Chapel

This beloved chapel dates from the early years of the Evangelical Theological Seminary. The Romanesque design and style of construction, which incorporates stone massing and heavy timbers, is situated within a serene park like setting. While the design of this structure strives to convey a sense of historical permanence, the materials are as susceptible to weather related wear as any other.

The project required great sensitivity to the nature of the as built materials. Prior to work, mortar and stone samples where analyzed to match existing as close as possible. Particular attention was paid to the constituency of the mortars. This was especially important due to the soft and porous nature of the limestone.

Previous repairs had been undertaken without proper attention paid to the type of mortar installed. The result was several areas of substantial cracking and spalling of the stone.

A mortar too hard and/or chemically incompatible with the surrounding stone will not allow for the natural wicking required of mortars in solid masonry walls. Over time, the stone itself becomes damaged over multiple freeze/thaw cycles as water, unable to exit through the mortar, permeates the stone. Consequently, Eugene Matthews, Inc. selected and utilized Type O mortar and a unique patching material of European origin.

The inspection also revealed previous repair flaws at the roof peak where clay coping tiles had been joined with mortar rather than sealant. This common error can expose the structure to water penetration. More than another part of the structure, the roof materials undergo near daily expansion and contraction, relative to solar exposure. Sealants should be employed in this particular application due to the plasticity and flexibility this material offers over mortar, which will crack under this condition.

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