The stone restoration handbook : a practical guide to the conservation repair of stone and masonry

704 Pages·2015·108.43 MB·English

by  Daniels

THE
STONE RESTORATION
HANDBOOK
A practical guide to the conservation repair of stone and
masonry
CHRIS DANIELS
First published in 2015 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
This e-book published 2015
© Chris Daniels 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 84797 908 7
Acknowledgements
Thanks for help and support are given to Blossom, Lily, Rudi and Cadhla; Antony ‘Hank’ Denman;
Richard Mortimer, David Good and students at Weymouth College; Ian Constantinides; Niall
Finneran; Andrew Whittle, Ian Burgess and all other colleagues and past students.
CONTENTS
Introduction

1 Decay of Stone
2 Producing a Report and Selecting the Stone
3 The Workplace
4 Tool Skills
5 Limes and Mortars
6 Repointing
7 Dutchman Repairs
8 Mortar Repairs
9 Consolidation of Stone
10 Cleaning Stone
11 Casting

Appendix 1: Putting in a Slab
Appendix 2: Keeping it Together
Glossary
Index
Exeter Cathedral, Devon. Built in 1153, this is a major Gothic cathedral that, like most
buildings of this style and period, needs consistent maintenance and repair. This is where
the skills of the conservator and stonemason become one.
INTRODUCTION
Therefore when we build, let us think that we build for ever. Let it not
be for present delight, nor for present use alone. Let it be such work
as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay
stone on stone, that the time is to come when those stones will be
held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men
will say as they look upon the labour and wrought substance of
them, ‘See! This our fathers did for us.’ (John Ruskin)
Welcome. This is a book intended to give an introduction to the practical
processes for the repair and conservation of stonework, covering
techniques and application in the workshop and on site; it will also be
useful to those involved in the commissioning and administrating work of
this nature. ‘Artisan’ will be the term used for the person this book
concerns itself with; my demand of you, the reader, is that you have an
enquiring mind, an ability to learn and are willing to explore. The thread
running through all the chapters will be the encouragement to enjoy and
appreciate this work and objectives, in all their qualities and uniqueness.
Complementing this will be an emphasis on the correct attitude to this
work; the successful preservation of our built heritage is a task of such
significance that, if you are not the masonry equivalent of a tree-hugger,
then it may not be the career for you. Good luck with whatever you wish
to do, or, better still, read this book, get excited, get involved, and
perhaps join our ranks.
This replacement bracket in Bathstone involves a combination of topics covered in this
book: bad practice – the building had been covered with a stone sealer to prevent damp,
subsequently making the problem worse; decay – where the trapped salts have destroyed
the stone and fabric as well as allowing moisture to be held in the fabric; stonemasonry -
needed to work the replacement to match the original; fixing skill – to put it in; lime – for
the mortar work and grouting of the core; and casting – copies were made in cast lime to
put in as sacrificial units that would draw out the moisture.
The Essential Human Toolkit
We are all imbued with basically the same learning facilities and have
evolved brains that can control our hands to perform wondrous feats far
beyond the requirements of rudimentary DIY. If you want to do something
badly enough, you can acquire the skills to do it. So the first thing to be
pulled out of the ‘toolkit’ is attitude. With a positive attitude, the work, no
matter how insignificant, becomes part of your life. To be able to do
things that enhance, prolong and beautify the environment we live in is
profoundly human and leads on to the next attribute – pride. We are not
talking about sin here, rather the warm satisfaction in looking at what you
have done, feeling that it was the best work you could produce and
reckoning that it has been done correctly.
New bottom half of a heraldic shield, pieced in to replace the decayed section. Although
the original was wholly made from the same stone at the same time, it shows that there
can be extremes of performance from what would, technically, be described as the same
material. (Photo: Harry Jonas)
For those new to the use of tools, there will be the basic outlines for