The US Custom House in downtown Portland was a federal (GSA) restoration project, encompassing flat work and decorative ornamental repairs. The plaster was brought back to the original look and integrity, using many of the old type of materials and methods. Only decayed and missing flat plaster and ornamental elements were completely replicated and replaced. View our Slide Shows of this project: Main Gallery, Hall, Offices, Cat Walk.
Preparing for restoration
Water damaged plaster to be repaired
Damaged plaster removed, evaluating level of repairs
Damaged plaster removed, evaluating level of repairs
Damaged plaster removed, evaluating level of repairs
Reattaching savable plaster to wood lath using glue injection
Buttons holding plaster in position until glue sets up
Buttons have been removed, bonding agent applied, preparing for plaster infill
Plaster scratch coat and base coat infills completed
Keystone element removed to make molds
Keystone element removed to make molds
Egg and dart element removed to make molds
Completed mold of egg and dart replacement
Bench run molding of the upper window band replacement
Bench run complete
Completed band installed
New egg and dart molding installed
New egg and dart molding installed
New keystone element being installed
Lower keystone element installed
Keystone leaf element installed
Blending new elements with existing saved trim
Blending new elements with existing saved trim
Base coat and shading
Blending with existing patina
Applying gold leaf
Applying gold leaf
Finished gold leaf
Burnished gold leaf
Restoration complete
Restoration complete
Restoration complete
Restoration complete
Restoration complete
Before restoration: Water damaged cornice.
Before restoration: Water damaged cornice.
Close up of water damage showing failure of previous repairs.
Custom molding knife made from original pattern.
Preparing the surface to receive new plaster by scoring in mechanical keys and adding stainless steel screws for extra support.
Preparing the surface to receive new plaster by scoring in mechanical keys and adding stainless steel screws for extra support.
Getting ready to run the molding. The base coat plaster has been applied and the knife is in position. This profile took about one dozen runs to complete the cornice, applying a layer of new plaster between each run.
Running the molding.
Showing the completed cornice with the new plaster blended to the old.
The new molding is complete. Showing the transition between old and new plaster.
Showing the completed cornice with the new plaster blended to the old.
Showing the completed cornice with the new plaster blended to the old.
Recreating the faux granite blocks.
Completed faux granite blocks.
Plaster restoration complete.
Before repair: Water damaged plaster cornice and wall.
Removing damaged plaster up to sound plaster.
Applying acrylic consolidant to savable but soft plaster base coat.
Applying acrylic consolidant to savable cornice substrate.
Making new cornice bench runs.
Installing new bench run sections.
Sizing miter areas for installation.
Cornice sections installed, ready for final detailing.
Applying final base coat to wall patch using a float to bring up the aggregate.
Completed repair.
Removing deteriorated cornice plaster in next office area.
New miters and cornice ready for final section.
Final section installed.
Completed repair.
Removing damaged plaster cornice in next office area. Scratch coat is applied. Wooden ledger is used as a guide to install new cornice to meet up with existing.
Installing new cornice section.
Installing new cornice sections and starting to blend edges.
Repair complete.
Before restoration: water damage of plaster molding.
Removing badly damaged plaster down to substrate.
Damaged plaster removed and bonding agent applied (glossy areas).
Fitting the new bench run moldings into place.
Showing the difference between old and new plaster joints.
Refacing the surface of the old saved plaster.
Castle in The Clouds, Moultonborough, NH
The Lucknow Estate, built in 1913-1914, has been known as Castle in the Clouds since its opening to the public in 1959. Designed by the architectural firm of J. Williams Beal & Sons of Boston, it is an unusual example of Arts and Crafts architecture in New England. This project entailed restoration of the water damaged dining room ceiling. The octagonal ceiling is a very unique multi panel design with raised plaster detail. View the Slide Show.
Westin Eastland Hotel, Portland, Maine
The historic Grand Ballroom of the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel, located in the heart of Portland’s Arts District, dates back to 1927 when it was known as the Eastland Park. At the time it was the largest hotel in New England and quickly became a city landmark. Over the years, the ballroom hosted society weddings, cultural events, and notable politicians. In 2011 New Castle Hotel & Resorts purchased the historic Eastland. In 2015 the new owners contracted with us for restoration of the ballroom entrance. The doorway’s ornate plasterwork and columns had suffered significantly from time and fire damage. View our Slide Show of this project: Column and Molding Restoration.
Before restoration; showing damaged column in the ballroom entryway.
Before restoration; entranceway area is protected.
Before restoration; raking angle showing surface damage from fire and old repairs.
Before restoration, showing elements in need of stripping and cosmetic repair.
Applying paint stripper.
Carefully removing paint stripper using special tools to reveal the detail of the original bare plaster.
Carefully removing paint stripper using special tools to reveal the detail of the original bare plaster.
Carefully removing paint stripper using special tools to reveal the detail of the original bare plaster.
Carefully removing paint stripper using special tools to reveal the detail of the original bare plaster.
Washing the paint stripping residue off the bare plaster revealing damage and the original color scheme.
Column capital cleaned, washed and ready for repairs. The black is charring from the fire.
Column capital cleaned, washed and ready for repairs. The black is charring from the fire.
Facial relief cleaned, washed and ready for repairs. The black is charring from the fire.
Paint stripping reveals previous failed repairs and lost details.
Cutting out the middle band that lost its detail and integrity from fire damage.
Carefully taking apart crown molding to duplicate elements.
Replacing original detail. Final attachment to substrate.
Fire damaged original section being resurfaced with hand tool made from savable profile.
Fire damaged original section being resurfaced with hand tool made from savable profile.
Recreating missing detail in cornucopia relief.
Replacing details of facial relief
Repairs complete and ready for paint.
Repairs complete and ready for paint.
Band molding being run in place with a custom made molding knife.
Repairs complete and ready for paint.
Repairs complete and ready for paint.
Resurfacing column with lime and gypsum top coat using a custom tool.
Progressing down the column. The blue is bonding agent.
Final application and blending of top coat.
Completed column spiral.
Completed column capital.
Column capital and spiral complete and ready for paint.
Capital completed and painted.
Entryway relief completed and painted.
Entryway relief completed and painted.
Entryway band molding completed and painted.
Entryway completed and painted.
Grand Ballroom entryway restoration complete.
Remick Museum, Tamworth, New Hampshire
The Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm pays tribute to country doctors Edwin Remick and son Edwin Crafts Remick. The museum has been recognized as an “Editor’s Choice” winner in Yankee Magazine. The slideshow documents repairs to cracked and failing wall and ceiling plaster within this 1800’s house. View our Slide Show of this project.
Removal of damaged plaster. Starting the glue injection.
Limit of detachment.
Drilling injection holes.
Re-securing wood lath using metal lath.
Refastening lath to joists.
Glue injection holes on either side of crack.
Securing edges of old plaster.
Larger view of crack reattachment.
Calcimine painted over.
Testing for calcimine chalking.
Scratch coat of lime, sand and hair.
Close up of lime, sand and hair plaster
Applying brown coat, the second coat.
Base coat infill is complete.
Compressed plaster, removing shrinkage cracks while still damp.
Close up of damp felt blending.
Completed wall repair.
Completed ceiling repair.
Completed wall repair.
Old Baptist Meeting House (1796), Yarmouth, Maine
The “Old Meeting House on the Hill” is a unique part of Yarmouth’s heritage. Since its origin more than 200 years ago, it has undergone many changes and been used for many community purposes. During 2000-2001, the Village Improvement Society and the Town embarked on an extensive restoration to the structure and its interior. View our Slide Show of this project.
A community center in Yarmouth, this 200 year old building’s interior was in need of restoration. We began in the sanctuary where over 1,000 square feet of plaster was reattached in the 2,500 square foot ceiling area.
Metal fasteners were installed in the attic to secure the ceiling strapping and support the plaster.
Some plaster reattachment occurred from the back side (lath side) of the plaster ceiling in the attic. Holes are drilled to prepare for glue injection.
Conservator’s acrylic formula is injected into the drilled holes to adhere the plaster back onto the lath during the reattachment process.
Extensive scaffolding was erected to provide proper access to work on the near 30 foot ceiling.
Severely deteriorated plaster is marked for removal and reattachment.
The goal for this project was to save as much of the original plaster as possible. Areas too badly damaged were removed and the edges reattached to create a new bond to the wood lath. Wooden forms are used to push and hold the plaster in place once the glue is injected.
Wooden forms push plaster back in place while the glue sets up. Over 1,000 square feet of plaster was reattached to its lath on this ceiling.
The ceiling also had a Calcimine paint problem causing new paint to peel away. All the Calcimine was removed using wallpaper steamers to loosen the stubborn layers of old paint and Calcimine so it could be scraped off.
Elbow grease and the use of 2 inch carbide scrapers removed the layers of old paint and Calcimine once the steamers loosened it up.
The walls received a similar treatment to the ceiling. Here cracks have been dug out and filled and are receiving final preparation for painting.
We used a special roll-brush technique to achieve an historic brushed-out look for the painted finish.
Completed restoration in the Sanctuary.
Completed restoration in the Sanctuary.
The ornate medallion received some touch ups and a fresh coat of paint.
The Narthex entry room was next. This entry wall is the original exterior wall to the building and contained the earliest plaster. Here plaster excavation is going on to determine best restoration methods.
An area of primitive plaster over split (accordion) lath on the entry wall. Tufts of animal hair and clamshells show in the lime, sand and hair mix. To preserve this crumbling wall, this plaster was consolidated to restore its strength.
A close up of the original plaster. The discovery of a large piece of clam shell tells the story of the materials used in 1796.
This wall is receiving repairs, reattachment and infill. The pink areas are bonding agent applied so the new plaster will adhere.
Completed restoration of the entry wall in the narthex.
Ornamental Plaster Restoration, Portland, Maine
After a fire, much of the ornamental plaster in this home was badly damaged and needed to be recreated as well as restored. This restoration included flatwork plaster, as well as the creation of knives and molds to cast the decorative work and restore it to its Victorian grandeur. View our Slide Show of this project.
The result of a fire, the plaster in this room was badly damaged including much of its decorative plaster cornice and ornate ceiling.
First, the flat plaster was repaired. The area had been removed, and was infilled with a 3 coat plaster system matching the original plaster work. Here the first coat (scratch coat) has been applied.
Craig applies the second coat to the patch area.
The patch has received its third and final coat which is setting up. The first level of cornice has been run next to the ceiling and wall intersection.
A special knife was created to match the profile of the cornice. The cornice is then run either in place using rails, or on a workbench and installed later.
Here is an example of some of the cornice being run on a bench. It will be installed later.
The cornice has been run and installed. Now the decorative Egg and Dart must be cast separately.
A mold is cast from some original decorative plaster. Peter is pouring casting plaster into the mold to create the Egg and Dart pieces.
A new piece of Egg and Dart is removed very carefully from its mold.
A decorative roundel is run much like a cornice. A knife is created and run in a circular pattern.
Dental tools and anything else that will work are used for final touch ups of the ornamental work.
Peter installs a decorative piece using screws and plaster
All decorative pieces have been cast, run and installed. The area is ready for painting.
Restoration complete!
Peterborough Unitarian Church (1820), Peterborough, New Hampshire
Old age and water damage took its toll on the Sanctuary of this landmark. Because budgets are always challenging, a modern plaster system was utilized for the flatwork expanse of the ceiling so that the more ornamental areas could be included in the restoration budget. View our Slide Show of this project.
After nearly 200 years, the plaster on this large ceiling was beginning to deteriorate. Some large pieces had fallen.
Extensive staging was necessary to access the 30 foot ceiling.
Because there was so much deteriorated plaster in the large expanse of flat plaster, an economical decision was made to install a blueboard plaster system directly over the original plaster.
Blueboard plaster receives a complete coating of plaster with the blueboard acting as the “lath” or substrate. This 2-coat veneer system received a rougher base coat plaster followed by a smooth topcoat plaster.
The more ornate and curved areas of the plaster ceiling were saved by reattachment and infill with an appropriate plaster recipe and finish. Here Peter is injecting glue for reattaching the plaster to its lath.
Once glue is injected, forms are used to push the plaster in place and hold until the glue sets up. In this instance forms were screwed into place.
Curved plaster walls prior to restoration. The severely deteriorated plaster has been removed, cracks have been dug out and reattachment and infill are about to begin.
The same area following all restoration.
Another decorative area prior to restoration with the damaged plaster removed.
This area has received plaster infill following reattachment. Here Craig uses a sponge to touch up patch edges and match surface texture with original plaster.
Completed restoration to this area.
Parson Smith House (1747) Windham, Maine
The Parson Smith House is a significant landmark here in Southern Maine. We completed the plaster preservation as part of the full restoration in 1993. View our Slide Show of this project.
Like much of the 250 year old plaster in the house, this window area shows many plaster cracks and delamination (falling away from the lath). Here the plaster keys have broken over time and as a result the plaster has fallen off the lath substrate.
The goal for this project was to save as much of the original plaster as possible. We drill holes to inject glue through the plaster to reattach it to the lath.
This project was a pure restoration and required us to match the original plaster as closely as possible. Pieces of the original plaster were analyzed for composition and recipes were mixed and tested. This sample board helped us compare and select the right match. We used two recipes: lime sand and goat hair; and lime clay and goat or horse hair.
Once the glue is injected, a plywood form is used to push the plaster back into place. When the glue dries, the forms are removed and the holes filled with lime, sand and hair plaster.
A typical wall repair in the home. There were many areas where the plaster was damaged and required spot-repair and infill. Plaster that was too fragile was removed, surrounding areas were reattached as necessary and the wall is ready for plaster infill.
Peter applies a final coat of lime and gauging plaster to the wall following repairs. He is using a trowel and damp sponge to blend the repair areas into the original wall area.
Wall restoration complete!
Chapel of Souls (1800), Poland Springs, Maine
The Chapel of Souls is part of the historic Poland Springs Inn and Resort in Maine. Once a popular summer hotel frequented by wealthy and famous travelers at the turn of the 20th century, its campus is now an important landmark in Western Maine. View our Slide Show of this project.
This landmark’s years of service were beginning to take their toll. A before picture of the plaster restoration in the Chapel of Souls in Poland Spring, Maine.
The interior plaster was applied directly over the masonry in this stone church.
Completed plaster restoration of a window well in the Chapel. The lighter area is the new plaster infill prior to painting.
Some badly damaged plaster at a lighting column. This shows the thee-coat original system: the first brown scratch coat, the middle brown coat and a topcoat of lime plaster.
Peter applies a new brown coat of lime, sand and hair plaster over the original basecoat. The pink is bonding agent that has been applied so the plaster will adhere.
Peter softens the infill area with a damp sponge to further blend it into the original plaster.
Completed restoration of the lighting column.
In preparation for repairs and plaster infill, the plaster that was too fragile was removed. Here the original scratch coat is revealed and the area is ready to receive a new topcoat of plaster.
Craig is applying a new coat of plaster to the window sill. The patches on the sides, ready for infill, are pink with bonding agent so the new topcoat will adhere to the older surface.
All repairs and infill on this window are complete. The darker patches are areas where the plaster is still wet and setting up.
The completed window restoration receives a new coat of paint.
The completed window restoration receives a new coat of paint.
Peter Lord Plaster & Paint, Inc. 
The Lucknow Estate, built in 1913-1914, has been known as Castle in the Clouds since its opening to the public in 1959. Designed by the architectural firm of J. Williams Beal & Sons of Boston, it is an unusual example of Arts and Crafts architecture in New England. This project entailed restoration of the water damaged dining room ceiling. The octagonal ceiling is a very unique multi panel design with raised plaster detail. View the Slide Show.
The “Old Meeting House on the Hill” is a unique part of Yarmouth’s heritage. Since its origin more than 200 years ago, it has undergone many changes and been used for many community purposes. During 2000-2001, the Village Improvement Society and the Town embarked on an extensive restoration to the structure and its interior. View our Slide Show of this project.
After a fire, much of the ornamental plaster in this home was badly damaged and needed to be recreated as well as restored. This restoration included flatwork plaster, as well as the creation of knives and molds to cast the decorative work and restore it to its Victorian grandeur. View our Slide Show of this project.
Old age and water damage took its toll on the Sanctuary of this landmark. Because budgets are always challenging, a modern plaster system was utilized for the flatwork expanse of the ceiling so that the more ornamental areas could be included in the restoration budget. View our Slide Show of this project.
The Parson Smith House is a significant landmark here in Southern Maine. We completed the plaster preservation as part of the full restoration in 1993. View our Slide Show of this project.
The Chapel of Souls is part of the historic Poland Springs Inn and Resort in Maine. Once a popular summer hotel frequented by wealthy and famous travelers at the turn of the 20th century, its campus is now an important landmark in Western Maine. View our Slide Show of this project.
