The Project
You can’t buy happiness—but you can certainly pay us to restore your Victorian brick façade. While I can’t speak from experience as the client, I’m told it feels wonderful. Like finding money in the pocket of an old jacket.
This Victorian brick façade restoration project in Toronto began with a common problem we see in older masonry buildings. At some point in the 20th century the brick had been painted. Later, likely in the 1970s, the paint was removed by sandblasting. While sandblasting was a common method at the time, it damages the protective outer face of brick. Once that hard fired surface is removed, the brick becomes porous and begins to deteriorate much more quickly.
The homeowner had grown tired of constantly sweeping up pieces of brick that were falling from the wall. Sometimes it was small flakes. Other times the entire face of a brick would detach. Over the years some bricks had been replaced, but spot repairs could not stop the ongoing deterioration.
The approach
At that point the only long-term solution was a full Victorian brick façade rebuild.
Our Toronto Masonry Restoration team carefully dismantled the entire façade. During the dismantling process we discovered that there was not enough sound brick to salvage and reuse, so we opted to rebuild the façade using all new heritage-style molded brick.
Materials
The rebuild was completed using buff-coloured lime mortar, which is historically appropriate for Victorian masonry and allows the brickwork to properly breathe and move over time.
All plinths, rock-faced brick, and voussoirs for the arches were custom cut on site by our masons to match the original architectural details. We also installed new Indiana limestone window sills to restore the façade to its proper historic appearance.
Projects like this are a reminder that proper masonry restoration requires both craftsmanship and an understanding of historic building materials. When done correctly, a restored Victorian brick façade can last another century.