Matching brick and stone to recreate an identical set of limestone bay windows
This house had been extended several times before without much regard to the existing structure. When it came time to extend it yet again, the brief was to rectify and improve things.
Matching the brickwork was the first challenge. The old imperial facing brick was no longer available, not even in reclamation yards. Past contractors had used metric bricks which looked totally wrong. We decided on an imperial LBC heather brick which worked best with the gauge of the original building.
The existing building also had a double set of limestone bay windows we needed to reproduce. Our stone masons made up two sets of limestone cills, heads and jams to match the profile of the existing building. The stone sections were drilled, dowelled and chem-fixed in place. The effect of the bay windows is very striking and they blend in perfectly.
Through our network of contacts and specialist trades we can match materials and techniques as closely as possible to achieve the best look for your build or conservation project.
Blending old and new is a huge part of the extension work, new building and conservation we specialise in. We get huge satisfaction from matching our work to an original, or bringing something old back to life.
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This was a building that had changed uses several times and because of this had been added to in the form of extensions and new dwellings. Unfortunately some of the work hadn’t been carried out in a very sensitive manner in relation to the original building.
The old imperial facing brick on the original building after much searching through reclamation yards we determined was now unobtainable. The building had been previously extended in a metric LBC heather facing brick. After much consultation with the client we decided to use an imperial LBC heather brick. This would therefore match the gauge of the original building and blend the three additions together to look more unified.
The original building was constructed with a fantastic double fronted limestone bay window. It was therefore critical that the appearance of the new extension matched the bay perfectly in terms of size, profile and authenticity. Our stone masons profiled the original pattern of the bay windows and produced an exact copy out of limestone.
The brickwork was built to the same height and profile of the original and then our specialist team set about fitting the various components. The cills, jams and heads are extremely heavy and the tolerances for fitting very small. It is therefore imperative that you have an experienced team and the correct lifting gear when carrying out a job of this nature.
The components have to be marked out and measured very carefully as each section has to be drilled and dowelled to ensure strength and stability. This is a very time consuming job, as there is a tolerance of one or two millimetres when fitting, to achieve the perfect appearance. The limestone is also very brittle and delicate on contact, so a great deal of patience is needed when fitting.
If you do happen to chip or damage a stone or bay window of this nature, our specialist team can carry out the necessary repairs or profile and fit new stones if necessary.
The bay windows were constructed and fitted to match the originals perfectly, providing a fantastic visual frontage.
Blending and matching old and new materials is a huge part of extension work, new build and conservation in which we specialise. We get a huge amount of satisfaction in matching something new that we build to an original, or bringing something old back to life.
Given a clear brief, through our network of contacts we can match or get the nearest alternative to achieve the best look for your build or conservation project. We are a company that appreciates the small detail and the impact that it will have upon the finished product.
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