On this project in Whalley Near Clitheroe, Lancashire we had to point the front elevation and adjoining Stone Garden Wall of this Listed Cottage using a Lime Based Mortar. The Building had been previously pointed with a cement based mortar. This cement mortar was not allowing the building to breathe causing Damp. The Moisture in the stonework had caused the external stonework to degrade. The building was constructed around circa 1630.
The cement mortar pointing had to be raked out, this was done using small air tools. Our Building Contractors took care not to damage the existing stonework. The existing cement pointing had mostly de-bond, so was relatively easy to remove. Once our contractors removed the pointing we wash the stonework to remove any dirt and debris from the joints. The stone was then gently brushed down to remove the stone that had decayed. Some of the stonework had degraded too much and needed to be replaced.
The original Lime Mortar around the Stone windows had also started to decay, this was causing water ingress into the internal walls and windows. The timber window frames of the cottage had become rotten and needed to be replaced. Timber window frames are often painted with the wrong exterior paint and are not fully protected from the elements.
Our in-house joiner team made new softwood timber single glazed windows, to match the existing units. Timber windows on Listed Buildings will outlast most other types of windows. Our joiners are skilled in the manufacturing of traditional timber windows and doors for listed and historic buildings.
Once the walls had been cleaned from the cement mortar, our restoration team applied the new lime based mortar. We used a locally sourced sand that would blend with the stone colour. The application of lime pointing can not be rushed and one skilled lime pointer will only lime point around 4-5 square meters per day if done correctly. It is also important to ensure that the lime pointing does not dry out to quickly.
The Cast Iron Down Pipes on the building had some corrosion inside the pipes. The Cast Iron Guttering had decayed to a degree that it would all need replacing. We had the Cast Iron Guttering & Down Pipe factory painted, this minimised installation time. We still use linseed oil putty for jointing together the section of Cast Iron Guttering, Modern day silicon’s do not stand the test of time. We installed the Cast Iron Guttering on standard Rise & Fall drive in brackets. Cast iron guttering will out last any plastic guttering. We sometimes install cast aluminium or extruded aluminium guttering to. If the cast iron guttering is in good condition we can sandblast the guttering and down pipes to remove the rust and then repaint with a zinc primer.
