Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial
Los Angeles, L.A., California
Replication and Replacement of Porcelain Tile Mosaic Surfaces
The ceramic tile and terra cotta portions of the public space built to memorialize early Anglo settlers in Los Angeles was constructed in 1957 in a contemporary style, and long years of exposure to the elements had caused areas of the tile fountain surface to fail, requiring the replication and installation of new matching porcelain tiles.
Wikipedia Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Moore_Pioneer_Memorial
Click on images below to view at larger size.
Cleaning and restoration of the porcelain tile and terra cotta surfaces involved manufacture of new tiles to match the original materials. |
The salt-glazed ceramic tile had held up well over the years, but the bond with the concrete substrate had failed due to the constant exposure to water from the fountain and cascade. |
Large areas of porcelain tile had naturally fallen to the pool surface below as the original setting bed material failed beneath. |
Cleaning tests were mandatory to determine the appearance of the tile to be matched by new material from our restoration ceramic supplier back east. |
Our first order of business was to identify and remove the tile that had failed due to setting bed limitations. |
Our wonderfully versatile Italian carving hammers again proved themselves in carving away the old thinset mortar without affecting the stable original tile. |
Removing the old thinset adhesive was a very important part of the demo and preparation process. Proper preparation of the surface ensured an easy and accurate installation of the replacement material. |
Placement of individual tiles could then proceed on an area-by-area basis. |
Installing the new matching ceramic tile was definitely an exercise in care. We tried to keep an eye on the joint spacing while putting in new individual tiles to maintain the same look and feel of the original material. |
Maintaining the random 'feel' of the original installation was as much a result of intuition on the part of the craftsmen as anything else planned. |
Where wholesale failure of the original material had previously ocurred, we were able to set the tiles in pre-mounted one foot square sheets. |
Here is a closeup of a finished area. When it's hard to differentiate between new and original material, we know that we have suceeded in our intent. |
Here the finished cascade and fountain is looking pretty uniform. Sadly, the lower portions of the wall are now beginning to fail, so we will probably be back here again in the not-too-distant future. |