Project Overview
This brownstone at 1672 10th Ave needed serious attention on the front stoop, both sides of the steps, and the retaining wall. Years of weathering had left the stone surfaces deteriorated and loose in places, so the work started from the ground up.
All damaged surfaces were cut back by hand using a toothed chisel, removing a minimum of one and a half inches of material down to a fully sound base. Nothing loose was left behind. Once the substrate was clean and solid, the surface was washed with water and a soft brush to prepare it for the coats to follow.
A thin slurry coat was brushed on first and worked vigorously into the surface to create a strong bond. From there, scratch coats were pressed in while the slurry was still moist, with each coat scored before it dried to give the next layer something to grip. No individual coat exceeded three-eighths of an inch, and two to four hours were allowed between applications to let each layer set properly.
The finishing coat was mixed to match the color and texture of the original brownstone. Surface treatment was carried out while the patch was at leather hardness, using methods like damp sponging, dry toweling with a wooden float, and acid etching to match the existing stone tooling as closely as possible.
