The true nature of our business is to preserve and protect the beauty of our historic buildings and structures.
Many factors can influence stone decay such as water ingress, rusted ferrous fixings and general weather erosion.
The first step is to assess the damage and determine the cause (or causes) of this decay. The next stage is deal with the problem causing the issue.
For water ingress we look for cracks or open joints in the masonry or defects to the roof or guttering. For cracked masonry we inspect for failed ferrous fixings or such like. Once the problem has been dealt with we can look to repair the damage caused. This often involves carefully removing the damaged section of masonry and replacing with a new stone indent. Stone selection is very important at this stage as we try to match the original fabric as closely as possible.
Once we have obtained the new masonry section it will require carving and tooling to suit the existing – we take templates and create CAD drawings to reflect this beforehand.
The final task is to fix the new stone section in place using a combination of traditional lime mortars and modern stainless steel fixings.
Whilst undertaking these works we will be looking at the surrounding masonry and suggesting possible preventative measures for other areas at risk of decay.
The removal of harmful cementitious mortars or ferrous fixings will aid in structural stability and improve the general lifespan of the building.