Case Study:How Our Stone Colour Matching Services Restored a Historic Property to its Former Glory

Spectrum was appointed to complete a complex stone colour-matching, tinting and repointing service for a construction company in Knightsbridge, London.

Discover how our team managed to exceed expectations and restore the reputation of a historic Victorian property with expert stone tinting techniques applied to the front entrance and steps. 

The Logistics: 

With specialist services in stone colour matching, tinting, and repointing, the Spectrum team were called to restore an impressive entrance to a historic Victorian property.

Due to the reputation of the building, we required specific expertise and care when delivering our stone tinting and repointing solutions.

During our pre-site assessment, we noticed the following issues:

• The previous contractor had not matched the stone tint exactly, alongside a poor colour match on the repointing made the aesthetic of the building look worse.
• The sandstone property had a unique pattern and surface.
• Due to the job being at the front entrance, work could only proceed with no one inside the building.
• With high expectations, a challenging site and a complex natural stone colour and pattern to match, our specialist team had their work cut out to achieve the ideal result for our client on this project.

The Project:

After attending the site and evaluating the stone type, the team continued collecting samples to send to the lab. We supported our pursuit of a colour match by acquiring samples from similar coloured stones. At first, it proved challenging to get an exact match, so we continued to use samples as colour palettes.

Finding the correct colour match for the stone relies on recording the specific colour codes on similar stone types. When the colour dries onto the stone, it will reveal whether it's a correct match. As anyone in the industry will know, this can prove a long-winded process. However, that’s what’s required to find a perfect match.

Unfortunately, the previous contractor shared a different principle before they applied their tint to the entrance. Once the samples were approved off-site, we then presented the same samples to our client before we could start stone tinting the building.

After agreeing on the colour sample, we finally arrived on-site at a selected time when no one would be present, and the weather was dry.  Before beginning our stone tinting, we had to establish low-level barriers to ensure our work was not interrupted.

We gently worked through the tinting by applying a darker shade each time and using the same process from the sampling stages.  

After tinting 25 allocated stones and the front entrance steps, we applied the same process to the mortar. It took us four to five days until all stones and mortar were correctly tinted.

The Site:

Located in Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, the Victorian property came with an aesthetic legacy and high-profile reputation alongside the neighbouring building that shared the architecture in the area.

With the work required at the front entrance, access remained limited until we could arrange a day when no one was inside to disturb the work. As it was the face of the building, there was more pressure to make sure we found the correct match so the building could continue to make the same visual impression. 

Despite these challenges, once we were on-site, access was simple and required no scaffolding or rope access.

Challenges:

The main priority remained to find the correct match for the stone. As mentioned, this process can take a while, and we wanted to secure the pattern as quickly as possible to satisfy our client.

Acquiring the exact match on the stone proved very challenging. We tried many different combinations until we finally landed on the perfect match.

Expectations for these types of historic Victorian buildings are high. Maintaining the correct appearance, especially for the front, is essential for the identity and reputation of the property.    

At Spectrum, exceeding expectations and delivering top-quality results is why we’re known as specialists in the stone works industry. As seen with the previous contractor, the stone tinting and repointing would have taken longer and been sub-par.

The process involved in tinting the stone was a delicate operation. Our two stone tinting specialists had to layer the tint with one shade at a time to ensure our colour matched the original stone of the building.

Then it was crucial to find a dry day when no one occupied the building. Regular communication and flexibility also proved vital so we could rearrange our schedule if necessary.

The Result:

Overall, this project took three weeks. While we only needed four to five days on-site tinting the stone and repointing the mortar, the bulk of the time was spent finding the perfect colour match to meet the aesthetic and natural pattern of the sandstone.

Meeting the high standards required from the building is why we needed to be meticulous in our colour matching. But these standards and level of precision are what separates us from other stone tinting/repointing contractors.

Here is a quick overview of the project and the final result for our client:

• We visited the site to ascertain access, mobility, and type of stone.
• We sent stone samples to the lab to find an exact match.
• The stone colour match took multiple combinations and attempts before finding the perfect match.
• We sampled the stone tint before seeking the approval of the client.
• Layer by layer, we then tinted 25 stones and the front steps of the building entrance.
• After tinting the stone, we repointed the mortar with the correct shade.
• We completed the tinting/repointing after four to five days on-site.
• With high client expectations and a challenging task, the Spectrum team proved their skills and expertise for this Victorian building in London.

For more details about our stone colour matching, tinting, and repointing services, get in touch and receive a free quote.