Five Minute Histories: Formstone
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- čas přidán 25. 02. 2021
- Formstone: Love it or hate it? One thing we know for sure is that people are passionate about it. Please enjoy our video on the history of Formstone, created here in Baltimore!
This is our series called "Five Minute Histories." Twice a week, we’ll record a short video about a different historic place in Baltimore and post it on our Facebook page and website.
I’ve been a mason for almost 45 years and have worked for a prominent Baltimore commercial masonry company for 35 years so I speak as a masonry craftsman. Form stone is iconic and that’s it. It was a fad. It really destroys the substrate which is mostly beautiful solid brick walls. It traps moisture as well. It’s a cementitious wallpaper.
I grew up in Hueytown, Alabama which is a suburb of Birmingham. My Aunt next door had the bottom half of her frame house covered in Permastone in the early 1950s. We neighborhood kids were fascinated watching the craftsmen apply the stuff. It is definitely permanent and would still be there if the house hadn't burned down sometime in the early 1980s.
My folks had our house done in Formstone back in the late 50s. I just recently drove through the neighborhood and that old house still looks good in 'Stone! When our house was brick, my Dad spent endless hours repointing the mortar, then with a small brush painting that mortar white. I'm talking two stories in Highlandtown. He was more than thrilled to pop for the Formstone!
'The polyester of brick' 🤣 Perfect John Waters!
I love formstone so much back on the 90s i formstoned my car
How about marble stairs next?
Watched a company do this to a couple houses on Sargent st. In the 60s...
as a child my neighbor had formstone and I asked my mom why our house wasn’t like that and she simply said “because it’s ugly.” I didn’t understand why she thought it was ugly but now as an adult, I realize, formstone is ugly.
Charmingly tacky, like pink flamingos.
I would unfortunately proceed to rip it out and bury it deep somewhere all while quietly freaking out about the historical implications. It is the worst thing to happen to brick houses since siding. yuck! (i do admit though that nicely painted formstone can look really nice)
Similar to Garden State Brickface in NJ. Many lawsuits resulted from lawsuits due to damage to the underlying structure, rot, mold and mildew all being prevelant.
Very interesting
The cats meow. Haha
There are Formstone covered houses all over my neighborhood. The next street over also has brick cobblestone sidewalks.
I would buy a regular brick home over a formstone any day!
I've heard the movie "tin men" was based off of this
Almost all of Baltimore was formstone back in the day now they tearing it all down to brick again.
Not a fan. Happy to see people removing it to expose the beautiful brick underneath.
It’s hideous. I hate it lol
Just bought a house with formstone front it's so ugly hahaha