Torus Stonecraft

We had used Torus Stonecraft in the past, to undertake lime mortar pointing to the gable and rear elevation of our property, together with repairs to a chimney breast.

Given our positive earlier experience, we asked this trader to apply lime mortar pointing to the front facade of our flat. The original plan also included the replacement of a stone block that was obviously badly weathered. However, as work progressed, it was found that other areas of the sandstone used in the construction of the building also needed repair.

Greig arranged the provision of scaffolding, pointed with fine lime mortar, ordered new stone, made our home look much more attractive and left the working area very clean and tidy.

Greig was a really good communicator, describing what work was needed, the techniques used, discussed the further masonry defects that emerged and providing updates on progress.

He was also honest about the limits of his expertise and advised us about the types of trades person that we should consult on other areas of building maintenance.

Overall, we were really pleased with the work that Torus Stonecraft did and the service they provided.

Torus cleaned up the front of the house via pressure hose and scrubbing. Loose pointing was drilled out and replaced. The work was done efficiently. No time was wasted and any mess was cleaned up later.

Greig, the stonemason was polite and informative throughout the process, although communication by email was quite slow (due to a busy work schedule). He is highly recommended.

Greig and his team came back in October '23 and rebuilt (with lime mortar) the damaged stone gate pier at my parents' house. He liaised with the blacksmith who was coming to deal with resetting the iron gate and returned the pier to its proper state. The final result is a real pleasure to see. Friendly, careful and efficient.

(intended to review at the time but family circumstances at that point pushed it off my to do list)

Masonry repair to a windowsill. Very prompt service and an excellent result - the masonry equivalent of "invisible mending". Delighted!

Raking out gable wall and chimney and repointing in lime mortar.
Greig was excellent to work with. Very good communication from first visit to cost the job through to completion. Always knew exactly what was happening and when. Quick, efficient, thorough, neat and friendly. Handled everything to do with the scaffolding. Also added in a couple of extras. Very pleased with the result.

We had repairs and pointing done to our stone gable that had been poorly patched previously
From quote to completion Greig was brilliant and not only were we delighted with the finished walls but he made it very easy to achieve this cannot recommend highly enough

Greig did an extensive external and internal stone replacement/ repair for us. He is a true craftsman who takes pride in his work, doesn't cut corners and won't compromise on quality, so you get what you pay for and, to us, it's worth every penny.

The work was a second commission undertaken within 12 months, this time to demolish and rebuild 3 large sandstone chimneys on my Victorian terraced house, that are shared with two adjacent neighbours. Having experienced his craftmanship when replacing skew stones, I had no hesitation in engaging him a second time for this more extensive work. All my previous positives about Greig were experienced again: detailed, transparent, itemised and competitive estimates/quotes; responsive communication; regular updates on progress/issues; clear explanation; extensive acquired knowledge & expertise; meticulous, high quality execution of work and balanced, trustworthy advice, taking into account the architectural integrity of the property. He is totally professional, but a friendly, reliable and a tidy worker. I also liked the fact that he not only sourced a competitive scaffolding firm, but managed all communication and payment with them, including securing a competitive rental extension when I discovered, unexpectedly, that I needed to replace my large timber cupola at the end of his works. I have no hesitation in recommending him.

Torus has just completed restoration, repair and rebuilding works on my Victorian sandstone property. I consider them to be craftsmen of a very high standard. The works involved were varied from a chimney rebuild (retaining patency and functionality of the chimney) to removing previously erroneously applied cement render and replacing this with the correct lime mortar. They were knowledgeable, helpful and tidy and showed great respect for both myself and my property.

Torus repointed both sides of a large boundary wall and refurbished the sandstone pillars at the property entrance. Greig was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and hardworking. His work has enhanced the property and indeed the look of the whole street. The use of lime mortar in contrast to concrete, lovingly and painstakingly applied, is a joy to behold.

Greig and Ian from Torus Stonecraft repointed and repaired the entire rear wall of our sandstone terraced house using traditional lime mortar and rebuilt a small, crumbling wall in our front garden. Their quote was very competitive, they sourced an excellent scaffolder, and carried out all the work exactly as they said they would, when they said they would - all really efficiently and with meticulous attention to detail. I was really impressed by how they got on with the work and completed it so quickly. They have done a really beautiful job - we are absolutely delighted with it. Greig and Ian were also a real pleasure to deal with - while they worked really hard, they were also very friendly - and funny - and took extra care not only to clean up in our garden but also our neighbour's, as the wind had taken some of the inevitable dust next door. They really did go above and beyond, and I would recommend them to anyone without any hesitation whatsoever.

I used Torus Stonecraft to repair my garden wall which had been broken and buckled by the massive roots of a eucalyptus tree. Once the tree and stump were gone, Torus repaired the wall to a very high standard. It took just over a day in total and was left clean and tidy. Traditional lime mortar was used which should last 100+ years so it's money well spent in comparison to having it patched up with cement which doesn't last. Greig provided a detailed quote, turned up when he said he would, communicated well throughout by email and was generally very professional and nice to have around. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. His work is of a very high standard.

Work done - Removal and replacement of damaged sandstone window sill and repair of window rybats.

Overall - Very high standard of work carried out by extremely pleasant, efficient and reliable tradespeople.

We had sandstone repair work carried out (crumbling stone cut out and repaired, colour matched expertly) and several linear metres of pointing done. Greig at Torus was very responsive, provided a quote promptly and managed to fit in our relatively small job within a few weeks. He’s clearly very passionate about his work and very professional, cleaning up after him and the stone looks as good as new. I definitely recommend him and hope to use him again soon for a larger job involving flagstones and an internal stairwell.

Replacement of two stone skew copes on a dividing wall between my house and my neighbour's.
Greig is experienced and knowledgable stonemason who explained the works and timescales clearly. His quote was competitive and I liked the way that he took the initiative to source a more competitive scaffolding supplier. The work was executed professionally, to a very high standard, taking note of the age of the building, and within his original timeframe. I particularly appreciated his regular communication, keeping me updated and his very prompt response to any query I might have. I would have no hesitation in recommending his company to anyone requiring a stone specialist.

Knowledgeable and friendly, easy to deal with. Reliable and kept me correctly informed about dates and timing, and kept to this. The work done was professional and efficient. All mess cleaned up.

Repointing and refurbishing of our front garden boundary wall.

Greig was entirely reliable and carried out the work in a most efficient and professional manner. He completed the job to an excellent standard and the work was carried out in a very tidy way. I would have no hesitation in employing him again or of recommending him to any of my friends or family. A very able professional who knows what he is talking about and does what he says.

We are very happy with the high standard of professional craftsmanship of the work carried out by Torus Stonecraft to the front of our tenement wall, stonework surrounding windows, and cornice above. They were excellent at communicating before and during the works what needed done, explaining what they were doing and why, and very reliable and tidy. Very confident in their skill and would not hesitate to recommend or use again.

I needed a small but important repair to a wall which showed signs of water ingress and Greig came over and offered advice and a couple of options. I was pleased at how soon the job could be fitted into his schedule and Greig and Ian arrived promptly. The old cement pointing was raked out of the inside and outside of the wall and replaced with lime mortar - the result is excellent. They were very efficient, tidy and friendly and when I spoke to the neighbour who helped with giving them access she was pleased with how things had gone. Greig offered further advice on the stonework in the building and I would not hesitate to recommend or use his services in future.

Work performed promptly and to spec. Job left clean and tidy. Polite and good communication throughout.