A specialist in the restoration and conservation of historic buildings, Szerelmey Restoration, has cleaned and restored the exterior of Our Lady of Mount Carmel & St Joseph Catholic Church in Battersea, London.

The firm used traditional materials and thereby ensuring a longer life for the building.

Szerelmey was appointed by the architects on the project Tomei & Mackley, and following discussions with the architect and the church all parties agreed on the traditional materials approach.

The south facing gable end required urgent restoration, having been subject to severe weathering, with much of the brickwork cracking and crumbling.

Before restoration started the brick and stonework on the south and east façades were given a sympathetic clean.

Central London buildings ideally need cleaning every eight to ten years due to the amount of carbon they accumulate from pollution.

Szerelmey used a mason's water cleaning method. This gentle technique initially softens any dirt deposits which are then subsequently brushed with non-ferrous brushes and finally washed down with high pressure low volume water jets.

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On the south gable elevation, Szerelmey Restoration carefully removed the existing cement-based pointing to the brickwork and replaced it with traditional lime mortar.

The use of traditional lime mortar is seen as a more suitable restoration method than the use of cement mortar. Sometimes where cement mortar is used it causes further damage, often being too hard and inflexible.

It can leave the brickwork more vulnerable to damage from weathering, whereas lime mortar is more pliable and allows the brickwork to move without cracking.

If the damage to the brickwork had gone to a greater depth it would have been necessary to replace the bricks. Instead, Szerelmey Restoration carried out extensive repairs to the brickwork window surrounds and the remaining areas of decayed stonework. They were carefully cut back in-situ to a sound base, reinforced with stainless steel where necessary and then restored to their original line and detail using Szerelmey’s synthetic repair mortar.

Similarly the company removed the existing cast concrete coping stones. After they were removed, measurements and details were taken to produce drawings and then bespoke coping stones were made. Bath stone was used to match other Bath stone dressings elsewhere on the church.

Mark Chivers of Szerelmey said: "These elevations of the church will remain in great condition for a long time. We are very pleased with how the project turned out."

The stonework cross and apex stone on the gable end were cut back, reinforced with stainless steel and then repaired with Szerelmey stone repair compounds. They were finally rinsed down again to remove all surface dust.

Stone cleaners, restorers and masons were all used on the site. The restoration was undertaken for the Trustees of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark.

(CD/BMcC)