Historic buildings usually refer to buildings which are more than 50 years old and which have an architectural or cultural importance. Restoring such a building can be a challenge not only for the contractors who do the work per-se, but also for architects, conservators or engineers.

In order for a historic stone building to keep on being relevant in our modern times, upgrades and changes are certainly necessary. With the help of thoughtful and relevant building restoration project, a stone building can keep its integrity for many decades to come.

Therefore, it is important for those involved in the restoration process to get familiar with various materials and their properties, as well as how they perform in the long run. These materials usually include brick, terra cotta, cast stone, concrete block, and mortar. For the typical building, mortar takes about 20% of the wall system.

With the masonry wall systems there are also other integrated elements which can be made of steel or iron, such as flashings, sealants, metal ties, and so on.

No matter the chosen materials for the restoration, the basic principle is that these new materials will be the sacrificial ones, not the original materials. It is important also to work with manufacturers in order to find the best options.