“An Experience I’ll Never Forget”: The Man Who Helped Seal the Cracks in the Washington Monument
Paul K. still remembers the exact moment it hit him. He was three quarters of the way up the Washington Monument when a flock of geese flew past, squawking, just 15 feet away.
"You felt like you were inside the flock," he says. "An experience I'll never forget."
It was 2011. A 5.8 magnitude earthquake had just cracked open one of America’s most iconic structures, and Paul, then a materials and color-matching specialist for Bonstone Materials Corporation, had been called in to figure out how to fix it.
Scaffolding wrapped around the pyramidion in 2011. | Credit: Paul K.
His job: diagnose the cracks, design a repair method, and make sure the damage disappeared as completely as possible.
“You want to get the best material up there to hold it and make it last,” he says. “There is a lot of care-taking involved, working with the contractor, the specifiers, the architects. Everyone has a stake in getting it right.”
What Paul didn’t expect was how much the project would stay with him.
Epoxy injection port installation on a surface crack in the Washington Monument marble. | Credit: Paul K.
When the Repair Has to Be Invisible
The damage was worse than it looked from the ground. Up close, or through binoculars, crews could see cracks ranging from four to twelve inches long and up to seven inches deep, alongside small to medium stone spalls. The marble itself had been weathering for over 127 years.
“Since the marble was installed so long ago and was open to the elements, the crystals that were once a high hone were now in some areas a sugary surface,” Paul explains. “The pores were opening up, micro fracturing. The chance of staining the stone with resin was a real possibility.”
Every repair had to be invisible. The monument is one of the most photographed structures in the world. A mismatched patch or a slight wet look in the stone would be there forever.
Working on the crack in 2013. | Credit: Paul K.
That’s where Paul’s art school background became his secret weapon.
“I think having an art background helped me create a different perspective on natural stone repairs,” he says. “The understanding of shading, color changes in the stone, how shadows shift with the light, that helps the repair disappear to some extent.”
He developed five custom color blends to account for the way each face of the monument had aged differently after more than a century of sun, acid rain, and DC humidity.
“It’s not so much the flat color you see,” he says. “It’s the angles, what side of the building you’re on, how the crystals are catching the sun. You have to work with all of that.”
When the Right Diamond Blade Changes Everything
Looking back, Paul says there’s one thing he wishes he’d had on that job.
“At that point, my understanding of diamond tooling was minimal,” he admits. “And the benefits I see today are tremendous.”
The restoration required over 150 Dutchman repairs, sections of damaged marble cut out and replaced with fresh stone. Those cuts had to be exact. The wrong blade vibrates against fragile marble. It chips. It creates new micro fractures in the very stone you’re trying to save.
Close-up crack damage on the pyramidion marble. | Credit: Paul K.
“The guys cutting that stone needed something that wouldn’t chip the marble or blow it out,” Paul says. “Those Dutchman cuts have to be as tight as you can get them.”
Now Paul knows exactly what he’d use. Electroplated diamond blades. “They cut like butter through marble. No vibration, no chipping. I wish I’d known.”
And small mesh-rim turbo blades for crack chasing, running a thin, precise blade through the crack to clean out weak particles before any resin goes in. “A thicker blade opens the crack up too much and makes it more visible. You just really want to get the weak material out, nothing more.”
Image shown is for illustrative purposes only to demonstrate an example of an electroplated diamond blade. This image does not constitute an endorsement or promotion of any specific brand or product.
When asked about the highlight of the entire project, Paul doesn’t hesitate.
“The absolute joy of working with people who cared so deeply about the history of the monument and what it meant to the country,” he says. “I felt pretty proud to help out, and to go back and see what they did to it, and what I helped with.”
He pauses again. “That’s kind of my accomplishment.”
Happy Independence Day. Here’s to the next 250.
As America turns 250 this July 4th, we’re proud to have people like Paul on the TST team, and proud to make the tools that help protect what this country has built.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the company. While submissions may be reviewed prior to publication, no warranties or guarantees are made regarding the accuracy, completeness, or performance outcomes described. The company assumes no responsibility or liability for any injury, loss, or damage resulting from the use or misuse of any diamond blade, tool, or related product discussed herein. Users are solely responsible for ensuring proper operation, compliance with manufacturer instructions, and adherence to all applicable safety standards and regulations. Always use appropriate protective equipment, follow the instructions of the products, and exercise caution when operating machinery or tools.