Olde World Walls & Ceilings

Owner:

City of Saint Augustine and The University of Florida

Architect:

Walker Architects

General Contractor:

Charles Perry Partners, Inc.

Client:

University of Florida

Scope Of Work

Historic plaster restoration of the exterior and interior of The Government House Museum in Saint Augustine, Florida.  

We first were brought onto the project to repair the numerous cracks on the exterior of the building to match the existing coquina mortar finish, repair spalling concrete due to the rusting rebar and repair the cast stone materials around the windows and doors.  After opening up several areas of the exterior it was determined that the best course of action was to fix the cracks and then re-plaster the entire exterior.  We researched numerous materials and techniques to best achieve a finish that replicated the finish from the 1930's.  The color had to be exact as well as the aggregates that we used so we made several sample panels for approval.  

We were hidden behind scaffold curtain to protect visitors as they entered the museum so that when the scaffolding was removed we had numerous local people think that the building had been pressure washed and the window trim painted, so closely had we match what had been there before our work was barely noticeable.  Some of the highest compliments we could ever hear!  We went on to make interior plaster repairs using gypsum & lime plaster finish.

The University of Florida was so pleased with the positive responses to their building that a luncheon was held for local and state dignitaries as well as the construction workers.  This was not your typical building and it was certainly not your typical construction topping off party... after everyone had been thanked for their hard  work they called out Olde World Walls & Ceilings to thank the men for their efforts "in giving back to the city the building they had dream of having but never could have imagined it would look as close to the original one as we had given them."  

The Museum figured prominently in the city's celebration of it 450th anniversary with the highlight being King Felipe & Queen Letizia of Spain speaking from the King's Balcony of the museum to the crowds gathered below.  King Felipe said "It's a really memorable day for us, we're visiting this historic and beautiful city... And it's truly impressive to see how well the city has kept, has preserved its heritage".