Chalmers Masonry and Conservation

Stonemasonry Service

Over the centuries, stonemasonry has been used to create buildings, monuments and sculptures.

At Chalmers Masonry Conservation all our stonemasons are trained in a range of conservation practices and traditional heritage skills and techniques.

Our knowledge is applied across a wide variety of projects, ranging from traditional hand carved masonry to the realisation of full-scale building repair projects. All our work is finished to high standards by our experienced craftsmen. Work is produced to individual design requirements and fixed accordingly. Our masons are fully cathedral trained and have worked on historic and new buildings all over Scotland, while always ensuring the quality of the work done is of the highest standards.

Conservation Works

All conservation work is carried out in a manner sensitive to the project, be that a Cathedral, a Manor House or a monument.

Work includes surveying, report and specification writing, consolidation, repair work and indenting. We work with lime based products all in accordance with The Scottish Lime Centre specifications for lime mortars, and are proud to work with specialist companies developing materials and techniques for the conservation of our heritage.

We can provide expertise in various disciplines with a practical and informed approach of historic building repairs.

Chalmers Masonry Conservation provides a professional service in conservation, repair and replacement of stone sculptures, manufacturing of new sculptural commissions in stone, traditional hand carved lettering. Our experienced team of stonemasons can offer solutions to conservation problems ranging from sensitive repairs to sculptures to complete replacements of heavily decayed stone work.

We are perfectionists and take great pride in all work we carry out.

Stone Replacements & Repairs

Sometimes stone replacement is not achievable for all due to different factors including timescales, costs and accessibility etc. While we most likely prefer to replace damaged or deteriorated stone, sometimes we use other methods such as part indenting the damaged section of stone or take the decayed surface back to a “sound” surface of the stone and then apply a lime based material called lithomex. Lithomex has a wide range of colours to match most natural sandstone. This is a more cost effective option for stone repairs.

Lime Pointing

Lime mortar is an extremely important material in stone structures and buildings. When specified and used in the correct manor can help maintain the fabric of the building and preserve the natural lifetime of the stone. Unlike inappropriate cement based and other impermeable products that do not allow the stone to breath via the joints and beds causing the stone to decay and weather at a far faster rate. Cement based products are so tough they do not allow moisture to leave the building again causing the stonework to do a lot more work than it should thus speeding up the deterioration and weathering of the stone.

Lime Harling, Render & Limewashing

Like many traditional building materials, lime harling and other forms of lime-based renders and limewashes are breathable to a certain degree and can help to manage the effects of moisture on masonry walls. Effectively allowing the wall to breath. The additional layer generally reduces the depth of rainwater penetration through the masonry, while the lime itself promotes evaporation from the underlying wall and from the harling itself under drying conditions. The damage which can be caused to traditional buildings by the use of modern cement based and other impermeable coatings is now well recognised. If correctly specified and used, lime harling can provide an attractive and durable, weather-protective coating to most traditional buildings.

Maintenance & Preventative Works

Care and maintenance work preserves the features and systems of a building or structure that protect its fabric from environmental conditions. Our experience is that investment in regular surveys and localised repairs can reduce the need for major works in the future. Chalmers Masonry Conservation offers a range of services in this area.