Rock House, Calton Hill | Restoration Case Study

Our role: Specialist masonry and lime contractor
Client: Private client
Value: Under £0.5m
Programme: May to September 2015
Scope: Removal of cement render, repointing and dubbing out in lime, stone indents, lime finishing coats, limewash, roof skew details, external repainting

Rock House stands on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, a stone-built house of random rubble masonry with slated roofs, chimneys and stone-dressed windows. Its private owner appointed us to strip back the cement render that had been applied to the walls, repair the rubble masonry beneath it in traditional lime, and finish the south front in limewash, working from access scaffold to the east gable and south elevation.

The challenge

Cement render and cement pointing had been applied across the walls, sealing in moisture and hiding the true state of the masonry. Only once it was removed could the stone behind be assessed, and voids, undulating faces and defective window jambs came to light. The walls are random rubble, so every repair had to be fitted to irregular stones, and the lime mortars needed to be matched to the existing masonry without trapping damp. Access to the gable and chimney also had to be arranged around the roof and a constrained hillside site.

Our solution

Scaffold was erected to the east gable and chimney and the south front. Cement render was cut back by hand to a sound stone face, and hard cement pointing was chiselled out to the lime mortars beneath. Loose debris was dry brushed off and the walls were washed down before repair. Voids found behind the render were deep packed with lime mortar and stone pinnings, and the east gable was repointed in traditional lime with new pinnings. On the south front the undulating wall face was dubbed out in lime, pressing back high points and filling low points, before a hand cast lime tack coat and finishing coats were applied to an even texture. Defective window jambs were cut out and replaced with new stone to match, a stone arch link was taken down and the roof skews were reslated with lead soakers and lime flaunching. The south elevation was finished in limewash and external joinery was repainted.

Outcomes

Cement render removed

Failed cement coatings stripped back to sound stone and lime mortar.

Breathable lime repairs

Voids packed and walls dubbed out and repointed in traditional lime.

Stonework renewed where needed

Defective window jambs and dressings replaced with matching new stone.

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