The Project
This project involved the full restoration of a late 19th-century brick façade in the King West area of Toronto. When work began, scaffolding was installed and the exterior siding was removed to expose the original brickwork. Once uncovered, it became clear that the masonry was in extremely poor condition—the siding itself was effectively the only thing preventing the façade from collapsing.
The approach
The wall was carefully dismantled brick by brick, a process that required extra caution due to its instability. Once the failing masonry was removed, rebuilding began using custom-mixed lime mortar and new heritage-style molded brick.
Brick was loaded to the scaffold using a homemade brick basket, and the first courses of masonry were laid. Concrete block was installed around grade level to provide a durable base. Mortar joints were carefully tooled and brushed to achieve a traditional finish.
The detail
To recreate the façade’s historic character, brick was laid out in advance to determine the bonding pattern for the polychromatic jack arches. Each arch was constructed by hand, including a large jack arch above the main floor window. Above the arches, a checkerboard detail panel was built using alternating rock-face headers and inset smooth headers, creating a distinctive contrast.
Indiana limestone sills were installed at each window opening to complete the masonry detailing.
In just two weeks, the façade was transformed from one of the most deteriorated on the street into one of the most striking. The project restored both the structural integrity and historic character of the building.
Work completed by Toronto Masonry Restoration.
Watch a short video on this project below: