Services Offered include...

Repointing, pointing or sometimes it is called Tuckpointing.  Repointing Is the process of removing deteriorated mortar between brick and stone and replacing it with a compatible material. We follow the standards and recommendations described in Preservation Brief 2 from the US Park Services concerning repointing and have found this document to be a great source of information for property owners to better understand the process of repointing.  Proper masonry restoration is time consuming and expensive but can be done is stages over time.  The cost of repointing depends on many variables including the difficulty in removing old mortar, the size of the mortar joints, the height of the work, accessibility, size of project, type of masonry units, travel time etc. We believe it is better to wait and have the job done correctly rather than jeopardize the health of the building, we are committed to making it possible to offer historically appropriate restoration to everyone.

Consulting. We consult on historic masonry issues including the development of closely matching lime mortars, analysis of mortar failure and creative historically appropriate solutions for many masonry challenges.  We offer our consulting services to architects, preservationists, home owners and contractors.

Lime Plaster Restoration.  Most plaster walls can be repaired and the repair will generally cost less than any alternative. Repairing lime plaster is the most environmentally responsible method of restoring existing walls, keeping dust down, reducing hauling and landfill costs and continuing to benefit from the energies inherent in the building. Plaster walls are much more durable than drywall and will last hundreds of years if properly maintained. Using proven techniques loose and cracked plaster can be repaired without removing or destroying the existing walls.

Clay Plaster is one of the most beautiful and natural methods of adding color and texture to interior walls.  Preservation Works offers trained American Clay applicators to create uniquely beautiful wall finishes.  American Clay is a LEED certified interior wall finish.  American Clay can be applied over new or painted drywall and creates a designer quality interior finish comparable with venetian  plasters but at less cost.  See our clay plaster page for more info.

Interior and Exterior Lime Plaster is sometimes called stucco or parging.  Many historic stone houses were originally covered in parging while most older homes still have interior plaster walls. Today, the fashion is to remove plaster from brick and stone exteriors. We repair existing exterior parging and can apply new two or three coat lime plaster to a variety of substrata including metal lath, and stone.  Traditional lime plaster is long lasting, flexible and vapor permeable, characteristics not inherent in cement plaster.  Lime plaster is carbon neutral (a green building product with thousands of years of history), it has high alkalinity and resists moss, mold and other growth often found on cement based plaster.  Lime plaster can even be applied over drywall interiors as a veneer  over new drywall to create an old world plaster look in new construction.

Coloring Brick and Masonry can be done to make a repair more compatible with the surrounding materials. We color entire walls or just change the color of a few mismatched replacement bricks to create a uniform look without paint.  Our natural, safe and non toxic inorganic colorant creates a permanent chemical bond with the masonry, it will not fade or peel, it is 100% vapor permeable. It is the most ideal method of coloring masonry. 

Chase cover and chimney cap installation. Today, most chimney’s have few regular fires and they are not inspected as regularly as in years gone by, a repair to the cap (the top of the chimney) needs to be effectively permanent.  The chimney is one of the most exposed elements of a building so whatever protection can be given it should be supplied.   Stainless steel chase covers offer many advantages over concrete or mortar chimney caps which tend to crack overtime causing extensive damage to the chimney or interior plaster. A stainless still chase cover creates a long lasting roof over the chimney that protects the horizontal masonry from water damage and freeze thaw cycles. See examples of installed chase covers