mortar projects
university of notre dame
morris inn
Built in 1950, one of the most prestigious and recognizable buildings on campus, the Morris Inn was scheduled for renovation in 2012. The Northeast wall was resurfaced, and a new South wing was constructed with a fine grain wire-cut textured brick in a blend of orange, brown, grey and cream colors.
Once completed, the older West wall would suffer by comparison. The old brick had a grey color range with a coarse grain - much less attractive than the blend of new brick to the East. In addition, the mortar on the older section did not match well and needed to be stained.
The mortar was stained first to match. Then, using multiple recipes, each brick was stained a specific color strategically to match the new blend.
The result was a spectacular match, a spectacular building, and a 2013 Excellence in Construction Award from the Michiana Area Construction Industry Advancement Fund.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
The wrong mortar color on the top ten courses above the arch ruined the appearance of this home, even though the bricks are identical
With the new mortar stained to match the existing, the line between new and old disappears - problem solved!
AESTHETICALLY IMPROVING A MASONRY REPAIR
What an embarrassment! The replacement brick were close to a match but the mortar lines in the repaired areas are an obvious different color and size from the rest of the wall.
How does one compensate the homeowner for this ugliness? Who would want to live with this day after day?
Darken the mortar, adjust the color of the brick, and color the outer edges of the mortar to better blend with the brick.
All thanks to the staining system that's Still the Best in the business.
