The brick lower level of the barn is unusual. However, it was in need of repair. Samples of mortar were remove and sent for analysis. It is important that the new mortar have a hardness that is a good match for the bricks. Also, a good color match is desired. Mortar was prepared to closely match the original.
The walls were three bricks thick, as can be seen in the photos of the southwest inner wall being repaired and the exterior wall work.
The most significant masonry was conversion of the door to the removed silo back to the original window.
The wood window casing and sandstone sill had been saved for the last roughly one hundred years and were reused for this project.
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The bricks that were needed were already on the property. Some had been stockpiled. When those were exhausted, some no longer used brick sidewalk was pulled up. Somewhere in the process the masons discovered a brick that testifies to the manufacturing process used at the time the barn was built.
The exterior edges of the mortar joints were removed and replaced. The finish was flat, rather than concave, to match the original.
