01Heritage conservation · Perth & regional WA

Restoring
what was
built to last.

Stonemasonry, lime plaster, render and pointing for Western Australia’s heritage buildings. We use the original materials and methods, so every repair behaves the way the building was designed to.

Discuss your building

Registered trade specialists with the Heritage Council of Western Australia.

02Services

Four trades.
Traditional
materials.

Every job starts with the same question. What was this wall built with, and how was it meant to behave?

A mason’s mallet and chisel dressing a sandstone moulding

01/ 04 · Discipline

Stonemasonry

Banker masonry and fixing. We draw templates, carve stone from the block and lay it in traditional lime mortars and grouts, from a carved tracery window to a limestone rubble wall.

View stonemasonry
A restored decorative plaster ceiling rose

02/ 04 · Discipline

Plaster
& render

Lime plaster, render, cornices, mouldings and ceiling roses, repaired or run from scratch to match the original. We are one of the few WA contractors with deep experience in lath and plaster ceilings and walls.

View plaster & render
Red brick wall with crisp white tuckpointed lime joints

03/ 04 · Discipline

Tuckpointing
& repointing

We cut out fretting joints and old cement pointing, then repoint in lime matched to the original profile, texture and colour. Brick, stone, tuck and chimney pointing.

View pointing
A mason setting new stone blocks at the base of a heritage wall

04/ 04 · Discipline

Conservation
& restoration

We keep original fabric wherever possible and replace it only when there is no alternative. Preservation, restoration, rehabilitation or reconstruction, chosen to suit the building.

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Specialist treatments
05Salt attack & rising damp

We find the source of the moisture first. Then, if it’s needed, a chemical damp course or new damp-proof course, and a poultice system that draws damaging salts out of the wall.

06Crack stitching

Stainless steel stitching bars grouted across the crack to reconnect and strengthen the masonry, once a structural engineer has confirmed the cause.

07Cleaning & paint removal

Low-pressure, high-heat water cleaning to bring limestone and brick back to life. No harsh chemicals, which speed up the decay of soft masonry.

08Roof cleaning & repairs

Professional cleaning, tile replacement and repointing on heritage roofs.

Also: brickwork restoration · chimney repairs · stone replacement · render mouldings · lime renders for new buildings

03Lime, not cement

Cement traps water. Lime lets a wall breathe.

Most walls built before 1919 were designed to let moisture escape as water and vapour. Hard cement pointing and non-breathable paint seal it in, so the softer brick and stone around them decay first.

  1. 01Find the source of the moisture before treating anything.
  2. 02Remove cement mortar and render that is damaging soft masonry.
  3. 03Repoint and render in lime, matched to the original.
Lime mortar vs cement mortar
04Selected work

Selected
work.

Gold rush courthouses, a port weighbridge and an 1871 homestead, from Fremantle to the Goldfields.

01 / FeaturedFremantle · 2019

The red brick Weighbridge Station with the Fremantle Port Authority dome behind

Weighbridge Station

Built 1921 · State Heritage Register · Rebedding and full lime repointing

Coastal weather had fretted the original lime mortar and later cement repairs made it worse. We removed all cement and repointed the building in a lime mortar selected by the City of Fremantle.

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02 / FeaturedKalgoorlie · 2018

The Exchange Hotel in Kalgoorlie with its iron lace verandahs

Exchange Hotel

Built 1900 · State Heritage Register · Cellar desalination, lime render

A poultice system drew damaging salts out of the soft stone cellar walls. A lime render now keeps drawing salts out and slows the stone’s decay.

View project

03 / FeaturedPeppermint Grove · 2019

A new carved sandstone doorway on a rendered house in Peppermint Grove

Peppermint Grove

Private residence · Donnybrook sandstone · Hand-carved doorways and cornicing

Carved from the block in local Donnybrook sandstone to match the original house, then fixed using traditional stonemasonry.

View project

Project index11 more

Coolgardie Court HouseCoolgardie · 2019 · Crack stitching, damp course, lime repointing Coolgardie Post OfficeCoolgardie · 2016/17 · Stone replacement, render mouldings Woodloes ReserveCannington · 2018 · 1871 homestead, lime repointing Armadale District HallArmadale · 2019 · Damp course, NHL lime repointing Albany Senior High SchoolAlbany · 2017/18 · Entrance repointing, roof restoration Fremantle Town HallFremantle Fremantle Train StationFremantle Perth Modern SchoolSubiaco Perry’s Paddock BuildingPerth Tuckfield StreetPerth Heritage Grants ProgramWestern Australia
05The partners

Kennedy
& Sleeman.

A plasterer and a stonemason, both trained through traditional British apprenticeships. Based in the Fremantle area and working across Perth and regional WA.

Stonemasonry specialistCo-partner

Sam Sleeman

Trained as a stonemason in Portland, England, after moving from Scotland in 2004. In WA he has worked alongside leading heritage specialists on St George’s Cathedral, Government House and the Fremantle train station.

  • 2007

    City & Guilds qualification in Architectural Stonemasonry.

  • NZ

    Head mason on the post-earthquake restoration of the Arts Centre in Christchurch.

  • India

    Learnt traditional marble carving.

A plasterer floating lime render onto a wall
Lime render, floated by hand

Heritage plaster specialistCo-partner

Mark Kennedy

Began as an apprentice plasterer in the UK and trained in traditional and decorative plasterwork. In Australia since 2010.

  • Lath

    Lath and plaster ceilings and walls, and decorative cornice, in lime.

  • Façades

    Repointing and restoration of exterior render and decorative mouldings.

The teamHeads of trade

Chris HorsefordHead stonemason · City & Guilds 2012 · Roundhouse, Fremantle Prison Andy FurrHead plasterer · Apprenticed with the Public Works Department of WA, 1989 · Former TAFE lecturer

How a project runs3 stages

  1. 01Consultation

    No two heritage buildings are the same. We start with a detailed discussion of what you want to achieve and give our honest advice on how to get there.

  2. 02Planning

    You’ll know what to expect at every stage of the restoration before work begins.

  3. 03Execution

    Skilled tradespeople using traditional materials, matched to the original.

06Field notes

Before you
touch the wall.

Short guides for owners, architects and heritage officers.

Lime mortar vs cement mortarMaterials Types of brick pointingPointing Before you start a heritage restorationPlanning The history of stonemasonryCraft
07Contact

Tell us about
your building.

Call or email with the address and a few photos, and we’ll talk through how we’d approach it.

0424 433 594 ↗

Or send an enquiry

Is the building heritage listed?

Or email info@ksrestorations.com.au

K&S Restorations
4/14 Strang St
Beaconsfield WA 6162

Mon – Sat
8:00am – 6:00pm

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