HSTC - Neall House restoration

Neall House Restoration Project

The Historical Society of Talbot County is very fortunate to own the beautiful 1805 James Neall house. This home is a Federal style town house near the center of town. James Neall was a prosperous craftsman and invested his life's savings in building the best home he could afford.

Over the years, the various owners have made efforts to repair the bricks and mortar. Some of these projects have actually made the condition of the building worse.

Old Bricks vs. New Mortar

Old bricks are different from modern bricks. Bricks were fired at low temperatures and are softer than modern bricks. They would expand and contract as the temperature and humidity changed. As you can imagine, it is important that the mortar between the bricks also be able to expand and contract. Old mortar was lime based and worked beautifully with the bricks. The problem with this lime mortar is that it erodes over time and must be re-pointed now and then as part of normal building maintenance. (Re-pointing is a process of packing new mortar into the cracks between the bricks.)

Modern bricks are harder and do not expand and contract as the old ones did. They can be held in place with a harder mortar. Since the 1930s, most brick work is mortared with Portland cement. This is basically the same cement as the sidewalk, and just as hard.

When old bricks are surrounded by immovable cement, they have nowhere to go when they try to expand. So, this will often force the exterior side of the brick to pop off. The brick in the center of this image has lost its exterior.

Bricks are baked and have a crust, much like a loaf of bread. It is the crust that is waterproof and provides a hard exterior surface. So when this exterior crust pops off the brick, the interior is exposed. It is now only a matter of time before the bricks will turn to dust and deteriorate.

A good analysis of the issues around old bricks and new mortar can be found on the website for This Old House

The Problems at the Neall House

The Neall House has three basic brick and mortar problems and a plaster problem:
1) new Portland mortar was used on the old bricks in some places
2) old lime-based mortar has eroded in other places
3) a condition called "rising damp" in the basement (a condition where moisture is not properly wicked away from the bricks but rather absorbed over time)

These problems with the exterior brickwork have allowed water into the walls, and the plaster on the inside has been damaged.

The solution for the first two of these problems is to re-point the bricks with an appropriate lime-based mortar.

The "rising damp" problem required a solution to the water that sat against the bricks and slowly rose up the walls. The water had to have a place to go.

Sponsors to the Rescue

The cost of this project was beyond the HSTC operation budget’s reach. But grants have been provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation through the Bartus Trew Providence Preservation Fund and Middendorf Foundation for the repairs, as well as gifts by a bequest from the estate of HSTC friend, Vida Van Lennep, and other Society friends.

Our Mason

Jonas Miller from C&M Custom Masonry of Hartly, DE in partnership with General Contractor, Lindsley Builders of Chestertown, MD was selected to perform the repairs to the building. Mr. Miller specializes in old masonry, and understands the special needs of homes like the Neall house.

The Project in Progress

December 2009

Work on the masonry began in December 2009. Since freezing weather had already arrived, the masons could work only in the basement and interior, inititially. They removed damaged bricks and the offending portland mortar.

Damaged plaster was removed from the interior hallway. Masonry was repaired from the inside and a new rough undercoat of plaster was applied.

Slots were cut in the basement floor to allow moisture to breathe into the room or be absorbed into the ground below.

The basement walls were re-pointed with lime based mortar.

Spring 2010

Once the masons were sure there would be no more freezing nights, they returned to work on the Neall house.

Bricks that were damaged were painstakingly chipped out one by one. Amazingly, the wall didn't fall down. bricks missing from wall

Then they were replaced just as carefully.

replacing bricks in the wall

Scaffolding was set up around the entire buiding, one wall at a time. Bricks and mortar were replaced from roof to ground. men working on scaffolding

Finally, the Neall house is water-tight again.

Summer 2010

Now that the walls will not leak or soak up water anymore, work can begin on the interior plaster. The Tower Company of Annapolis has been contracted to do this work.

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Historical Society of Talbot County
25 South Washington Street
Easton, MD 21601
Telephone Number: 410-822-0773