Darkening/washing re-pointing?

[a twig]

Hi all,

Like an idiot I didn't check the stone used in my lime mortar, and it turned out it was portland. For most of the ashlar it is very thing (2-3mm) and isn't noticeable so I'm happy, however, the chimney was badly worn away from previous cement repointing so required a lot slapping in.

The chimney is Bath stone, so the (in places very thick) white pointing stands out a mile! It doesn't look horrendous, just a bit odd, but if anyone has any tips to take the brilliant whiteness off it so it blends in a little more (I've heard tea??) please share!

Thanks

 

[Keithj]

I've not tried tea (or coffee) on the pointing, but time does a great job.

We had some new stone cut in on the church, where the original was badly "fried". At the time it shone like a mustard plaster in a coal scuttle (© Kipling), but a year on it's already started to tone down and camouflage itself.

 

[mattice]

When we had our lime mortar matched they supplied a little bottle of solution with carbon like granules in it for the perfect match that you paint on afterwards. We didn't use it in the end. Seem to remember it comes in lots of shades at £10 a bottle, mail ordered from a place up near Middlesborough. I can't see it on their website but I'm sure if you gave them a call.

 

[middi]

I wouldn't worry too much about being too white ( as already mentioned by other posters). If you leave it be, acid rain, leached stones and a bit of air pollution will soon put a duller colour back in the sparkling white mortar ( a couple of years or so)
Middi

 

[Penners]

I agree. It's starkness will soon fade and mature. In the meantime, convince yourself that nobody but you will notice it for even a second.