Masonry Preservation: Stone

Whether a building is 25 or 125 years old, MPS’s dedication to no-compromise work ensures that its stonework can be successfully restored to its original elegance.

Elemental Restoration

MPS can repair, create, or reproduce any damaged stone building elements including decorative moldings, carvings, historical and aesthetic details, ornamental facades, and window details. If a stone surface requires restoration only, we can expertly refinish the stone and make “Dutchman” repairs as necessary. (Dutchman repairs involve introducing elements carved from existing stone back into damaged areas.)

Stone Fabrication

MPS can supply any project with faithful reproductions of existing stonework designed to the exact standards of the original piece. We proudly duplicate existing architectural elements and can also procure any stone needed for accurate historic restoration. Fabrication specialties include capitals, columns, carvings, floors, stairs, entrance facades, tracery, windows, and doorjambs.

Ornamental Restoration

The ravages of time can be especially damaging to intricate ornamental elements, including moldings, cornices, ceiling and wall details, and egg and dart moldings. Detail-oriented and dedicated the architectural integrity of every project we undertake, MPS can repair ornamental pieces in place or have them reproduced to any specifications.

Limestone Restoration

MPS offers comprehensive limestone/Indiana limestone restoration services, including limestone surface cleaning, limestone replacement, and limestone repair. Limestone units of any size can be entirely replaced or segmentally repaired using Dutchman repairs, patching, or repointing. MPS utilizes a wide variety of limestone surface cleaning treatments for varying degrees of surface staining or atmospheric dirt buildup.

  • Limestone Surface Cleaning: To successfully restore limestone surfaces, MPS employs a number of minimally invasive treatment techniques, including hot water washes, detergent cleanings, biological (anti-microbial) cleaning, and water misting. Especially difficult surface residue is removed using low-pressure micro-air abrasion. Any surface cleaning work is first performed on sample sections before being applied throughout.
  • Limestone Replacement & Repair: Depending on damage levels, MPS can replace entire limestone blocks and/or restore block sections using Dutchman repairs. Retooling, patching, and repointing are also utilized in less-deteriorated limestone areas.

If entire limestone replacement blocks are needed, MPS will take great care to locate limestone which matches existing block as closely as possible. After installation, all surfaces can be carved and tooled to match the profiles and textures of the original limestone surfaces.

In the event of repointing, all mortar joints are raked out to at least 2-1/2 times their width and repointed with custom color-matched mortar. Smaller patchwork is filled with similarly customized mortar.