Back in the late 1980s, a local architect asked me to come to the Wye House Estate on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, outside of Easton, to have a look at some aged and failing grave markers of the Lloyd and Tilghman families.

The contractor did a fantastic job patching the stone from a technical standpoint, but the color of the mortar patches stood out from the surrounding stone.

I remember looking at their name tags. Beach Bags. Arizona. I was thinking, one: Beach Bags is a funny name for a restoration business, and two: I don't believe there are any beaches in Arizona.

from the first cut of the chisel to this final finial, every stone bears witness to the shared history of stonecutters, carvers, and masons.

demonstrates a fast and easy approach to matching the repair with the substrate

Starting August 1, 2023, Self-Cure Mortars will become our default, stocked product, readily available for your immediate purchase and delivery.

Someone had attempted to restore the area by filling in the cracks and using caulk, a product that stretches and contracts as a building moves. It’s also waterproof, which, as I mentioned, is a bad idea.

When you have varying color and texture, the best solution is to add an aggregate to the surface of the patch.