This Victorian end of terrace had been repointed in very hard, grey cement mortar. Individual bricks were showing signs of physical decay. The chimney was decaying and the neglect it had suffered had caused moisture to enter the building. A window had been installed but there were a number of faults with this. The two sides of the opening had been built without the use of a builder’s line. As a result the brickwork was deflecting and not properly aligned in the wall. The window had been set out incorrectly resulting in very poor bonding arrangement around the window with no arch constructed above it. A ‘miracle cure water repellent’ liquid had then been used to coat the brickwork causing staining.
The entire wall including the chimney was repaired and lime pointed, lightening the elevation and giving it the warmth of finish that lime mortar provides. The mortar joint finish applied was flush as there was no evidence of the original joint finish remaining. Scrupulous cleanliness is paramount during and after the repair process.
I set out and rebuilt a new rebated window opening with an arch and cill, in keeping with the architectural style and era of property. An appropriate sash window was then installed and caulked between the brickwork and window frame with oakum tar hemp pointed over with linseed mastic putty.
