bathstone repair

[plasticpigeon]

I will have to do some of this sometime, maybe next summer, or the next, or the next, who knows, but I am wondering what is the best product to use for a plastic repair. Lithomex or Rowlands premix? It would be really nice if the repair could be carved when set and isn't too gritty. The builders I used put a bit of Rowlands premix on my sills very badly and it doesn't look very good, and seems to disintegrate when I try and shape it now it is set. However they could have been using a bag that was 20 years old. Lithomex look like impressive stuff from the stuff I've seen on the internet. Does anyone have 1st hand experience??

 

[Moo]

I'm bumping this back up to the top out of a mixture of solidarity with a fellow terrace dweller and a purely selfish need for the answer - it'll be on our 'to do' list for 2013.

 

[TheForge]

How badly eroded is the stone? Just surface damage might be able to be covered with a shelter coat, more extensive damage will need some form of mortar mix.

You could easily mix something yourself with some lime putty, sand and some stone dust. Bathstone is basically oolitic limestone and you can buy bags of oolitic stone dust at various grades from Limebase. Limebase also provide pre mixed repair mortars which I think are considerably cheaper than Lithomex and possibly more authentic as Lithomex is basically white whereas Limebase do a Bathstone coloured pre mix.

http://www.limebase.co.uk/index.php?page=stone-repair-mortars-and-shelter-coats

 

[DJH]

Limebase. A very good small company in rural Somerset whom I've dealt with for many years.

 

[TheForge]

Limebase. A very good small company in rural Somerset whom I've dealt with for years.

Indeed they are, and luckily just a couple of miles from us!

 

[plasticpigeon]

My stone has a few corners missing on the corbels under window cappings, and some got damaged when the builders (who claimed to be stonemasons) tried to clean them. They blasted some holes in some of the stonework with a doff or jos cleaner or whatever vicious thing it was. Some need a thin layer to be built up on the surface, and some need holes filling and corners to be remade. I am nervous of adding sand unless it is really fine as it will be hard to get it to blend in I think, just as it is hard to blend in new lime plaster with old. Would stone dust and lime without sand be ok or too weak??? Anyone know what lithomex is???

 

[TheForge]

Lithomex is just a bagged pre mixed mortar from St Astaire I think of lime and aggregate.

Lime and stone dust might be too weak, try a small test piece as an experiment.

 

[DJH]

You must have recognised a few of those pics I've posted on the Rainwater Pipes Topic then TheForge

 

[TheForge]

I'm struggling to recognise too many! One might be the old Clarks factory at Sea and the church might possibly be St Mary's in Ilminster??

 

[DJH]

Yes, the old Clarks factory is in the background view of many of the pictures as the workshop was in the old Standard factory and you're right about the church. I have some idea where you are from your login name.

Later edit......
I renewed the lead on the Minster on the North and South aisles, the Chantry and Vestry roofs. I read some time back that the lead had been stolen from the Vestry roof and I have to say I took that very personally :evil: as I redesigned the roof forming new gutters with a detail at the pitch of the roof to make the bay sizes smaller by making a wide capping with welted joints and still keeping the roof out of sight from below.