Detailed brick repairs on historic facade

These beautiful Victorian decorative Friezes were completely dilapidated. Our Expert Craftsmen repaired the feature using St Astier lime mortar and restored it to its original splendour.

Repointing Using Lime Mortar

A little about the lime pointing process. Once we have cleaned the bricks and exposed the substrate we can start the restoration process. Re-pointing is the process of renewing the pointing in masonry construction. Over time, weathering and decay cause voids in the joints between bricks, allowing the undesirable entrance of water. Water entering through these voids cause significant damage.

It is essential the mortar used for re-pointing have similar performance characteristics to the original mortar used. To conserve the integrity of the building it is essential to also employ the same pointing techniques and mixes used when the façade was originally built. The different pointing techniques visible on historic buildings reflect skills and craftsmanship developed over many centuries.

Both the mortar and the joints’ surface finish affect the brickwork in several ways. The colour and tone of the mortar lightens or darkens the overall brick facade. How joints are profiled affects how light is caught and reflected on the building. Historically, when bricks were hand made and less uniform, different pointing techniques were used to give the illusion of uniformity.

During restoration, pointing is raked out to twice the width of the joint. All repointing is carried out using traditional methods using lime mortar which allows the building to breathe. Replacement bricks are sourced from salvage yards to get as close a match as possible, taking into account age and colour.

Heritage Contractors

Pmac projects are very varied. Our legacy is quality projects we can be proud of and the below projects are an example of them. We value the inputs of our customers, our team and our supply chain in reaching positive outcomes. Health and safety to our people and the public is a priority for us and without compromise.

If you are working on a similar project we would love to hear about it. Dont hesitate to call us or send in the details of your project through our contact page at  https://pmac.ie/contact-pmac/

PMAC is a registered Heritage Contractor and a link for the site can be found below. 

https://heritageregistration.ie/heritage-contractors-listing/

The majority of Pmac projects are based in Dublin but we also work all over Ireland. Our wide range of services are available to both residential and commercial clients.