Upcoming Exhibition and Presentation at the Greater Philadelphia Historic Home Show

We’re very excited to extend an invitation to you to join us at the Greater Philadelphia Historic Home Show Show March 10-11 in Oaks, PA. Visit our display booth where we will be giving demonstrations and providing a complete package of resources for your historic building.

LimeWorks.us produces appropriate historic masonry repair materials for respective applications to ensure a long-term service life for the conservation of our region’s cultural heritage as represented by its vintage architecture.

Andy deGruchy, owner of LimeWorks.us will presenting on the importance of proper repairs for vintage masonry.

How to repair vintage masonry successfully the first time with in-kind repairs that don’t offend.

 Many historic homes that have had no restoration work are in better condition than others that have been repaired improperly. Learn from the fatal mistakes homeowners and professionals often make regarding historic buildings. Understand how damaging Portland Cement has caused headaches and sometimes irreversible destruction to countless historic homes built during the 18th, 19th and early 20th Centuries. Educated homeowners are able to properly repair their historic homes the first time. Come to this one hour presentation and learn how to embark on a successful repair campaign on your historic home.

Also, take a few minutes to listen to a recent interview Andy had with the National Center for Preservation Technology & Training. A few of the topics discussed include confusion surrounding lime terminology, the application of lime mortars, master stonemason Ian Cramb and our efforts here at LimeWorks.us to educate others on the importance of using lime.

Get a discounted ticket to the show.

Restoration of the Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York City with Ecologic® Mortar

In the heart of what is now Chinatown on the Lower East Side in Manhattan lives the Eldridge Street Synagogue. A very important Jewish Synagogue built in the late 1800s, it was the first synagogue to be built by the Eastern European Jews emigrating from Russia, Romania and Poland. The synagogue flourished for its first 50 years and was revered for its gorgeous vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. But the membership began to dwindle following the great depression and was abandoned in the 1950s. Harsh city life ate away at the building, it became home to flocks of pigeons and other critters. Leaks developed and the stairs became unstable, the remaining members retreated to the basement where they remained for almost half a century.

The rescue effort of the Eldridge Street Synagogue began in the late 70s when volunteers and the Friends of the Eldridge Street Synagogue initiated efforts that led to an $18.5 million dollar repair campaign. This campaign included repointing work of the facade using Ecologic® Mortar from LimeWorks.us Additional repairs to the ceiling, wallpaper, paint and almost every aspect of the central room was restored returning it to its original glory. The final element was set during the fall of 2010, the stained-glass window commissioned by Kiki Smith and Deborah Gans is the only 21st century element inside the historic space.

More details of the Eldridge Street Synagogue restoration can be found in the latest issue of Traditional Building Magazine

-LimeWorks.us (Linked-in : Blog : Facebook : Twitter)

Facade after restoration, photo credit: Kate Milford

All Photos Copyright Sean K Maxwell

Merry Christmas from LimeWorks.us

Limelight on historic Guanajuato, Mexico

We are thankful for your work as an associate in green building and historic building conservation. Every six weeks we plan to focus the limelight on a story that we think will strengthen the collective resolve to remain strong advocates of resource conservation. A snapshot video or “Spark Segment”, as we call it, is how we will put the limelight on highly skilled craftspeople, sharp engineers or creative designing architects and builders. A spark segment will celebrate their current work or the legacy of great works they’ve left behind. With each installment we hope to capture the essence of “movers and shakers”, (people, places and objects), that inspire us to continue pressing forward. We remain faithfully yours as advocates in this most sacred work.

This segment features the city of Guanajuato Mexico which brings us a sampling of authentic Moorish detailing found in its natural surround with an intact and rich cultural element. The inspiration to put the limelight on this region comes especially from the passion that is evident in the hearts of the people of this culture which has spilled out into their built environment. This is just one example of vibrant lime colorwashes and the conservation of regional heritage by people who care. Let’s continue to be that type of conservator in the areas where we exhibit our influence as professionals.

-LimeWorks.us (Linked-in : Blog : Facebook : Twitter)

Burning Lime, the Traditional Way

This is an incredible video that really shows the difficulties of burning limestone the old way. Stacking wood, limestone and coal in an old kiln these men go through the process using traditional methods to turn regular limestone into caustic burnt lime.

Techniques for Plastering a Wall, FAQ Friday with Randy Ruth

Q: I have painted drywall in my home and would like a lime plaster finish. How can I achieve this?

A: There are many ways to achieve a lime plaster finish over painted drywall. The first issue to address is who is going to do the work? If you hire a good plasterer then they should know how to approach this issue.  Even still, you could enlighten them with new products that they may not know about, that you have discovered in your research.  If you are a more do it yourself kind of person with some trowel experience than you might be surprised what kinds of finishes you can achieve with a little bit of practice on some 12” x 12” sample boards.

How you ultimately approach, this task is dependent on three major factors… budget, authenticity and texture. Depending on the budget allocated toward a lime plaster finish, a person can achieve a wide range of finishes. The polished mirror finishes often-associated Venetian plaster can but not always be associated with higher costs. This is due typically to higher materials cost and higher wage costs because of the skills required to achieve that level of finish. Speaking of wage costs it should be noted that ceiling applications are much more labor intensive, rightfully so and should probably left to a professional plasterer. A rougher coarser finish can hide slight imperfections in artisanship, thus it typically costs less than other finishes. Since we have now linked the relationship between budget and texture to how you can achieve a lime plaster finish over drywall, it is time to move on to authenticity.

Authenticity refers to the quality of the product. Is it lime, acrylic, or a blend? Sometimes authenticity does not matter however; with the ever-increasing customer demand for low or no VOC products, it may play a role in your decision-making. There are flexible “lime” plasters that have chemical additions as well as many acrylic based bonding agents available on the market. If you want a more real lime plaster system on your painted drywall, than LimeWorks.us has a solution for you.

You should begin with a clean sound surface, free of any soaps or detergents and of course with no pealing or flaking paint. A quality finish is only as good as the quality of what is beneath it. Then simply trowel apply Takcoat^TM evenly over the entire wall 1/16^th to 1/8^th inch thick. This will act as a transition coat from paint to plaster. Takcoat^TM uses hydraulic lime and natural additives to achieve a bond that can stick to glass, ensuring a good bond to the painted wall. Once the transition coat of Takcoat^TM has cured for a about 3 days, a second coat of lime can be applied to achieve the finish. Depending on the what the kind of finish is desired another coat of lime can be applied, or even three, four or five. It all depends on what you or the client wants.

If a rough finish or soft-sanded finish is desired than Ecologic® Mortar in either coarse or fine sand can be applied. If a fine polished, finish is desired than NHL 2 can be applied paper-thin in multiple coats to create depth to the finish, which is polished with black soap diluted with water.  all of the products mentioned  can be blended together to make the right finish for you or the client. Custom colors can be matched for you, or you can add your own iron oxide or natural lime proof pigments.

Because of all the case specific challenges, answers to this FAQ are just a basic overview. If you plan to tackle this issue head on, give a call or shoot an email to randy@LimeWorks.us. We can help you with choosing the proper products and application techniques.

-LimeWorks.us (Linked-in : Blog : Facebook : Twitter)

Use of Traditional Lime Paints (FAQ Friday with Randy Ruth)

This has been a crazy week here in the Northeast. First and earthquake then Steve Jobs and now hurricane Irene is coming for us. But Randy has another frequently asked question to answer today about the use of traditional lime paints.

Q: Isn’t lime paint an old technique for buildings? Aren’t there more modern options that will look better and last longer? 

A: Lime paint or as it is traditionally called whitewash is indeed an old technique for use on buildings, for both interior and exterior use. Lime Paint is made from slaked high calcium quicklime with a greater addition of water than what would be used to make lime putty. The resulting product has a consistency of thin milk.

Lime Paint is used on the exterior of buildings as a sacrificial breathable protective coating over lime render, brick, concrete, adobe, stone and earthen structures. By applying multiple thin coats of Lime Paint, each coat reacts with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to convert back to calcium  carbonate, also known as limestone. This technology has been around since before the construction of the great pyramids in Egypt, where lime was used in mortar formulations. 

There are some limitations to using Lime Paint in modern times, most likely because of the expectations people have from today’s common latex paints. Although, Lime Paints do wear away, can sometimes chalk when rubbed and cannot always achieve the same brilliance of modern paints , they do have some wonderful properties that make their use appropriate for modern applications.

Lime in of itself reflects light in a such a special way that we get the term “limelight” from its use in early stage lighting techniques. The colors that can be achieved with Lime Paint are more of an earth tone and give off a warm glow that modern latex cannot provide. Since Lime Paint is mineral based it does not peel or flake, it simply wears down.

When a “breathing” wall needs to be protected or decorated with a paint or stain, Lime Paints provide the breathability suitable for the wall. However when a tougher more durable coating is required silicate paints and stains can be used.

Silicate paints are mineral paints made from either sodium silicate or potassium silicate and chemically bond to a masonry substrate, through the chemical act of petrifaction. This allows a paint that can also not peel or flake due to the laws of chemistry, similarly to Lime Paints. Silicate paints were originally made during the mid 19^th century in Europe and have since been refined to become some of the best paint for use with masonry. They can reach a wider range of colors when compared to Lime Paint. Although silicate paints may last longer with less maintenance it does not particularly make them better than Lime Paints.

Someone who wants an “aged” look or even the more natural feel of lime would think Lime Paint is a better choice over silicate. For a muralist who does not want to be bound by a limited color range and needs the durability of silicate in a city environment, then silicate paints are a no brainer. At the end of the day, when choosing a breathable, historically proven paint for a building, one must weigh the pros and cons of each paint when compared to the demands of the project at hand .

 

-LimeWorks.us (Linked-in : Blog : Facebook : Twitter)

Closed for Restoration

The New York Auxiliary Monument is currently closed for restoration in Gettysburg, PA. This is just one of the monuments which has incorporated materials from LimeWorks.us.

A few links with information on the monument…

http://www.gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/NY/NYstateAux.php

http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/State_of_New_York_Auxiliary_Monument_(Gettysburg)

The Stonemason’s Gospel According to Ian Cramb

The Stonemason’s Gosepel According to Ian Cramb is the second book by Ian Cramb, release in 2011 this is a continuation of his first book The Art of the Stonemason. Ian Cramb is a fifth generation stonemason from Scotland and currently lives in Pennsylvania. This book is a culmination of a lifetime dedicated to masonry. The forward was written by Andrew deGruchy of LimeWorks.us, to order a copy please visit our online store, email or call sean@limeworks.us 215-536-6706.

The Stonemason’s Gospel According to Ian Cramb is in my opinion written similarly to the accounts of the Holy Gospels of St Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  All were written as first hand accounts with real experience attached.  Recordings like these are like a window in time. We can look through the window and suddenly be taken back to the events that shaped the author’s world and better understand how certain events have impacted the world we now live in.

The Holy Gospels record what the writers bore witness of. It is called the ‘Good News’ which is the actual meaning of the word ‘Gospel.’ The good news in the Christian faith is the finished work of Jesus Christ.  The “Fore-Word” then in the Christian faith is ‘Jesus’. He is the author and perfecter of faith enough so that souls should survive.  One “Fore-word” for surviving ancient masonry work is “Lime.”  It is a binder with amazingly profound properties.  Like lime is to masonry, Jesus is the profound binder of the truth for all Christians. Colossians 1:17 “And He, (Jesus), is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  The books of Ian Cramb are like a binder and some ‘good news’ for serious tradesmen.

Throughout time man has strived to shed light on his story by various means and for various reasons.  In 1 John 1:1,5 John writes with authority some details about God through his first hand revelation about Him, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, we announce to you… that God is light …”

Light returns to us from the past through art and stories as far back as cave paintings. Bison and Horses depicted in the caves of Chauvet, France seem to strike a nerve in all people. The wonder and fascination found in the cave art may cause some to consider what the motives were behind the beautiful details in the drawn storybook. Was the art meant for our benefit or does it just depict the level of beauty and perfection that their society lived by? I am thankful to Ian Cramb, (now old but still not a cave man!) for writing his books because they speak to my own heart as a tradesman. I sense an affinity with beautiful masonry work and the perfection in details carried out well. A thread woven in me binds me with other tradesmen who enjoy the precepts and execution of the trade practiced correctly. Therefore I am glad to be transported through Ian’s window of words and sketches to find out what defined his world and work.  I can better understand the trade and its legacy because of Ian’s “Gospel” writings. I hope you enjoy Ian’s book too. To Ian Cramb and those who came before us I lift the proverbial “Foundin Pint”, a drink ceremoniously shared at the start of a project in old Scotland. To those who continue to pursue the practice of ordering goods for exceptional long-term societal value, may the “Finishin Pint” be part your reward and at every good completion in your life’s work.

Signed books by Ian Cramb at IPTW 2011