Why hard modern mortar breaks old brick
Older Ottawa brick was laid with soft lime based mortar, and that softness is functional. The mortar is meant to be the sacrificial part of the wall, taking up movement and letting moisture escape.
Repoint that wall with a hard modern mortar and the joint becomes stronger than the brick. Moisture and movement then have nowhere to go, so the brick face spalls off instead of the mortar wearing.
We match mortar strength and colour to the age of the wall, rake joints to the correct depth, and tool the profile to match the original. Our brick repair service covers the same work on later buildings.
Original windows, trim and interior detail
Original wood windows in Ottawa century homes are often made from old growth timber that outperforms anything stocked today. Where the frames are sound, repairing sashes, replacing failed putty and adding proper weatherstripping performs well and keeps the character.
Where a unit is genuinely beyond repair, replacement has to respect the opening proportions and sight lines. A modern unit dropped into a heritage opening is immediately obvious from the street.
Inside, deep original casing and plaster detail can usually be repaired or milled to match. Our trim carpentry crew handles profile matching.
Heritage conservation districts
Sections of Centretown, Sandy Hill and other central neighbourhoods sit inside heritage conservation districts, where exterior changes face additional review.
That review takes time, and it affects window replacement, cladding and facade work in particular. We confirm your property status and build the approval period into the schedule rather than discovering it once scaffold is up.
What a historic restoration scope includes
- Condition survey: masonry, windows, roof and water entry points.
- Mortar analysis: matched by strength, colour and joint profile.
- Repair before replace: stated element by element.
- Heritage status check: what approvals apply to your address.
- Seasonal plan: masonry scheduled inside the frost free window.
- Water management: the drainage details that caused the damage.
Where historic building restoration sits in the bigger job
This work is part of our building restoration service service, so it can run on its own or as one stage inside a larger project. When it is part of a bigger renovation we sequence it with the other trades rather than treating it as a standalone visit.
Clients booking this often pair it with water damage restoration, fire damage restoration, facade restoration or commercial building restoration. One contract covers whichever combination you need, with a single schedule and one point of contact.
Historic Building Restoration across the Ottawa area
We take this work on throughout the greater Ottawa area. Recent jobs have run through Nepean, Merivale, South Keys, Kanata and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The consultation is free wherever you are in the city.