| Exterior Structure - Restoration methods and building materials |
The building structure dates back to nearly 100 years, when it was built to serve as a general store for the village of Mimico. This accounts for its present day site location just a few feet back from the property line on Louisa Street. With a total lot depth of 125 ft, and a short front yard setback, the property boasts a very deep back yard which is almost 75 feet long.
All of the windows were replaced with “Magic Windows” that are easy to clean and the rear windows have sliding hidden screens. Professional restoration artisans have carefully treated the exterior of the building. The original Toronto brick was in excellent condition but became severely blackened by air contaminants over the years. “Sandblasting, while being a cost effective option, can damage the brick by removing its outer baked-on sealing surface, and the resulting porosity can accelerate further deterioration.” says Bob. “We considered various options, but what we finally settled on emphasized, while being expensive, the most effective preservation of the historic brick.“
Each brick was cleaned and then hand painted with special stain that is absorbed into the brick and is designed to match the original colouration and texture. In this way, the original appearance of the home was preserved without compromising the brick’s integrity.
The original country general store’s big bay windows were replaced with Tyndal stone that is only found in Winnipeg. This stone is used on the Parliament buildings in Ottawa and in the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Red slate is used for the walkways and the rear patio and natural weathered limestone boulders are used as decoration. |
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