The Charlestown headquarters of the Scottish Lime Centre.

Links to Conservation Sites and Documents

Please help us keep these links current: if you find that any link consistently fails, please report it to us. Please note that Woodlawn Cemetery cannot guarantee the accuracy or value of the information provided through any of these links, but we are sharing them as they have proved valuable to us!


This page contains the following four sections
A) Cemetery Conservation Documents
B) Conservation Sites
C) Conservation Charters
D) Supplier Links for Monument Conservation Repair Supplies


A) Cemetery Conservation Documents

#1
Landscapes of Memories: Guide for Conserving Historic Cemeteries
Tamara Anson-Cartwright, Heritage and Museums Branch, Ontario Ministry of Culture, Citizenship, & Recreation
This is the premier resource for conserving historic cemeteries.
(Available from the Ontario Government printers at http://www.publications.serviceontario.ca/ecom/
It was listed as being in stock and available in March 2008. An update to the Ontario Publications website has made it impossible now to link directly with the book... so you will have to manually search for "landscapes memories" and then wait for the database to find it, and then choose it....
ISBN: 0777863391 PubNo: 107278 Price: $20.00


#2
Technical Advice Note 1: Preparation and Use of Lime Mortars
Technical Conservation, Research, and Education Division, Historic Scotland
This document is a comprehensive and necessary resource for anyone attempting or supervising lime mortar work. {Please note that our link is current as of March 2008: if you are having trouble with it– or are interested in further information from HS, try searching the Historic Scotland conservation publications pages.} Free INFORM guides and a host of other information is available throughout the site, including in the publications for Owners & Occupiers (note that this page will take some time to load as it involves a search of all HS publications).
(TAN 1 is available direct from Historic Scotland)
ISBN: 1903570425 TAN1 Price: £15.00

#3
Conservation of Historic Graveyards: Guide for Practicioners
Technical Conservation, Research, and Education Division, Historic Scotland
This comprehensive document provides a great accompaniment to Landscapes of Memories.
(Available direct from Historic Scotland. See note and link above, if you are having any trouble ordering this book.)

#4
Guidelines for Cemetery Conservation
http://www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/cemscontents.html
The National Trust of Australia
Not specifically applicable to Ontario, but a great introduction to the balancing of conservation principles with actual practice.
(Available online for free from the National Trust of Australia.)




B) Conservation Sites

The Scottish Lime Centre
http://www.scotlime.org
The Scottish Lime Centre is one of the foremost authorities in the world in the use of lime for historic conservation. Dedicated to re-introducing lime mortars and other lime products, for both conservation and environmental reasons, the centre is a hub in the movement for a revival in lime use. Lime mortars, as opposed to Portland Cement products, are the key to properly conserving historic marble and limestone (See Historic Conservation, above, for further background information.) The Scottish Lime Centre provides excellant training courses at its Charlestown Workshops.

Historic Scotland
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
An incredible and busy organization publically entrusted with conserving historic sites and monuments in Scotland. Of particular interest are the publications produced by the Technical Conservation Research & Education Branch.

Highgate Cemetery
http://www.highgate-cemetery.org
An inspirational cemetery and woodland sanctuary in London, England. Originally designed following the lead of Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, Highgate has become one of the most awesome urban cemeteries in the world-- primarily as a result of the original planners grand vision and the subsequent abandonment of the cemetery by the private company which owned it. Now run by dedicated volunteers, Highgate Cemetery is being preserved under a policy of "Managed Neglect". It is listed by the National Trust of England as both an urban woodlawn and for the quality and interest of a number of its historic monuments.


Lawrence Hayward
http://www.lhaywardcollection.com
Lawrence Hayward is one of the most dedicated monument documentors in Ontario. His website currently (Dec. 2003) focuses on his research into Canadian sculptors, but he will no doubt start sharing his gravestone documentation at some point. He has taken over 5,000 photographs of tombstone carvings in the Kingston area. His email address is available through his site, and he is looking to share information and research with like-minded people.


English Heritage
http://accessibility.english-heritage.org.uk/
A very plain opening page links to many interesting resources. Check out
the fascinating project to photograph and web-publish every historic
listed building and monument in England:
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/


ICOMOS: The International Council on Monuments and Sites
http://www.international.icomos.org/e_sumary.htm
An international body that attempts to protect and conserve our shared world heritage.


Wellington County branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society
http://www.wellingtonogs.on.ca/
>Local information, and a long list of links.



Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies
http://www.campbellcenter.org
A training centre in the United States which provides a wide range of conservation training programmes.



Ontario Heritage Foundation
http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/
An Ontario government agency for heritage, with a great set of Links.


Building Limes Forum
http://www.buildinglimesforum.org.uk/
A dedicated group of professionals and volunteers involved in lime advocacy work. Great online documentation includes Why Use Lime? (http://www.buildinglimesforum.org.uk/whyuselime.htm).



SPAB: The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
http://www.spab.org.uk/
A great source of information on building conservation


Virginia Limeworks
http://www.virginialimeworks.com/
US experts on working with lime.



Please contact Woodlawn Cemetery (attention Sach Killam) for information on specific Conservation Stonemasons and Conservationists: we can only provide their addresses for serious inquiries.


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C) Conservation Charters


Ontario: Appleton Charter
http://canada.icomos.org/appleton_charter.html
ICOMOS-Canada


International: Venice Charter
http://www.international.icomos.org/e_venice.htm
ICOMOS- The International Council on Monuments and Sites


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D) Supplier Links for Monument Conservation Repair Work (in Ontario....)

WARNING: many of the following products and tools are hazardous, and require proper training in addition to full health & safety data.

Stainless Steel
Per and I both obtain our threaded stainless steel rod through Pacific Fasteners. They deal through simple faxed orders, once you have set up an account with them... and will organize delivery. Alternatives include Fastenal, and occasionally TSC or Home Depot-- but be sure that the rod is actually stainless steel, and not simply galvanized or raw steel. Pacific Fasteners also supply a very wide range of thicknesses, which can be very useful when completing repairs.

Lime Putty
Various quantities can be purchased through Sinopia-Kremer or by contacting Sach at Woodlawn or Per at Haldis Stone Restoration directly.

White Portland Cement
Available through Patene Building Supplies, and from many cement companies.
Natural Hydraulic Lime could be used in the place of white portland cement and is preferable in conservation terms. St Astier products are now available in Canada... see below....

Natural Hydraulic Lime- St Astier NHL 2, 3.5, and 5
These products are available through Daubois and based on St Astier lime. Daubois are in the process of setting up a distribution network and sell through local distributors. Locally, Patene Building Supply can special order in all of the St Astier limes.
Contact Daubois for information on your local supplier. Also note that Per may be supplying hydraulic lime, pre-mixed mortar, and/or restoration mortar products in smaller quantities in the future.
Please contact either of us if you are having difficulty with obtaining these supplies.

Hydraulic Lime Repointing Mortar XHN-60
This pre-mixed mortar should now be available through Daubois. Based on St. Astier lime, it may prove to be a useful and relatively easy-to-use product for bedding and inserting work... but should not be considered a replacement for a proper lime putty mortar for hidden-pin repairs and work on soft/weathered stone. Locally, I have been able to special-order this product through Patene Building Supplies.

Epoxy
Various epoxies will work for setting the stainless steel rod, but the following qualities are useful or necessary:
* moisture-insensitive,
* reasonably long working time.

I prefer Cipadite 15 gel (clear) available from CPD and distributed by United Rentals and other companies. I generally use a 1-gallon container over the course of a year, which works out well as the product as a 1 year shelf life. (Note that though the quantity is officially 1 gallon, it comes in two 1-gallon containers: one 2/3rds full and the other 1/3rd full... as it is mixed at a 2:1 ratio.) Full MSDSs and technical specifications are available for download from the CPD site. The product is also available in a 2:1 tube format which requires a double-barrelled caulking gun... and which some people prefer, but others have trouble with as the tube can set prematurely, and the mixing chamber can only be used once per tube.

Per uses a double-tubed product from Sika. He also uses Epoxy Putty from Smithcraft Fiberglass Supply in Toronto [970 Queensway Toronto, ON M8Z 1P6 Tel.: (416) 259-6946], which has the advantage of being available in much smaller quantities. It is also slightly thicker than the Cipadite 15 gel or the Sika epoxy, so, although it can be more difficult to get it into the drill holes (and requires more thorough cleaning), it is less likely to drip or spill-- which can be especially important if you are conducting repairs re-attaching pieces to monuments which are otherwise still upright and in place.

Aggregates
These should be available by combining sands and stone dusts from local sources and suppliers. A mix of particle sizes is preferable, though with the obvious requirement that all particles be smaller than the width of the crack being filled. Sharp sands should be used, with at least a portion of silica sand, and with colour provided by the combination of the sand and stone dust. (Sharp sands can be identified by the cracking sound they make when rubbed between the fingers-- and, more empirically, by examination with a stong magnifying glass.)
Per has obtained good fine silica sand packaged as 'fine sandblasting sand'. Extra safety reminder: silica dust is extremely hazardous when inhaled.
Drill hole debris is a great source of fine stone dust-- just be sure to clean the catchment area beforehand to ensure that the stone dust is not contaminated.

Tools
Inexpensive tools are available from a wide variety of sources: often from suppliers in fields seemingly unrelated to masonry.
Some examples include:
diamond hones-- Mountain Equipment Co-op and Lee Valley Tools
diamond blades- Princess Auto, United Rentals
off-set diamond blades-- Derusha



Advanced Conservation Repair Products
Per may be able to help with orders for Keim and other advanced conservation repair products.

Replacement Bases for marble slabs
Per has found Maritime Stoneworks to be a good supplier of bases for re-installation work where original bases have been lost or destroyed.