Because of their major visual impact, as well as their importance to your building, take care to preserve these vital elements. Builders used stone extensively for the sills beneath windows and doors, the lintels above them, and commercial storefronts. Some sills and lintels are carved with geometric or floral patterns. Stone masonry is generally left unpainted. Many buildings from the 1890s through the turn of the century have pressed-brick facades with common brick making up the side and rear walls.
Pressed brick is denser, less porous, and has a more uniform color than common brick.
See photo 6 for an example. The first thing that many building owners think about is cleaning their brick walls. Although once popular, the sandblasting and sealing method, which can cause irreparable damage to brick, is no longer used in the Village. Stone also should never be sandblasted, especially decoratively carved stone. Before you decide to clean your building, take a good look at your brick walls.