A Chimney Update
So, I recently did a post about re-pointing the towering north chimney. John wrote in and suggested I contact US Heritage, which I did. I poured over their website and watched their videos. Wow! These were the people to talk to! Thanks, John!
Today, I called the company and spoke to Tai, who was working at home (because of, you know). Tai could not have been more generous which amazed me as my order will be so small. He was also a font of information, and said I did not need to get my mortar tested as early 1890s mortar was all pretty much standard. “It gets more complicated in structures between 1900 and 1920.”
To my surprise, he did not recommend pure lime mortar, but something a bit stronger: Hydraulic Lime Mortar. Oh!
He also asked about the color of the original mortar, and I responded with “kinda a pink color” and he then told me how to find their online color chart. Oh!
I will place an order tomorrow!
The towering red chimney is actually a towering orange chimney as some ding-dong painted it.
You can see the pinky mortar. Cool.
The color chart. They can also do custom colors.
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So, Ross, will you scrape out the mortar that is already extant? Or will you just put the new mortar over the top? Also, are you going to scrape the paint off the bricks? Will you seal the bricks? I’m really amazed that you are taking this part of the project on yourself. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. It’s as if you have never met a project you can’t tackle. Wonderous!
Christine, the standard method is to scrape out the old mortar that is loose or damaged. On my chimney there are areas where the original mortar is fine, areas where the mortar can be scraped back like 1/2-inch, and areas where the mortar is entirely gone! The latter two areas need…attention.
At the moment, I don’t plan to strip the paint off the chimney. That is a WHOLE other project!
So some of the seams are much smaller than others. Is this due to the chimney’s settling? What color are you going to pick? 43? 41? Pink mortar is so much more pleasant than white. It certainly blends in better with the brick.
The seams vary from 3/16, to 1/4, to 3/8. Weird.
And, yes, 41 looks good!
I think #41 is a match for colour, but your mortar seems lighter in tone. I think you might have to mix a bit of plain mortar into it.
But then, computer colo
Urs aren’t accurate. Perhaps they would send you a small sample.
I did some chimney repointing years ago. I found that you can get chimney (heat resistant) mortar in a tube like caulking and applied it the same way.
Wow! I’ve seen a LOT of Victorian houses. I’ve never seen pinky mortar. They certainly liked color! And, Ross- ding-dong is right! Why, oh why, do they always paint over the brick?!? I know the whole idea of “bringing it current”(for whatever decade), but I have never understood that. Victorian homes in my book are timeless (in their original colors). But the Victorians themselves always wanted to keep up with the new trends. (I read your comments on the topic of all white paint) They are probably more modern than us with regard to the idea of “out with the old, in with the new “.
Is that the same hue as the new paint on the porch ceiling?
Why David, I think you’re right!
Very similar!
I thought so. Also, in the pictures of the restored stained glass windows, does the front vestibule floor tile also have a pink hue in the main field? It looks like it does, as well as the other tiles that surround it-though differing complimentary colors. If it does, I think it shows the architect’s hand (harmony in design,) AND it shows you’re on the right track re-dicovering the correct colors!
Pink mortar is something that immediately makes me think of Britain! Apparently the British Isles have plenty of red granite or other red stone and sand that consists of those minerals gives pink plaster and mortar. I haven’t seen that kind of sand used anywhere else in Europe!
Well, this will certainly be different than painting, but your leaping a tall building in a single bound are sure to shine again and again. Guess I am lost on what is left to do for the grant requirements? Just tell are there 10 items or 5 items that your hands need to touch to finish grant money. And must you finish with one grant to be able to apply for another grant? Does seem likely Cross House would be given more grants so what has been started will be fully completed. And what about making Cross House a museum? You have much material to make Cross House a museum. I know some one that started a museum and got one dollar short of a million funding a museum. This would be a great thing for the future of the house when you leap into your next journey. Just thinking…..
Great news, and glad US Heritage came through for you! Tai was the one who helped me out too.
As they probably explained, and you may already be aware, you need to remove existing mortar to a depth of at least twice the joint width to get a solid bond between the new mortar and brick.
Lastly, I think the pink color was used to de-emphasize the mortar joints against the brick and give a more monolithic, massive appearance to the chimney. Same reason the mortar joints are generally pretty narrow.
Ross, Thank you! I used to get lime mortars from Virginia Lime Works, but they went out of business before I could finish repointing my foundation. Now I know where else I can go to get it!
O.k. I cant sleep and I am tired of the news, so I am revisiting your blogs. I think maybe 30 , no? I see “mauve ” in number 41. The mortar in the first up close photo looks like it was painted pink over a more orangy original mortar base. To me anyway.
I am a hair stylist who loves working with color, though I am now bored as hell since I am “non-essential” at the moment. 😵 So I am scraping paint from a cabin at the back of our property and trying to pretend I am you, Ross. Lol. But only with ladders…no scaffolding!
Some day down the road you might try dry ice blasting on the brick. It’s gentler than sand and there is nothing to clean up since it just evaporates. It may or may not take the paint off and likely won’t harm the brick.
When I first saw pictures of the house I knew someone had painted that brick. such a shame. You can never paint brick to look like brick. And I truly hate painted bricks (or stone), no matter what color. Because it is an irreversible process. You can never remove all of the paint and restore the original finish.