Promoting Historic Masonry Repair through Education and Relationships
Restoration professionals don’t always know who to turn to when planning historic masonry repair. Unfortunately, most manufacturers of general masonry products are ill equipped to advise them. This leads to bad choices that can cost time and money and cause even experienced restoration professionals to harm the structures they intend to protect.
Here are some of the most common mistakes caused by misinformation or ignorance:
Using acidic cleaners that eat away at surface and substrate
Patching with materials that trap water with impermeable synthetics
Employing a one-size-fits-all mortar that’s incompatible to a particular type of stone
Working with chisels that cause a heavy-handed treatment of delicate carvings
And more …
The good news is that these mistakes can be prevented with a little education in historic masonry repair.
We host several events throughout the year for specifiers, engineers, architects, contractors, and other preservation professionals:
Lunch and Learns
Popular Lunch and Learns with Cathedral Stone Products
Busy restoration professionals appreciate the chance to learn about historic masonry repair without having to leave their office. This program has proven especially popular with architects and engineers, who typically spend little or no time on job sites during the masonry repair work.
One-Day Hands-On Workshops
Again, our target audience for these events is architects, engineers, and specifiers. And just as the title suggests, these are hands-on—participants get their hands dirty with their own masonry block to work on as they learn about Jahn Mortars and Grouts and other Cathedral Stone products. (Architects can receive AIA/CEU Learning Units and HSW Credits upon request.)
Jahn Certification in Masonry Restoration Workshops
This one is for those who will actually be working with the Jahn Mortar under real conditions. Certification is required to even purchase some of our mortars (M70, M100, M120, and M160). Masons work toward mastering traditional masonry repair methods for limestone, brownstone, terra cotta, marble, and granite. Our expert masons help take participants’ skills to the next level by giving them step-by-step instructions on how to achieve long lasting results and the best possible finished product.
Customer Site Visits (only available in certain regions—call to inquire: 410-782-9150)
Site visit by a Cathedral Stone Products Technical Specialist
Once projects are underway, the onsite learning begins. Sometimes we’ll send a field tech to assist with a new application or to troubleshoot problems. We always say that two things are required for a successful and long lasting masonry repair: compatible repair material and proper installation. Our products handle the first thing, and the other tech specialists and I like to do what we can to assist with the second.
For more information on our Lunch and Learns, Hands-On Workshops, and Jahn Certification Program, click here.
