Replies

1. 
   akaCamiA | Oct 13, 2002 10:04pm | #1

   Kevin, I've used the yogurt (or buttermilk) trick to age concrete pots, and it does work. Scrape off bits of moss and algae from your old wall and mix it in with the yogurt or buttermilk. I've heard you can use beer instead of dairy products, but that seems a bit sacreligious...

   Throw a tarp over the whole thing for a few days and let it ferment. This just gives the moss and algae a jumpstart- it's not going to look like an 80 yr old wall. Another technique that you could try- rubbing the new mortar with mud (work it in with a big scrub brush) and the stones with evergreen branches. Maybe a combination of the two would help get you the look you're going for.

   So how big is this wall? I'm just picturing you loading up at the dairy department of Sam's or Costco....

   
   ...get an up-north attitude...
1. 
   kevinday4 | Oct 14, 2002 02:07am | #2

   Cami,

   The wall is about 48 feet long and 1 foot wide. I heard potato water will promote moss growth as well. thank you

1. 
   4Lorn1 | Oct 14, 2002 04:43am | #3

   You might try spraying the wall with vinegar and letting it set for 24hrs or so. It opens the grain and gives a worn effect. They may have used muriatic acid also but I clearly remember the vinegar smell. Follow with rinse and a bath or two with strong tea. The combination, at least it did for the project I saw, a nice patina.

   This was followed with a watered down latex paint wash in appropriate colors and once dry the moss in buttermilk treatment mentioned earlier. When they were done it was hard to tell that the wall hadn't been there for a few hundred years.