Mixing procedures were constant and recorded, mortar water contents controlled, mortar cubes cast, and companion brick and block prisms built.
Testing has been completed and preliminary results emphasize:
1. That all mortar types, including masonry cement mortars, are capable of satisfactory performance in a masonry wall.
2. That masonry walls are capable of resisting water permeance when quality workmanship and materials are used.
3. The need for specific controls in the preparation of specimens to be subjected to this test method.
4. The need for revisions to E514 that will incorporate a more realistic approach to exposure conditions.