- Stonemasons Inverness
- Building restorations Inverness
- Stone carving Inverness
- Pointing Inverness
- Stonemasonry Inverness
- Stone work Inverness
G. Laing Stonecraft Gallery
As you will discover from the pictures below, our main objectives are restoration and conservation of old sandstone buildings and monuments. From replacing corner stones and mouldings to carving new floral decorative works or lettering. Another big part of restoration work lies in renewing of old mortars, which have lost their adhesion, structure or have quite simply been washed out over time.
Since we are now more aware of the destructive qualities of cerment especially when combined with soft sandstone, our mortars are mixed using lime, whether Hydraulic or in putty form. So, by analysing the materials to be built or pointed we can determine the types and strength of lime mortars to be used.
The first picture shows the extent of water damage to the sandstone tracery windows of Marischal College in Aberdeen.
New tracery indents hand carved and fixed in to match existing stones. Stainless steel pins are used to help fix the new sections and a runny lime mortor mix is made to grout the back of the new tracery sections. The new window panes are pointed in using sand mastic.
The typically dull red colour of standstone seen here on the Stonehaven Town Hall. was very difficult to match with the colours of stone we have available to us today. Its nature is to flake off from the front to a depth of 10/20mm back, mostly on the ashlar sections. The new sections were made Course Hill Standstone.
These are some examples of floral finial carvings, from the old worn finial, the block of stone from which the new will be carved and new finials.
In days gone by masons would have hewed these finials completely by hand. Fortunately these days, we can use grinderettes, air tools, tungston tipped chisels to help us do the work quicker whilst retaining the quality and sharpness.
The clock tower is the last remaining section of The old Aberlour Orphanage, which has now been completely surrounded by new housing.
The Tower had been pointed in a cement mortar which damages the stonework. It was picked, washed down and re-pointed in lime putty, sand and aggregate mix. Choosing the correct lime mortar is essential in improving and prolonging the life of the building.
Hand carved unicorn plaque, built in situ at Gordenston School.
Typical Celtic cross gravestone
This is the floral carving on St Giles church in Elgin. Which is a copy of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates erected in 2002.
More floral Finials. The old and new pepper pot finials, hand carved, ready for delivery. Clashach sandstone.
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This is a hand moulded clay model of a cooper and barrel, standing one metre high. The model is to be used as a template for carving a 2 metre high sandstone statue for one of the Distilleries.
This is the Telford Bridge Monument, made from 2 colours of granite stones shaped to resemble one of the Bridge Towers, sitting on a bed of Caithness Slate with brass plaque to commemorate the great Thomas Telford.
The Clashach sandstone statue was carved for a private customer. It's a one metre high effigy of a Thai Goddess, positioned to sit at the entrance of a private house showing its welcoming posture. All the mason had to copy was a 200mm high wooden ornament.