The project
This project involved the complete dismantling and rebuilding of two Victorian-era façades in Toronto. Both façades were taken down carefully and reconstructed using traditional materials and heritage masonry techniques.
The Approach
For the rebuild, we used heritage-style molded brick from England known as Ibstock Heritage Red Blend, paired with custom-mixed lime mortar to ensure compatibility with historic construction methods.
Challenges
Once the original façades were dismantled, work began by rebuilding the stone foundation. From there, the brickwork was rebuilt course by course. When reconstructing historic façades like these, it’s rarely safe to assume the structure behind the wall is perfectly plumb. In this case, the gable of the house was out by roughly three inches over a span of ten feet. As heritage masons, part of the job is carefully working around these irregularities so that the finished façade appears straight, balanced, and visually correct.
Traditional Techniques
Mortar joints were finished using traditional techniques: tooled with a slicker and then brushed back with a stiff churn brush to expose the aggregate and achieve the proper historic texture.
Preserving Original Materials
The existing Credit Valley stone sills were stripped of paint and relaid as part of the restoration, preserving original materials wherever possible.
Once the masonry work was complete, the scaffolding was removed to reveal the finished façades. The transformation is striking—from worn and deteriorated brickwork to two rebuilt Victorian façades that restore the architectural character of the building.
Work completed by Toronto Masonry Restoration.
You can watch a short video of this project below: