Loose mortar has been carefully chiseled away and a color matched hydraulic lime mortar is tooled into the joint.

This eighteenth century springhouse has almost no mortar left between the rocks.  Old stone walls were often built to stand without mortar but the mortar is necessary to keep out weather, vermin and water that can cause failure in the long run.

The proper mortar joint for this work is a protruding v-shaped joint that prevents water infiltration.

The wrong mortar combined with moisture from the basement caused the mortar to fail along the basement ceiling level.  Non-breathable portland-based mortar was used below this line.

Unlike stone masonry, brick construction depends on mortar for its structural integrity.  Not much chiseling was involved here, however below this area, the portland mortar removal can be labor-intensive.

Several withes of brick had all but fallen out of this corner.  Fortunately, it was laid 4 withes thick.

The foundation wall of the 1803 addition to this house had collapsed.

The foundation stones were labeled and removed.  A concrete footer was poured below grade and the stones were then relaid exactly as they were originally and reinforced from behind with a concrete wall.

 Fortunately this wall is still in good shape.

A few remnants of the old mortar allowed us to match the mortar color.

Not only is this an example of a sloppy job, but the mortar is too hard for the material and traps moisture inside the foundation.  This is a feature commonly found on stonework we encounter. 

A decorative built up joint was used here to match an early twentieth century technique used in a retaining wall.  Two color matched mortars and a custom made pointing tool were used to achieve this profile. 

Bricks were recycled and cleaned from an earlier walkway to create one that will last a lifetime.

A combination of interesting antique pavers and limestone were used here to create a unique patio.