Old Can Still Work

Words: Steve Fechino

Masonry restoration is a big business. Masonry restoration can also be more fun to perform than constructing from the ground up; the key here is “can also be.” When you have a true restoration or conservation project, and you have to repair existing, in-place portions of a project, you can only call some of the shots on what the scope of the project will be. In some cases, the original designer or builder has already set the rules, and you must repair based on what they built many years before you got to the project. Let’s say you are beginning a large brick restoration project where step one is to repair exterior work under a porch-type roof where water damage has deteriorated mortar joints and brick from a leaking roof downspout that has failed. Before you begin, you have a few steps you must consider, or the project will not be a success. Unfortunately, some of what I will list will not have an immediate visual impact on the building owner or architect, but the impact will be seen during the project. Here are some simple things to strongly consider:

Is the roof still leaking?
Is the downspout in place and functioning correctly?
Can you tuckpoint, or must you replace brick?
If you are matching brick, will they match the original brick if they were cleaned?
Do you know the strength of the mortar?
Does the existing mortar have coarse sand?
Will the existing brick be cleaned?
How saturated is the existing brick where the downspout was missing?

When performing a repair such as the example, my first concern would be to make sure other trades have their work successfully performed. Though this example does not cover up work by others, unwanted moisture and leaks can erode newly repaired mortar joints and contribute to unwanted efflorescence. In the case of the example, where the downspout was missing, roof water runoff typically would saturate the façade deep into the brick. This condition typically takes 60 to 90 days per inch of saturation to dry, depending on your location and the season of the year. This drying period can delay a project, but in some cases, it can prevent a poor finished product caused by mismatched mortar colors and unwanted efflorescence that can pop up.

Once the building is dry, you can match the original mortar color and strength. I have not had good luck in the past matching old mortar with masonry sand, but I have had success with a bit of concrete sand and a bit of coarse sandblasting sand to better match the texture. Color matching of mortar is something that takes time, even for the experienced. When you are making your color batches, use measuring cups and take exact notes of the ratios you create. We used one-inch metal channel cut into 12-inch lengths to hold each sample. Leave it for two or three days to cure, and you will get a good representation of what the final color should look like. I have heard that some folks think they can texture their new mortar joints either with chemicals or pressure washers; neither is a good practice. A good practice is to create a mortar with the correct materials.

If you MUST remove and reuse existing brick, please do not use acid, wire brushes, or pressurized sand to clean the surfaces of the brick where you will place mortar when you relay it. Simply but gently run the brick through the table saw, cutting off the remaining mortar smear to help create a good bond with the replacement mortar.

When performing masonry restoration on an older building that will require brick replacement, mortar repair, or tuckpointing, it is a very good practice to restoration-clean the existing masonry in a concentrated area as a way to establish original colors of the mortar and brick on the existing building. Why? Because you want to be able to match the mortar and brick repair to the original building colors. This is important for future projects that would restoration-clean the entire building so the repairs you make will match later in time. If the project is never cleaned at a later time, then the new work will be dirty soon enough and blend in.

If bricks are definitely required, but finding a match is impossible throughout the industry, look to hidden places on the building where you can remove and replace with alternate brick. This method is not my first choice, but it can work in a pinch.

Restoration is really satisfying work when the efforts of the work pay off with beautiful results and a pleased owner.

Years ago, I worked as a project manager of a restoration division. I was known as the non-conformist PM. The group of guys that I worked with were all very skilled and knowledgeable, a group I was very proud to be part of (not that I was knowledgeable or skilled, but I was a part of them). We had a helper who had more personality than most; it was always an interesting interaction with him when it occurred. After work one day, he got into some spirits and then returned to the office and informed everyone who was still in the office that he worked in the “recreation department,” a term that lives on even today, many years later. I am just glad that one was not me. As you know, I have my share of mistakes; if I didn’t, I could not write this column.

Be safe, one over two.

Old Can Still Work

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