We have observed that on many buildings from the Victorian period in Toronto there is a finishing application that is often original to the building construction. This finish includes a coloured pointing of the joints (stopping), a staining of the surface (colour washing) and the application of a slim and regular representation of mortar joints that replicates fine, gauged brickwork (penciling).Working together with Paul Goldsmith of Heritage Restoration, we have reproduced this process on a recent project using a series of in-situ tests applied to sample areas of brickwork.This finishing approach may be used in future conservation work as part of the repair of existing masonry.
