Peach lime sand pointing

Here is further evidence of early peach lime sand pointing in Fremantle

Peach sand ocre coloured limestone pointing

Here we have some non hydraulic peach lime sand mortar of the Fremantle vernacular taken from the wall only 50 metres away. Other ingredients were added but this mortar would not have the accelerated setting of modern mortar allowing for striking etc

Peach sand used in limestone pointing

Here we have what was common in older stonework around Perth. This high clay sand mixed with slaked lime putty to produce an ochre coloured mix common in bagging and white washes of Rottnest etc.

I dare say all of it was burnt in a wood fire, then the rocks slaked but the burnt 'lime sand' with the associated clay mixed with the slaked lime and possibly some conch.

Dry laid limestone rubble wall

This not a real dry stone rubble. It is laid with mortar behind. To hold it together.

Hand axed random limestone

This was called bookleaf but I believe it  is more just axed random.
Bookleaf is much thinner with no mortar joint.
Notice this stone was laid with water line laid face out horizontal.

Dry stone rubble

Dry stone rubble cracked and laid

Biscuit stone and lime wash

Here is typical stone that would have made up the wash vernacular to Fremantle or Rottnest. It has some clay content which essentially makes it a form of cement when slaked. A lot of this stone sits alluvial with pinjar stone

Sculptured limestone dry wall

Limestone rubble dry wall
At last it appears someone has had a go with lime sand; I think.
You see in some of the more alluvial some remenants of clay which gave us some of the peach lime mortar we see today.
Ash left over from the slaking in the lime sand would have knocked back the brightness but I also like to dash it aggregates to give it more the biscuit colour of origin both wet and dry.

Stone pier bookend

Here we can see where a large stone is placed as a butress book end to support feature entrance wall

Recycled stone feature dwarf entrance wall

Here a maspn has used stones from cemetry with some jewels installed into the wall.  A great outcome

Feature stone wall dry graite art

This feature entry wall utilises some old cemetery stone with some crystals etc.
Western Australia

Fremantle prison pointing & repairs - The good, the bad & the ugly

Here we have Fremantle prison with the old, the horrible & some new repairs.

The new repair is lime mortar but probably with standard purchased sand where as the original pointing is a mix made from the limestone which was quarried from the hill. You can see the original really matches the stone

& has a simple strike.

Original peach lime mortar on rubble

It amazes me that people are so obsessed with cement mortar in pointing stone.  Here is what was a wash house Id say. Oh, thats another story, Wish id taken a photo of Nanas wash house before it was dismantled.

Any rate here is an original example of peach mortar to match back with darker stone etc. Non-hydraulic mortar is so nice to use. Cement mortar goes off so fast and when it does it cant really be woken up with out issues.

The mortar in this stone would be potentially 200 years old when most modern houses are knocked down after 30 years of age.

If I have posted this before, forgive me, its my fav

Its original house

Original hand cut surface stones - mortar colour

This is my happy place. I went down thinking about this place to Freo and it took me there.

These are all original. Probably loose stones in surface sand hand cut and the mortar reflects it. These stones slaked would give the mortar the peach colour.

The mortar is also dressed with poor mans tuck pointing which uses the iron to produce the recess then the ribbon is actually painted in probably with a linseed made paint.

Id love a place like this.  The sound on the boards, just like grandpas shop, again

Fremantle stone pointing - The real mix

Today I went down to Freo again in search of my happy place again.  I discovered amongst all the bastardry some original pointing.

Notice the mortar is matched nearly to the stone. Its very simply struck but it looks great. Notice its aged together really well. The peach loam soil mixed with it would increase the strength of the mortar

This is like art to me.  Mixing this correct is no easy feat..

Wish I was there in the time they did it; well, for a week.

#fremantle