Livable City Design Awards

It was a great pleasure to be involved with this residential project at 42 Lakeshore Blvd in Kingston, that was recognized in November with a Livable City award. As is often the case, the challenges involved made the end result that much more rewarding. 

Our involvement began with restoration of the original Limestone seawall, which had weathered 40 years of abuse from Lake Ontario.  The wall was repointed, partially rebuilt, and capped with new cut Limestone coping stones. 

The main residence was faced in snecked ashlar Limestone- blocks of stone squared to very narrow tolerances, and built in the traditional Scottish pattern. 

The City of Kingston Livable City Design Awards page can be visited at: https://www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/kingston-awards/livable-city

Safety First

Our crew hit the books today, and completed over 12 hours of safety training including Working at Heights, and both Genie and Scissor lift operation. After a full day of theory, we got to go for a spin in two different machines. Thanks to Chris and Paul at Safety Guys for the top notch instruction. 

Kingston-based Safety Guys can be reached at: http://www.safetyguystraining.com/

Sand Lake

It doesn't feel much like cottage weather at the moment, but nevertheless we are enjoying our time at Sand Lake. We are currently constructing two stone features as part of a cottage renovation/ reconstruction. The first, pictured below is a cooking station where the gas range will be located, and consists of two sandstone piers connected by a self supporting, segmental arch.  

Next week, we begin work on the 25' random rubble fireplace- Updates to follow. 

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Big Dig Redux

Once again, we are happy to be assisting Len Corcoran Excavating with the Big Dig- The reconstruction of Princess St from Bagot to Clergy in Kingston's downtown. Our scope of work has us in some of Kingston's oldest basements, repairing foundation walls as part of the project. For more information on the Big Dig, visit the City of Kingston's page at: https://www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/projects-construction/princess-street

Concrete blocks are cut to size for the infill of a below-grade window well

Lakeshore Project

This week we began preparing stone for an upcoming project on Lakeshore Boulevard in Kingston. We are based at Rideauview Contracts' facility in Erinsville, where large slabs of Limestone are being transformed into hand-finished pieces that will make up the snecked ashlar stonework on this custom new home. First the huge slabs of stone are brought into the shop by forklift where they are loaded onto a conveyor and split into small, rough blocks using a hydraulic guillotine. From here, the stones are stacked on pallets and brought to our work area, where they are individually finished by hand to specific shapes and sizes. The stone is then repackaged, and will be transported to the job-site when work begins this spring.

Emily Street, Kingston

While temperature records were being shattered throughout Canada this past February, our team was busy dismantling and rebuilding a 150 year old parapet wall on the shores of Lake Ontario. The parapet (a low masonry wall which extends above a roofline) was originally built to act as fire separation between a workshop structure on Emily Street, and a neighbouring carriage house to the east. Prolonged exposure to wind, rain, ice and snow from the lake had taken a heavy toll. Previous repair work using inappropriate materials had also served to accelerate deterioration of the masonry to the point that the structural integrity of the wall had become compromised. 

Roughly 60,000 lbs of Kingston Limestone was carefully dismantled and lowered to the ground where it was either cleaned and stored for re-use, or disposed of. Over five tons of replacement stone was sourced and finished to match the shape and size of the original material. Limestone was cut and bush-hammered to replace the damaged coping stones at the top of the wall. 

Stone was heated on the ground, and hoisted to the scaffold as needed, where the wall was rebuilt using a lime-based mortar.  

Fort Lasalle

O! it's nice to get up in the mornin' when the sun begins to shine, 
At four or five or six o'clock in the good old summer time. 
When the snow is snowin' and it's murky over head, 
O! it's nice to get up in the mornin', but it's nicer to lie in bed.

-Harry Lauder

George Street Project

Edgewater is currently working in collaboration with Taggart Construction to dismantle and rebuild a Limestone wall as part of the George St. reconstruction project. The natural stone retaining wall, which sits adjacent to the Sword of Valour monument, will require substantial stone replacement. New Limestone is squared and built to courses with Lime-based mortar.

Stonemasons preparing blocks of Limestone for use in a natural stone retaining wall. Kingston, ON

Stones are cut to required height and sorted by size.

A piece of Kingston Limestone is squared using hand tools. The perimeter of the stone is marked, and excess material is 'pitched' away to ensure all sides are square.

Lakeshore Project

Prior to construction on a new Lakeshore Blvd home in Kingston, we were asked to restore an existing Limestone seawall. The stonework dates back approximately 30  years and was built on the bedrock shelf along the shoreline. Sections of the wall have collapsed, but for the most part it has withstood the elements in this high exposure location. Our scope of work includes rebuilding collapsed sections, tying the wall into a new Limestone staircase, and repointing all stonework. 

When the wall is restored, it will complement the contemporary design of the new home and maintain a physical link to the past for its owners. 

Carruthers' Monument Kingston

John Carruthers was a Scottish immigrant who became a prominent member of the Kingston business community. He was a generous supporter of both Queen’s University and Chalmers Church, and his contributions to the university were recognized in the naming of Carruthers' Hall at Queen’s. His son John Bell was instrumental in establishing the precursor to the current Faculty of Engineering and Applied science at the University.

Carruthers' monument sits on a Limestone base that was restored recently by Edgewater. The perimeter stonework was repointed, and two damaged corner stones were replaced with matching Kingston Limestone.

'The Highlander' Kingston

Our stone pillar project is well underway at the Highlander development in the East end of Kingston. Weather conditions have been challenging, but the project is moving along. We are using Owen Sound Ledgerock, and each pillar will be finished with a pre-cast concrete cap. More pictures to follow.