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!
