Sandstone (?) Bay Window - what now?!

[JoeDV]

Hi all,

I'm looking for help on rennovating my bay window. So far
I've scraped off all loose paint and also raked out some joins between the stone blocks where the mortar was either loose or non existent.

In particular, there are two issues I would really appreciate some advice on, as it has left me a little perplexed javascript:emoticon('')

PROBLEM 1 - THE BALCONY & PAINTING THE STONE

As you can see from the pics, the house has a sort of balcony at the top. Problem is that, with all the paint taken off, it became clear that it was pretty much only the paint that was holding it together. Now many of the pillars can be completely detached (see pic#2). There are also gaps between the bricks and some have partially crumbled. My questions are:

1. How should I reattach the pillars? What sort of mortar should I use
2. How should I seal the stone before painting - it looks like sandstone to me (I could be wrong). Any advice?

pic #1 - bay window

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• JoeDV
• 3 Aug 2011
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pic #2 - pillars coming off

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• JoeDV
• 3 Aug 2011
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pic #3 - gaps in sandstone (?)

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• JoeDV
• 3 Aug 2011
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pic #4 - gaps in sandstone (?)

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• JoeDV
• 3 Aug 2011
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PROBLEM 2 - WINDOW SURROUND

I have also chipped off some very loose concrete that a previous owner had clearly used to fix the window surround/sill. As you can see, the surface is now uneven, with gaps that need filling between the stone. I'm thinking of making a cast and using concrete. Does that sound right? If so, any advice to help it bond better this time?

pic 5 - window corner

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• JoeDV
• 3 Aug 2011
• 1

pic 6 - window detail

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• JoeDV
• 3 Aug 2011
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Thanks!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Looks a bit dangerous to me, wouldn't like to think I was a passer by at a lower level!
TBH, it looks like it's had it's time especially the top rails of the balustrade.
I would dismantle the lot, save what you can and replace the top rails for new. Normal mortar will do the job.
Repairing the broken cill, I would pin it, then use epoxy resin for bond it, then lay and point up.

 

[stuart45]

Painting stonework will usually make it deteriorate quicker as moisture and salts are trapped.
Siloxane sealers are better as they allow breathing.

 

[JoeDV]

@PrenticeBoyofDerry - cheers for that. I've actually take a lot of the balcony down, so it's no longer a health risk! But the blocks still seem in good condition. Surely it's possible to fix them up again? I read in other places that lime mortar might be do the job? Thanks for the advice re the cill - although if anyone has other suggestions, would be interested to hear them.

[EDIT - ah.. I've just got you. You mean keep the stone pillars and replace the blocks with new ones.. right, that makes sense to me..]

@Stuart45 - I presume you mean don't paint the stone at all? The thing is not one house on the street has bare stone - and I don't have time to sandblast it all clean - so I've kind of decided I'm going to paint it. The question then is what is the best thing to do - even if, as you say, it's not ideal. Thanks tho..

 

[Nige F]

www.celticsustainables.co.uk

 

[misterhelpful]

Try searching for 'stone repair mortar'. There are various types available for the likes of bathstone, sandstone, limestone etc.

I've seen sandstone bay repairs done with them to an excellent standard, but as far as bonding seperate elements for structural stability goes, I'm not sure how well they would fare.

In all honesty, as far as painting goes, it is far better to leave the stonework natural but in this case that wouldn't be feasible as the repairs would probably not blend in too well. Many big brand masonry paints, such as Sandtex, now claim to be breathable - they also do Integrasil which is specifically for this type of work but I've never seen it anywhere. You could also try something like Earthborn.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

[EDIT - ah.. I've just got you. You mean keep the stone pillars and replace the blocks with new ones.. right, that makes sense to me..]

Yes replace the top rails of the balustrade (pillars) as they look to have had their day, there maybe some that can be re-used. But your going to be left a bit of mixed bag of coloured stone. I prefer the look of natural but if the colour tones are not the same it wont look well.
So if it's not a complete replace, I would consider painting as mentioned in a prior post there are many industrial masonry paints that can be used, some are breathable and cone with guarantees of up to 25 years.
Stonelux is my favourite as you can add minerals to the paint to give it a more stone effect not only in look but by touch to.
But it don't come cheap, other option could be keim.

 

[JoeDV]

@misterhelpful & @PrenticeBoyofDerry- thanks, both of those posts are really helpful & have given me some good starting points. Appreciated.