A 19th century two-storey Italianate mansion in downtown Brampton is getting an $8 million makeover.
Built over 14 years by the son-in-law of the city’s founder John Elliot, the 7,000-square -foot Alderlea Estate is undergoing an extensive restoration including exterior brick/masonry restoration and the addition of a 4,250-square-foot glass, wood and brick historically-compatible wing.
The project’s masonry contractor is Colonial Building Restoration. More commonly associated with large commercial restoration projects such as Ottawa’s Library of Parliament and Toronto’s Casa Loma, Colonial has taken on the smaller Alderlea contract because of the “appealing mix of heritage and new masonry work,” says president Andrew Lough.
The job has unfolded with its share of wrinkles. One of the contractor’s assignments was to repoint the building’s excavated fieldstone basement foundation.
The parge, consisting of a sand/lime/cement parge with dimple board overlay, was done in sections as the excavation proceeded, says Colonial’s president.
While much of the exterior masonry was in good repair, the south and west red brick walls had been sandblasted years ago, leaving many of the bricks beyond repair.
Colonial removed and replaced one wythe on the complete south west facade with matching bricks.
Shoring was required on the interior of the building, says Lough, adding that many of the buff bricks used to make the polychrome brick home were fit for reuse.
While some repointing was required, Lough says most of the brickwork’s original beaded jointing was in “remarkably good shape.”
To match the original jointing, Colonial has retained “pointing jointers” familiar with the old-world style from United States contractor Bond Tools.
The new 4,250-square-foot wood and brick addition replicates the heritage elements of the original structure, says Lough.
Colonial used a brick made by Paisley Brick Company, Paisley, Ontario, that is “a close match” to the original buff brick.
Another job for Colonial was removing concrete blocks used to “fill in” the openings for some of the original windows. Those openings were rebuilt as blind windows (filled in with compatible bricks) for esthetic reasons. The bricks may be replaced with appropriate wood windows down the road, says Lough.
Some of the jointing redone around the openings required back pointing, completed in stages to ensure a long-lasting mortar free of cracking and discoloration. The mortar was composed of a lime-white Portland sand. Colonial experimented with a colouring agent and consulted with the project’s architect to ensure it matched the original color.
While some new limestone sills were required, most of the sills fit to be reused.
“In most cases they were left supported in place until a single wythe of brick was taken off and rebuilt,” he points out.
Anchoring wasn’t required because the sills are structural, not the more common slip sill type.
The masonry contractor also installed a new reinforced concrete block elevator shaft to meet building code for the new use.
Lough says throughout the project, coordinating the schedule weekly with other trades on the confined site has been a priority.
“At times we have had to adjust the schedule daily.”
Colonial’s contract started last October 2011. Completion is slated for June.
The City of Brampton purchased Alderlea in 2002 to protect and preserve the historically significant property. The makeover will see the home reused for corporate functions such as private and public meetings and conferences.
Recent Comments
comments for this post are closed