# Mortar Matching Service



## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

Hello All,

Been enjoying the recent discussions, just not time to participate much. I have lots of questions but I will just ask one semi urgent one. 

I have a lady who has a historical wall (ie early 1900's) which was partially destroyed by a well meaning habitat for humanity truck. I can salvage the brick, but I need mortar that matches EXACTLY. 

I am familiar with US Heritage and their mortar matching service but find that they are quite expensive. Something like $750 just to figure out what is in it. I figured since habitat for humanity was paying for all of this I would check to see if anyone knows of another place that would do a good job but charge a reasonable amount.

Thanks

Tim Newcome
Aiken Brick Creations


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## jvcstone (Apr 4, 2005)

Hi Tim 

Don't know if any of this will be of value or not.

Cathedral Stone Products, and Galloy & Van Etten are both companies that do some masonry matching. I have only used their stone patches, but I believe they work with mortar also. Should be able to google them up.

As a side note, even if you can match the components of the mortar 100%, my experience is you can't add in the 100 years of weathering. So if you can get the components close, you will still need to play around with it to get it looking like the undamaged part of the wall

JVC


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Where are you located? If you are in NJ I know an old Italian mason who can literally match anything. He has done it for me on a few jobs. He started his apprenticeship doing restoration work on the Colliseum in Rome.


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

jvcstone said:


> As a side note, even if you can match the components of the mortar 100%, my experience is you can't add in the 100 years of weathering. So if you can get the components close, you will still need to play around with it to get it looking like the undamaged part of the wall
> 
> JVC


By Playing around do you mean making samples and letting them dry out. Is there a trick to speed up the drying process maybe using a hair dryer or something? Otherwise the mortar doesn't really reach its final color for a long long time.

I acutally live in SC TimNJ.

Thanks,
Tim


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## jvcstone (Apr 4, 2005)

Tim, Somestimes it will take doing that. at other times, it means wiping something on the joint to stain/color it after it has tempered a bit. If you look closely at a section through the old mortar, you will see the weathering stain on the exposed surface, usually penetrating only a fraction of an inch. The rest of the mortar will be pretty much the color created by the mix of components used. It's that stain that one needs to get close to so the new work does not stand out like a sore thumb. I have on occassion used things like tea,/coffee, charcoal water, even just some loose dirt to help blend in the new with the old. This is where the playing around comes in- experiment in small out of the way areas before doing something to the entire wall. 
Of course, if you don't do anything but replicate the origonal mix, it will all pretty much even out naturally after 20 years or so.
JVC


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

JVC
Thanks for letting me glean from your experience. This is why these forums are so great people helping people. I have lots of questions about stone work as well and maybe later this weekend I will ask them in another thread. I really admire well laid stone. I have done "some" but know there are many little tricks of the trade that I do not know. I have purchased quite a few books to educate myself but nothing is as good as real advice from real people.

Thanks
Tim


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## Cole (Aug 27, 2004)

TimNJ said:


> He started his apprenticeship doing restoration work on the Colliseum in Rome.


No way, awesome.


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## two kids (Sep 17, 2004)

THE best way I have found to age or match a mortar is ....LINSEED OIL....it works to dull the color of the mortar , and In most cases will age it, because you can put on smaller and larger amounts to get a lighter or darker color.

Also if any one here lives in a freeing area of the country it will do away with those bright white frozen Joints as well, just take a little brush and brush on and rub with your finger , NOT A GLOVE, as the oil will put the color of the glove into the mortar.


Alsobe carefull how much you use a any one joint because a little goes a long way , and too much will almost turn a joint brown!!!!

HOPE THIS HELPS  :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

hmm will have to experiment

good tip 2kids

Tim


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## two kids (Sep 17, 2004)

lukachuki said:


> hmm will have to experiment
> 
> good tip 2kids
> 
> Tim



:thumbup: NO PROBLEM BUD! :thumbup: Anything I can do to help just ask.....I am sure I will need you guys one day as well :cheesygri


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