Dear (Contact First Name),
In this issue, our Case Study article features our recent restoration of an 8-story brick high rise apartment building in downtown Lynn, MA. Interestingly, we had originally done some minor repairs to the building back in the 1960s have come full circle to restore the facade for the current owner. Our Masonry 101 article discusses the importance of using a compatible mortar mix in restoration of historic masonry buildings.
We trust that you will benefit from the information provided in this publication. If you have any comments or questions, or would like an estimate on a masonry repair project, we can be reached at 617-445-0274 or at www.abbotbuilding.com. Sincerely,
Michael Norman, President
Abbot Building Restoration Co., Inc.
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Abbot Restores 8-Story Brick High Rise Apartment Building in Lynn, MA
Comes Full Circle 50 Years Later
 Harbor Loft Apartments is an elegant 8-story brick high-rise apartment building located at the corner of Washington and Broad Streets in downtown Lynn, MA. When the building was converted to public housing back in the 1960's, Abbot became involved with some minor repairs at that time. Coincidentally, Abbot has come full circle some 50 years later, and was recently contracted by the current building owner to perform maintenance on Washington Street elevation that was experiencing severe water penetration around the windows and masonry.
The contract called for Abbot to cut out and repoint the masonry on the top five floors where the most severe water damage had occurred. Also, as a previous contractor has resealed the windows improperly, Abbot removed the defective sealant around multiple joints on each window -- metal to masonry, metal to metal, and metal to glass - and removed all of the remaining residue. Abbot then resealed the affected locations with a high-grade polyurethane sealant to match the original color around the exterior of the windows. Finally, Abbot applied a clear water repellant to help protect the masonry surfaces.
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Importance of Using Compatible Mortar Mixes in Historic Masonry Buildings
Historic buildings are very different than modern buildings in several key ways:
- First, historic brick--in particular--is softer than modern brick because modern brick is fired at a much higher temperature than was possible in the past.
- Second, portland cement is used in most modern buildings but wasn't even available in the United States until 1871.
- Third, historic masonry buildings were designed to absorb water and then release it, as opposed to modern building technology, which emphasizes waterproofing.
Because of these differences, it is very important to use compatible materials during restoration as an incompatible mortar can destroy a historic masonry structure. Modern mortar mixes are made with portland cement, which is quick-setting, inexpensive, and strong. However, portland cement can do a lot of damage to a historic building that was originally pointed with lime mortar. Portland cement is generally more rigid and less permeable than the historic masonry units, so cement mortars can cause damage to the brick and/or stone during expansion and contraction. On the other hand, lime mortar is more flexible, and its lower compressive strength allows the historic masonry units to expand and contract without being damaged.
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Trapped moisture in portland cement joints causes tremendous damage in this brick wall
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Lime mortar also allows water to pass in and out of the joints, which means that water will not get trapped in the brick or the stone. Portland cement mortars are unable to wick water out of the walls, so water gets trapped and instead escapes through the historic stone or brick. This damages the building units as the water pressure can build up in the masonry unit to the point where the face of the brick or the stone can protrude, exposing the inside of the unit and making it more vulnerable to continued deterioration.
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Abbot Building Restoration Company, Inc.
28 Allerton Street, Boston, MA 02119
Tel: 617-445-0274 · Fax: 617-445-0277
info@abbotbuilding.com · www.abbotbuilding.com
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Featured Articles
Case Study
Abbot recently restored the facade of an 8-story brick high rise apartment building in downtown Lynn, MA. Abbot had worked on the same building 50 years ago.
See full article below
Masonry 101
It is important to use a compatible mortar mix in restoration of historic masonry buildings.
See full article below
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New Abbot Facebook URL
We are pleased to announce that Abbot now has a new dedicated URL to allow easy access to our Facebook page:
Visit us at:
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