Menard County Courthouse

The sandstone restoration at the Menard County courthouse (built in 1896) removed a 30 year old cementitious coating by hand-grinding and restoring the surface of the sandstone on all four sides of the building. Repairs to the re-exposed sandstone included the following:

• Sanding of rough stones
• Anchoring of loose stones
• Replacement of missing or broken stones with new cast stone
• Patching of damaged stones
• Reshaping of stone window sills, heads, and jambs as well as reshaping of decorative elements such as columns, scrolls, arches
• Tuckpointing of all sandstone joints and sealant work around existing windows

A pilot-project and test panels were used to determine the most cost effective restoration process. The methods were revised during the rest of the work to adapt to localized conditions.