Courthouse building viewed from the North.
Assembling scaffold to acess the South side single chimney.
Our first up close view of the North side double chimney.
Weather had taken its toll on the existing pointing
The North side double stack nears completion.
After a 14 week lead time, the new material was painted prior to installation.
New gutters installed on the North side.
Gutters installed on a mortar bed to match the original installation.
The Essendon Historical Society have secured funding through Heritage Victoria to replace the rainwater goods (gutters and downpipes) to the former Moonee Ponds Courthouse.
Being Cast Iron, the materials weren’t available from the local plumbing supplier.
We consulted with both Australian and UK foundries before awarding the contract to a very well respected Victorian manufacturer.
After a three month procurement process, we’re expecting delivery of this material any day now and installation work on site will commence.
The scaffolding was created by our in house team, combining Quickstage modular towers and timber platforms we’ve been able to protect the slate roof while gaining access to the upper storey gutters.
We’ll then spring off this platform again with traditional tube and clip to create a platform around the double chimney to enable render restoration and tuck pointing.
While the scaffolding is in place the Historical Society has also decided to repaint the upper level windows. A specialist lead paint removal procedure will be utilised to prepare these windows prior to repainting.
The existing down pipe earbands were removed and salvaged. Shown here stripped and ready for painting.
Onsite modifications are sometimes required. Note the base metal thickness of the new gutter. Good for another 100 years or more...
An improvement on the original design, we had the foundry cast the pops into the internal corners and gutters.
Mixing chart used to make colour adjustments.
Repair mortar for the chimney's brickwork was expertly colour matched using a variety of oxides.
Old and new samples are put together for approval by the supervising Engineer.
Single chimney before restoration.
Single stack nearing completion.
South side stack complete. Blackband Potassium Silicate prepared on site. Porters mineral paint colour Beez Neez.