Toronto Masonry Restoration

This was a really nice project to work on. This 1901 facade was covered in stucco as seen in the second photograph. The bricks were removed before the stucco was applied. We removed the stucco and bricked up the facade taking time to include the original jack arches, elliptical arch with plinth course and checkerboard detail panels. - We used orange Ibstock brick from England which is a molded Ontario size brick similar to the original brick and laid with lime mortar. Due to... the strike in the Montreal docks at the time this brick was unable to be released and transported to Toronto. We had to drive out to Hamilton 3 times to pick up skids of brick as @Kreitmaker was out of stock and Sean was unwilling to drive to Montreal over the weekend, sneak onto the dock and unload 1700 brick for us and then drive back. - The owner @andrew.a.welch cut the stone sills out of Berea sandstone. The face and margins were tooled and a washout and lugs cut into the stone. - When gauging our coursing and details, we took reference from a matching facade a few doors down that was painted but details were still visible. - These are our favourite projects to work on. Working for great projects for great clients is what makes the dust and noise worth it. #torontomasonryrestoration . . . . . #masonryrestoration #heritagemasonry #victorianfacade #edwardianfacade #brickwork #bricklaying #masonry #construction #facaderebuild #ibstock #limemortar See more

Progress pics. This was the original detailing for this section on this Victorian facade. A large jack arch over the main floor window and a checkerboard panel above that. Staying true to these details results in a rebuild that looks authentic and genuine. - Building arches is a lot of work. Each brick is custom cut and shaped depending on the position in the arch. The result is joints that are the same width at the bottom as they are at the top. It took a long day to comple...te this arch. It’s more costly to do this than to run a straight bond over the window. It’s an aesthetic choice rather than a necessity. #torontomasonryrestoration . . . . . #masonry #maasonryrestoration #heritagemasonry #heritagerestoration #brickwork #bricklaying #brick #ibstock #limemortar #buffmortar See more

A classic balloon framed bay and gable style semi detached house, completely undressed. This was originally clad with single veneer brick but was stuccoed some years ago. We are going to bring it back to how it looked when it was first built #torontomasonryrestoration . . . .... . #heritagerestoration #masonryrestoration #brickwork #bayandgable #balloonframing #victorianhouse See more

J.P ONT is the stamp on this brick. Looks like an inferior brick . It’s an odd size too. I forgot to measure but the header on this brick looks to be no more than 3.5. Has anyone ever come across this brick before? .. . . .... #bricks #jprice #torontobrickworks #heritagebrick #heritagebrickwork #brickwork #bricklaying #reclaimedbrick See more

We tore down and rebuilt these two columns using a blend of 3 different bricks. We went with a polychromatic brick cap to match the arches. - The old columns were built with cement and the bricks were j.price bricks so they weren’t original to the house. J.price stopped manufacturing in the 60’s so perhaps the old columns were built then, or perhaps they were built using reclaimed brick later on. #tmr #torontomasonryrestoration . .... . . #masonry #heritagemasonry #masonryrestoration #brickwork #brickcolumns #brickcolumn #bricklayer #cabbagetowntoronto @ Cabbagetown, Toronto See more

These are the tools we use for joint removal. The arbortec and the grinder have vacuum attachments for dust control. We try use them as much as we can to keep dust down. The arbortec is great for soft mortar. The grinder is good for centre cutting the joint and then finishing it off with the arbortec or a hammer and slicker. We use a slicker like a chisel. We find the finer point on a slicker is good for getting in between the mortar and the brick. #tmr #torontomasonryrestora...tion . . . . . #masonry #masonryrestoration #heritagemasonry #torontomasonry #heritagerestortion #heritagebrickwork #mortarjoint #mortarjointremoval See more

Calcium oxide(quicklime) changing into calcium hydroxide(lime hydrate) after coming into contact with water. The calcium oxide grows in volume. This is an exothermic reaction and generates quite a bit of heat. - When you see little white bits in old lime mortar that generally means the mortar was made using quicklime in a hot mix. The sand was mixed with quicklime and water was added to change that quicklime to calcium hydroxide and make a building mortar. The high lime conte...nt, the freshness and heat from the mix are things that have been noted for making a hot mixed lime mortar superior for certain projects. #tmr #torontomasonryrestoration . . . . . #hotlime #hotlimebling #limemortar #masonry #heritagerestoration #heritagemasonry #masonryrestoration #hotmix #construction #quicklime #popcorn #exothermic See more

We replaced some spalling brick on the lower and upper reaches of this building in the annex. We were fortunate to be able to find and use reclaimed brick for this project. That doesn’t always happen. This building was built in 1900. If the brick wasn’t suitable for being flipped over and reused we would replace it with brick reclaimed from a building in Rosedale that was built in 1906. The brick was graciously supplied by @johnsonplayfairmasonry - Cleaning, transporting and... storing reclaimed brick is costly. For a more authentic restoration it’s worth the premium price for reclaimed materials. #tmr #torontomasonryrestoration . . . . . . #restoration #masonryrestoration #heritagemasonry #masonry #bricklaying #brickreplacement #limemortar @ The Annex See more

One of a number of openings we altered on this property earlier in the year for @kaydenceconstruction_ltd . We bricked in a door opening and created this window opening. The challenge with this project lay in the original brick dimensions. The Ibstock multi cream we used was the closest in appearance but was 1/4 taller. We cut them down by hand to get our coursing right. - When it comes to matching brick we believe matching size is most important then followed by aesthetics.... If a brick is too small you will have to use the brick stretcher to get them to size. Brick stretchers are expensive and often times slow. If you get a brick that matches in size but differs in aesthetics you can always get a company to tint the brick. #torontomasonryrestoration #tmr . . . . #brickopening #brickwork #brick #masonry #windowopening #nosuchthingasabrickstretcher @ Harbord Village See more

Joint removal can be hit or miss. Usually with a mid 1880s construction in Toronto you expect soft mortar that cuts like butter. However even if the binder is lime based the aggregate can pose a problem. Taking out the mortar in a joint we found this pebble of hard stone. Maybe quartzite who knows. The arbortec bounced off it and sparks flew. Thought it was a hob nail used to tie the single brick veneer to the framing. Nope. It was this pebble. This was part and parcel for th...is facade and a couple teeth were lost on the blade. These buildings in cabbagetown were built rough as they were originally constructed for working class people. There was no sifting of sand or any fancy carry on. A hot mix made with local sand and they were away laying brick. #torontomasonryrestoration #tmr . . . . #cabbagetown #masonryrestoration #repointing #heritagemasonry #grinding #arbortec #hiddengems See more

A little bit of Hollywood. Action shot of tooling back mortar prior to hitting with the brush. #torontomasonryrestoration #TMR . . . #limemortar #bricklaying #reclaimedbrick #mortarjoint #construction #masonry #heritagemasonry

A large conglomeration of animal hair found in internal plaster from a Victorian townhouse. This was a common addition to lime plaster base coats to aid in strength and prevent cracking. This would have been sprinkled in among the mix. #torontomasonryrestoration #TMR . . . .... . #plaster #limeplaster #limemortar #victorianhouse #heritageplaster #heritageplastering @ Harbord Village See more

This brick that’s shaped like a lozenge spans across the two wythes in this wall. On the outside wythe of the wall you see typical running bond with no headers. This brick was how they tied the wall together. It’s fitted at the joint of the external wythe. The brick on the external wythe are shaped around it. By doing this they eliminated having a header course. It’s in my opinion that this was done for aesthetic reasons to keep the wall outside uniform and free from a header course. This is usually found on the street facing side of the houses. Not sure what the correct term for this tie in brick is. Any ideas? #torontomasonryrestoration #TMR . . . #brickwork #bricklaying #heritagemasonry #heritagebrickwork #victorianbrick #victorianhouse @ Harbord Village

Doing a trial for a hot mix lime mortar. This was the traditional method for making building mortars up until the popularization of Portland cement and industrially produced hydrated lime products in the 20th century. It’s the reason the our heritage buildings are still standing. This mortar is easy to repair and very effective at keeping building fabrics dry. - - The white lumps are quicklime. You get quicklime from firing limestone in a kiln at temperatures of roughly 900 ...degrees Celsius. The heat drives the carbon and water from the limestone giving you these pure white lumps. When you add water to the quicklime it reacts aggressively, reaching temperatures of over 100 degrees Celsius. The quicklime grows in volume when it hydrates. The mortar sets through carbonation. It pulls carbon from the air. It also has the ability to heal small cracks in the joint. If you use a mix of 1:3 quicklime to aggregate, the resulting mortar will be closer to 1:1.5. - - Mortar should always be more permeable and softer than the masonry. This lime rich mortar provides excellent porosity and can effectively protect soft molded brickwork and stone from the dangers of salt attack and freeze thaw. It’s also authentic to the original bedding mortars that are found in 99% of Victorian buildings here in Toronto. - - We are currently trialling different mixes for use in various projects. Get in touch if you would like to take part and learn about this traditional mortar See more

The pillar in the first and second photo is newer than the pillar in the third photo. The caps for both pillars are the same (reclaimed for the new pillar). The new pillar is severely deteriorating. You can see they used cored brick. Some may say cored brick are great because the mortar seeps into the cores and creates a stronger bond. I would think cored brick allows the manufacturer to save on raw materials and reduce transport weight. I think that’s the primary reasoning ...behind cored brick. - - It’s clear from looking at the new column that the brick has more effective porosity than the mortar. The mortar looks intact in most places where the brick is completely disintegrated. Water always follows the path of least resistance and in this case, the small closed pore structure of the mortar requires more energy to move into than the brick. Therefore the moisture enters the wall through the brick, stays within the brick and evaporates through the brick. This leaves the brick vulnerable to reaching the critical saturation level and spalling due to freeze thaw. It also leaves it vulnerable to salt crystallization and damaging subfloresence. - - The less permeable mortar essentially turns the wall into a series of individually functioning units. If moisture gets into one brick it can’t be thinned out by moving into other drier bricks before moving into and evaporating from the joints as a wall should function. - - The cores in the brick reduce the amount of clay in the unit and replace that space with impermeable mortar in this case. This means the critical saturation level is lowered. Which increases vulnerability to deterioration. - - This deterioration isn’t evident in the older column. It’s presumed the older column is solid brick. That alone may be the saviour. Perhaps the mortar is more permeable than the brick, allowing the wall to function properly. Perhaps the drip edge in the cap of the new column is not functioning as well as in the older pillar. #TMR #TorontoMasonryRestoration. . . #brickwork #masonry #bricklaying #mortar #mortars #portlandcement #limemortar #torontomasonry #brickfailure @ Forest Hill, Toronto See more

This style of brick are known as clinker brick. They can be distinguished by their varying colours, deformities and partial glazing. They are formed when the wet clay is fired at high temperatures while in the kiln. The minerals in the clay react and produce a blend of colours. The brick can deform and when extreme heat is reached the clay vitrifies giving a glassy look to the clay. - This vitrified brick is incredibly hard and brittle. These brick don’t lend themselves to i...ntricate details and precise coursing. What they do provide is a rustic canvas of autumn colours and varying textures that remind you that the wall was built with a pair of hands. There’s beauty and character in imperfection. Clinker brick were always produced as a by product of relatively primitive kilns. The heat would be highest at the edges of the kiln and those brick would possibly vitrify. - In Victorian times when uniformity and precision was highly sought after, these bricks would have been discarded or used for foundations. The use of them here in this building from 1906 shows a change in trends and an embrace of imperfection. I think we could all learn a thing or two from the common clinker brick - #torontomasonryrestoration #torontomasonry #clinkerbrick #brickwork #bricklayer #masonry #brickrestoration #brickwall #heritagemasonry #heritagemason @ Rosedale, Toronto See more

As a masonry company we will always be biased towards buildings constructed using brick and stone. That doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the various other methods used to clad and finish a buildings exterior. This one caught my eye. From the outside in it looks to be aluminum siding - moisture barrier - rigid foam insulation - wood clapboard - wood sheathing and then maybe lath and plaster or perhaps it was retrofitted with internal insulation at some point. Personally - I th...ink it looks like @colchrishadfield designed it to launch into outer space and land on the moon but again, we are biased towards masonry. Will this approach to retrofitting old buildings become a staple? Or do you think this is a case of looked good on paper, not so much in a neighborhood full of traditional homes? . . . . #construction #modernconstruction #retrofit #aluminumsiding #siding #modernhome #unlimitedbudget #timelessarchitecture @ Outer Space See more

Beautiful colourful stone work. Drafted margins on the cornerstones. Mortar matched to the red stone with evidence of a black bead/ pencilling? This picture was taken on Madison Avenue and from what I’ve been told, the stone used on a lot of these buildings came from England. Tasked with finding a good match for these stones can pose problems. Stone quarry’s are finite resources and can produce stone with different qualities based on the depth and location the stone is extrac...ted from. A desirable stone could be completely extracted, it could become uneconomical to extract due to groundwater or possibly due to lack of demand. Sometimes it can be impossible to replace a stone that was quarried 150 years ago with an exact match because of these reasons. . . I’ve heard of a particularly interesting story about the efforts one company went through to match stone in the restoration of union station. If I remember correct, the quarry that the stone for the floor came from, closed in the 50’s. I believe it was Tennessee marble. In order to get an exact match they reopened the quarry that the original stone came from. This involved clearing 70 years worth of over grown flora and creating a road to the quarry, all for a few tonne of stone. . . . #torontomasonryrestoration #masonry #stonemason #stonemasonry #stone @ The Annex See more

Just finished up a quick little pointing job in little Italy. Homeowner had a tight budget so we had to be efficient in our methods. For this, we skipped any prep work on the joints. We used type S premix mortar. To apply the mortar we first mixed it into a runny slurry. We then filled a number of water balloons with the slurry. Having done that, we then began throwing the mortar balloons at the wall until the work area was sufficiently covered in mortar. No scaffolding or ne...edless grinding out of joints necessary. We were in and out before morning coffee break. Homeowner was delighted with the result . . . . . #masonry #repointing #brickwork #construction #restoration #masonryrestoration @ Toronto, Ontario See more

Hey Bob, I’ve just drank 2 cans of monster and I’m feeling a bit dangerous. Why don’t you hold this block above your waist while I cut It with a saw that’s spinning a blade at over 5000 RPM. If it jumps, it’s going to take your face off . . Hell, I don’t see anything wrong with that. F**king give ‘er. .... . . . Unfortunately this is why we have to sit through day long safety training courses every few years. . . . #oshaisthisok #masonry #tricksofthetrade See more

The Massey Mausoleum was built in 1891 in Mount Pleasant Cemetary, as the resting place of the prominent Massey family of Toronto. It is a landmark heritage property. The design was developed by the renowned E.J. Lennox, with input from the patron, Hart Massey. The structure is constructed out of large pieces of dressed granite and rests on a limestone foundation. The monument consists of a tower-like structure with a basilica plan and a below-grade crypt, all designed in a R...omanesque revival style. . . . . . . #masseyferguson #masseymausoleum #granite #masonry #graniteconstruction #ejlennox #mountpleasantcemetary @ Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto See more