In 2026, Lanzini & Sons carried out mosaic restoration at St. Francis Parish in Bakersfield, California. The work covered the main sanctuary mosaic, approximately 40 feet wide and 25 feet high, and the side chapel mosaics. We uncovered artwork beneath later tile, cleaned the mosaics and repaired cracks, losses and conspicuous earlier repairs.
Recovering the covered mosaic
Rojo Alicante tile had been installed over the original mosaic on the lower sanctuary wall. We removed the covering tile, then used controlled acid etching and surface preparation to remove the remaining mortar residue.
Main sanctuary mosaic wall
Before
After
We repaired holes, missing tesserae and other localized losses in the exposed mosaic. Tesserae are the individual pieces that make up the artwork. Regrouting the lower sections on both sides of the sanctuary gave the joints a more uniform appearance.
Cleaning and grout repairs
Controlled acid washing and general cleaning removed haze and residue from the main wall. Treated areas showed clearer color and a brighter sheen beside sections still awaiting cleaning.
Some older upper-wall grout repairs had left pale haze or a mismatched color. We removed the residue and selectively regrouted those areas for a closer color match.
In the side chapels, we used controlled acid cleaning and general cleaning, protecting the nearby statuary during treatment. Those mosaics also regained clearer color and a brighter sheen.
Stabilizing cracks and blending uneven repairs
We mechanically prepared affected cracks according to their condition. Larger cracks received concrete epoxy for localized stabilization; smaller cracks were filled with grout. Colored epoxy helped visually blend older raised repairs and uneven transitions between mosaic surfaces.
The differences in height remained. We kept the panels in place, since eliminating those differences would have required taking down and resetting the affected panels, with substantial risk to the original mosaic.
We also painted the pulley hook and cross-support hook to blend with the wall.
Project location: St. Francis Parish, 900 H Street, Bakersfield, CA 93304.
For a mosaic with covered sections, cracks or conspicuous earlier repairs, send overall photographs and details of the problem areas, together with any known history of coverings or repairs.
