Extremely important to mention that you should only do 2 foot sections at a time to prevent the weight of the home collapsing the walls while you are working on them. Do not pull all the mortar out of the entire wall and then try to fill it all in. The mortar is helping support the structure and you don't need sections falling out of the wall while you're trying to work because the weight of the home is pushing down on them. Also, if larger rocks come out, those need to be put right back into place. Another tip for the finished aesthetics is if you use a spray bottle to lightly spray the new mortar after you put it in, and smooth it with the paint brush, you wind up with much smoother mortar seems and it'll help blend the mortar in with your rocks. It'll make the mortar less bumpy.
I been looking for a video like this it's hard to find these old house stone foundation repairs! Thank you it looks great can't wait to do my whole basement...saved me a ton of money!
How timely and ironic! I'm looking at a couple old farm houses in northern MI with some crumbling. Thank you! This may help me buy one of them. I was afraid to tangle with foundation crumbling.
just to reinforce what others have said, it’s important to use a lyme based mortar to prevent moisture from being locked in and causing more deterioration
Fortunately this foundation repair has a crawl space on the other side so moisture is not really a problem. I appreciate what you and others have to share. I have an outside wall to work on in the upcoming months and will put my hands on some lime base mortar and give that a whirl.
You ladies did way better than the men I just watched! I think women are more thorough and caring about what they do. Very enjoyable. Me and mom have the project to undergo soon. thank you for making this look less intimidating
The repair is dusty but works well. I've used this method for a larger section of my 1880s basement and have had great results. I researched several others who have also used this method. A method This Old House has used. Here is the link: czcams.com/video/jgU245CbALc/video.html
Nice video. But you guys are using finicky/clumsy tools to insert the mortar between the stones. Just put on gloves and use your hands like you would in the Kitchen. It is much faster and most of all results in much better quality packing of the joints.
We liked the control of how this was done for tight spots... a little more methodical. However, to your comment, we also used gloved hands for some of the application. It worked well when the situation called for less finicky work. The hand and glove method is like working with clay. We also found that working with hands (although maybe faster and fun) more mortar ended up on the floor. Per your mention, gloves are essential if you use hands or it will really tear up your skin. You can also use a grout/ mortar bag. But for our small job it was more of a hassle.
You can also try a mortar bag. Sometimes called a grout bag it looks like a cake icing decorating tool and works really well for getting deep into smaller openings. I use it all the time, even for the larger openings.
Yes, It's necessary with gloves if its more than a five-minute job. I usually put plastic sheets below where I work so I can collect all the mortar/concrete and not loose/waste anything. @@mi-tinker
Adding to what others have said- putting modern cement-based mortar over lime mortar will cause the old mortar trapped to rapidly deteriorate. You can test this by revisiting this (or another similar) job, removing some of your work and seeing how everything behind it is starting to disintegrate and your mortar may not have a solid substrate behind it. This process even occurs above grade in areas protected from rain. It’s the changing temperatures and humidity levels that introduce the moisture more than anything else.
Thanks for your reply and insight. This is good information for folks to take into consideration. Fortunately, the work we did is inside where the temperature and humidity are controlled. We will use a lime base for any future exterior repairs. The other work we did (inside) is now 7+ years old and it all seems to be fine to date. There are two camps on lime vs modern cement based mortar and I appreciate your thoughtful feedback to share with me and others!
The dowel idea for sure. Great video. I’m just about to do this to the house in my pic. 160+ year old house that seems to be one thing after another. Lol.
Great video. I'm working on a big creak stone or field stone foundation issue. Some of it collapsed out and has crumbled. I'm about to mortor and fill in voids to shore up the foundation again.
My issue with these foundations is I know of more than one family that had snakes in the house. I personally seen a rat squeeze through a very small opening between a couple of the rocks, could not believe how it went in such a small opening.
Indeed! Any ground critter can snake through lose mortar. Mice, chipmunks and snakes. We’ve also had a baby rabbit and a kitten. The kitten pointed to us discovering a litter born under our front porch.
Old Stone Walls were built with lime based mortar and should be repaired with same. Portland based mortar has different properties and is stronger than the stones, meaning that future movement in the building will result in cracked stone rather than cracking at mortar joints (which is easier to repair).
Thanks for your feedback. Do you repair stonework for a living? What type of lime based mortar do you recommend? I took my repair cues from "This Old House" which had 2 videos using the materials I've used. However, I've had several people mention using lime. Yours was informative vs shaming, insulting or saying "dumb @#$"...Thank you for that. Food for thought: Since this is the way I have repaired several other spots in my basement where it is an interior wall (with the opposite side of the wall being crawl space and not exposed to the weather) and my other repairs have held up well for more than 7 years that something is working right. Perhaps because they are not exposed to the elements? However, it might seem that the lime mortar should certainly be used on exterior walls that have more exposure to the elements. Thoughts?
@@mi-tinker no, I do not repair stone for a living but I own and maintain several bldgs that were built in the 19th century. All of them have beautiful stone foundations that I want to last for another hundred years. I've done lots of research into the subject - and there's not a lot of good info out there that isn't contradictory. It doesn't help that similar concepts of the subject are described using different uncommon (and non standard) terms. It's also not very easy to find the correct products in the big box stores. If you can find "Type K" mortar, that is supposed to be all lime. I've always mixed mine from scratch but I'm going to try Type K on my next project (foundations of an 1880 barn). Good luck with your future projects!
@richsobcinski, Thanks for this information. My foundation is from the 1880s as well. Let's hope this helps others as well!! Good luck with your projects too!
hi it looks great. i have a 121 year old house my basement is like that even have log beams mine is taking in water in some places will this work to stop water?
Hi Donna, while repairing your foundation will help strengthen your foundation, create a barrier for critters and help with some moisture. However, I would first check what is causing your moisture problems-find out where is the water coming from. The most common sources of water in the basement: 1) gutters that are clogged, disconnected or leaking. You may need to extend how far out the gutter's discharge. 2) Do you have a positive ground grading away from your house. If your soil, grass, or plantings are lower next to your house than in the rest of your yard water will find its way in your basement (the lowest point). 3) Check for critter holes near your foundation. Chipmunks and groundhogs? They like to burrow near foundations. These holes also allow for water penetration. 4) Is your water table too high? Sometimes after a heavy rain our water table simply saturates the ground above the fieldstone foundation for a day or two until it can absorb the moisture into the ground water table. If you want to add a waterproof barrier after the repair, you can also use a clear a product like Quikrete Waterproofing Sealer. You can get this from one of your big box or local hardware stores. Hope this helps! Let me know if you find any of the 4 common sources of extra water.
Thanks so much, very helpful 😁. I’m doing the same thing inside and out on my place. I’m wondering how deep I should dig on the outside. Most of the old Lyme mortar has dissolved to dirt but it is sound and was likely dry stacked originally. Thanks again for the vid, Mark from Nova Scotia 😁
Hi Mark, we had the same question on how deep to go in cleaning out the old mortar. Some of our mortar was still intact. If it was not crumbling we left it alone. On average we put new mortar 2-3 inches deep. Occasionally a little deeper but only when it poured out on its own from the dry stack center. We went deep enough to reinforce the existing stonework so it was strong and stable. Hope this helps...Thanks for watching! I hope you will subscribe! Thanks
Curious, 1 year later, how are the stones doing? I ask because you used a "hard" mortar mix instead of sand/lime, which many masons would advise for fieldstone for better moisture control (keeps rocks from trapping moisture inside). Are your rocks deteriorating or are they doing OK? Great video, thanks!
Hi thanks for watching and for the question. I’ve done several sections this/ my basement over the last 7 years. They have done quite well and I have not seen any deteriorating rocks.
Yes, by nature stone walls are buried. However, typically the soil holds the original mortar in place on the buried portion. If you are concerned, excavate and examine the mortar. Some suggest using lime mortar on the weather exposed exterior wall.
Have you ever had to deal with stone foundation walls that the owner had closed cell spray insulation applied to them and if so what were the problems besides the lime mortar disintegrating?
Hi Gary, I have not had this issue. Sounds really messy. I'm sure taking the foam off added to the disintegration. Let us know how it worked out for you.
Do you ever have to worry about the stones “falling out” or other stones “falling down” when you chip away old mortar? I have a old fieldstone foundation and the more I look at it I feel like if I start chipping away the sand and mortar the rocks are gunna fall out
Thanks for the great question. It can feel like it is hard to decide where to begin or where it ends. For us, we started near a more secure portion and work in about a 2 ft wide section upward vertically. That way you are continuing to secure and strengthen an expanding area. Hope this helps.
Most experts indicate that Asbestos was most commonly used from 1940s through the mid 1970s. My basement was built in 1880s. However, If Asbestos was used in mortar prior to that time-period, it would have most likely been in bricks / fireplace mortar construction. To be extra safe, there are several kits available for testing for Asbestos on line through Amazon. Asbestos Test Kit 1 PK (5 Bus. Days) Schneider Labs a.co/d/9zaa7jJ
Thanks for the question. Check the description for several helpful links. I've seen two different types of mortar used, I decided to use a type S mortar (structural) vs a type N (nonstructural) since this is a foundation that supports a 2-story home: www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-80-lb-Type-S-Mason-Mix-113680/100318510?MERCH=REC-_-searchViewed-_-NA-_-100318510-_-N Also note: I used this for interior repairs. Some folks have mentioned if you are doing an exterior repair to use a lime mix. Here is one more informational link you might consider: lancasterlimeworks.com/learning-center/lime-mortar-basics/ My repairs have done well. My earliest interior basement stone wall repairs are now 7 years old and doing well. Good luck with your repair!
How can I control to color shade of the mortar I use? I recently reset a bluestone tread using type S and while working with type s was great I did not like the color once it was fully cured, more of a dark grey almost blue color as opposed to the more tan/beach sand color of the other treads and the joints of the thermal bluestone fielding on top of the landing. I have to retuck a section of a fieldstone wall soon and the existing mortar I will be matching also has the tan beach sand like color (you can actually see a lot of sand in it). I would like to match the existing mortar as close as possible but I do not know how to go about controlling the color shade of mortar or why a lot of the older mortar I see has a lot of what looks like visible sand in it. I live in Connecticut if that has any effect in material choice.
Good question. I don't know since the foundation was built over 140 years ago... What I was working on was a crumbling repair done circa 1950s. The research I did indicated I could use non-lime mortar mix however, there seems to be 2 camps on this. Some folks feel very strongly about using a lime mortar even when I mentioned I was working on a "newer" 1950s crumbling repair vs the original (more than likely) lime mortar.
Extremely important to mention that you should only do 2 foot sections at a time to prevent the weight of the home collapsing the walls while you are working on them. Do not pull all the mortar out of the entire wall and then try to fill it all in. The mortar is helping support the structure and you don't need sections falling out of the wall while you're trying to work because the weight of the home is pushing down on them. Also, if larger rocks come out, those need to be put right back into place. Another tip for the finished aesthetics is if you use a spray bottle to lightly spray the new mortar after you put it in, and smooth it with the paint brush, you wind up with much smoother mortar seems and it'll help blend the mortar in with your rocks. It'll make the mortar less bumpy.
I totally agree!
Are you saying that mortar is structural material?
love to see some chill ladies doing masonry
Thanks!
I been looking for a video like this it's hard to find these old house stone foundation repairs! Thank you it looks great can't wait to do my whole basement...saved me a ton of money!
Thanks for watching! Good luck with your basement!
How timely and ironic! I'm looking at a couple old farm houses in northern MI with some crumbling. Thank you! This may help me buy one of them. I was afraid to tangle with foundation crumbling.
Let us know. Did you buy any of these houses?
I love that dowel idea! Have two family basements to repoint this year and I'm definitely going to borrow that technique.
Thanks so much Aaron, best of luck with your 2 basements!!
Very helpful! I am purchasing an old farmhouse and the field stone mortar needs repair. Thanks for the quick and easy tutorial 😊
Glad it was helpful! :-)
LETS GO!! We have a disaster like that to fix when we move to our new house this Wednesday
Hope all goes well! Thanks for watching and I hope you will subscribe!
Investigating the subject as I am looking to buy an old farm house. Very informative and Great job!
Glad it was helpful... Thanks!
Great video! Very helpful to see the solution to such a common issue
Thanks for watching and leaving a nice comment!!
just to reinforce what others have said, it’s important to use a lyme based mortar to prevent moisture from being locked in and causing more deterioration
Fortunately this foundation repair has a crawl space on the other side so moisture is not really a problem. I appreciate what you and others have to share. I have an outside wall to work on in the upcoming months and will put my hands on some lime base mortar and give that a whirl.
what happens if you encase the entire thing in cement? is it a bad idea?
@apeitsch encasing is not something I’d do… 🧐
You ladies did way better than the men I just watched! I think women are more thorough and caring about what they do. Very enjoyable. Me and mom have the project to undergo soon. thank you for making this look less intimidating
Wow, thank you!!
Between you ladies and my fave' (Mike Haduck Masonry videos) I'm finally confident to do this on my own 1890s basement. :)
Before you start, please do some more research & make sure that you use a lime mortar on natural stone, not concrete.
The repair is dusty but works well. I've used this method for a larger section of my 1880s basement and have had great results. I researched several others who have also used this method. A method This Old House has used. Here is the link: czcams.com/video/jgU245CbALc/video.html
Excellent video. Thank you for this.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!!
Wow, nice work!
Thanks!!
Nice video. But you guys are using finicky/clumsy tools to insert the mortar between the stones. Just put on gloves and use your hands like you would in the Kitchen. It is much faster and most of all results in much better quality packing of the joints.
We liked the control of how this was done for tight spots... a little more methodical. However, to your comment, we also used gloved hands for some of the application. It worked well when the situation called for less finicky work. The hand and glove method is like working with clay. We also found that working with hands (although maybe faster and fun) more mortar ended up on the floor. Per your mention, gloves are essential if you use hands or it will really tear up your skin. You can also use a grout/ mortar bag. But for our small job it was more of a hassle.
You can also try a mortar bag. Sometimes called a grout bag it looks like a cake icing decorating tool and works really well for getting deep into smaller openings. I use it all the time, even for the larger openings.
Yes, It's necessary with gloves if its more than a five-minute job. I usually put plastic sheets below where I work so I can collect all the mortar/concrete and not loose/waste anything. @@mi-tinker
Your suppose to use an tool called an grout bag
Adding to what others have said- putting modern cement-based mortar over lime mortar will cause the old mortar trapped to rapidly deteriorate. You can test this by revisiting this (or another similar) job, removing some of your work and seeing how everything behind it is starting to disintegrate and your mortar may not have a solid substrate behind it.
This process even occurs above grade in areas protected from rain. It’s the changing temperatures and humidity levels that introduce the moisture more than anything else.
Thanks for your reply and insight. This is good information for folks to take into consideration. Fortunately, the work we did is inside where the temperature and humidity are controlled. We will use a lime base for any future exterior repairs. The other work we did (inside) is now 7+ years old and it all seems to be fine to date. There are two camps on lime vs modern cement based mortar and I appreciate your thoughtful feedback to share with me and others!
@@mi-tinker
Hee hee hee, take some notes men, that's how you admit that you MAY have made a mistake.
The dowel idea for sure. Great video. I’m just about to do this to the house in my pic. 160+ year old house that seems to be one thing after another. Lol.
Thanks for watching! Good luck! Hope you will subscribe to help the channel grow!
Great video. I'm working on a big creak stone or field stone foundation issue. Some of it collapsed out and has crumbled. I'm about to mortor and fill in voids to shore up the foundation again.
Hope you had some success and were able to do small sections at a time to keep it under control! Let us know.
🎉thanks for the info.
You bet!
Nice! Thank you for the tips, I"ll repair my house too!
You are welcome!
Great job ! You both are strong determined women🙂
Thanks much!
You're welcome! Why did you use type S over type N mortar? I understand type S is harder then N , but not by much, thx !
This Old House showed using it in several videos. I figured they know a thing or two. (-:
My issue with these foundations is I know of more than one family that had snakes in the house. I personally seen a rat squeeze through a very small opening between a couple of the rocks, could not believe how it went in such a small opening.
Indeed! Any ground critter can snake through lose mortar. Mice, chipmunks and snakes. We’ve also had a baby rabbit and a kitten. The kitten pointed to us discovering a litter born under our front porch.
Saw, not seen.
Same here. Snakes, voles, mice, even possums depending on the holes.
Y’all are good
Thanks for watching! Hope you will subscribe!
Old Stone Walls were built with lime based mortar and should be repaired with same. Portland based mortar has different properties and is stronger than the stones, meaning that future movement in the building will result in cracked stone rather than cracking at mortar joints (which is easier to repair).
Thanks for your feedback. Do you repair stonework for a living? What type of lime based mortar do you recommend?
I took my repair cues from "This Old House" which had 2 videos using the materials I've used. However, I've had several people mention using lime. Yours was informative vs shaming, insulting or saying "dumb @#$"...Thank you for that.
Food for thought: Since this is the way I have repaired several other spots in my basement where it is an interior wall (with the opposite side of the wall being crawl space and not exposed to the weather) and my other repairs have held up well for more than 7 years that something is working right. Perhaps because they are not exposed to the elements? However, it might seem that the lime mortar should certainly be used on exterior walls that have more exposure to the elements. Thoughts?
@@mi-tinker no, I do not repair stone for a living but I own and maintain several bldgs that were built in the 19th century. All of them have beautiful stone foundations that I want to last for another hundred years. I've done lots of research into the subject - and there's not a lot of good info out there that isn't contradictory. It doesn't help that similar concepts of the subject are described using different uncommon (and non standard) terms. It's also not very easy to find the correct products in the big box stores. If you can find "Type K" mortar, that is supposed to be all lime. I've always mixed mine from scratch but I'm going to try Type K on my next project (foundations of an 1880 barn).
Good luck with your future projects!
@richsobcinski, Thanks for this information. My foundation is from the 1880s as well. Let's hope this helps others as well!! Good luck with your projects too!
hi it looks great. i have a 121 year old house my basement is like that even have log beams mine is taking in water in some places will this work to stop water?
Hi Donna, while repairing your foundation will help strengthen your foundation, create a barrier for critters and help with some moisture. However, I would first check what is causing your moisture problems-find out where is the water coming from.
The most common sources of water in the basement:
1) gutters that are clogged, disconnected or leaking. You may need to extend how far out the gutter's discharge.
2) Do you have a positive ground grading away from your house. If your soil, grass, or plantings are lower next to your house than in the rest of your yard water will find its way in your basement (the lowest point).
3) Check for critter holes near your foundation. Chipmunks and groundhogs? They like to burrow near foundations. These holes also allow for water penetration.
4) Is your water table too high? Sometimes after a heavy rain our water table simply saturates the ground above the fieldstone foundation for a day or two until it can absorb the moisture into the ground water table.
If you want to add a waterproof barrier after the repair, you can also use a clear a product like Quikrete Waterproofing Sealer. You can get this from one of your big box or local hardware stores. Hope this helps! Let me know if you find any of the 4 common sources of extra water.
Thanks so much, very helpful 😁. I’m doing the same thing inside and out on my place. I’m wondering how deep I should dig on the outside. Most of the old Lyme mortar has dissolved to dirt but it is sound and was likely dry stacked originally. Thanks again for the vid, Mark from Nova Scotia 😁
Hi Mark, we had the same question on how deep to go in cleaning out the old mortar. Some of our mortar was still intact. If it was not crumbling we left it alone. On average we put new mortar 2-3 inches deep. Occasionally a little deeper but only when it poured out on its own from the dry stack center. We went deep enough to reinforce the existing stonework so it was strong and stable. Hope this helps...Thanks for watching! I hope you will subscribe! Thanks
Curious, 1 year later, how are the stones doing? I ask because you used a "hard" mortar mix instead of sand/lime, which many masons would advise for fieldstone for better moisture control (keeps rocks from trapping moisture inside). Are your rocks deteriorating or are they doing OK? Great video, thanks!
Hi thanks for watching and for the question. I’ve done several sections this/ my basement over the last 7 years. They have done quite well and I have not seen any deteriorating rocks.
But what about the outside? Alot of these types of basements are semi or fully buried.
Yes, by nature stone walls are buried. However, typically the soil holds the original mortar in place on the buried portion. If you are concerned, excavate and examine the mortar. Some suggest using lime mortar on the weather exposed exterior wall.
Have you ever had to deal with stone foundation walls that the owner had closed cell spray insulation applied to them and if so what were the problems besides the lime mortar disintegrating?
Hi Gary, I have not had this issue. Sounds really messy. I'm sure taking the foam off added to the disintegration. Let us know how it worked out for you.
Do you ever have to worry about the stones “falling out” or other stones “falling down” when you chip away old mortar? I have a old fieldstone foundation and the more I look at it I feel like if I start chipping away the sand and mortar the rocks are gunna fall out
Thanks for the great question. It can feel like it is hard to decide where to begin or where it ends. For us, we started near a more secure portion and work in about a 2 ft wide section upward vertically. That way you are continuing to secure and strengthen an expanding area. Hope this helps.
I have similar foundation. Any concern for asbestos before demo? Did they use that in that stucco?
Most experts indicate that Asbestos was most commonly used from 1940s through the mid 1970s. My basement was built in 1880s.
However, If Asbestos was used in mortar prior to that time-period, it would have most likely been in bricks / fireplace mortar construction. To be extra safe, there are several kits available for testing for Asbestos on line through Amazon. Asbestos Test Kit 1 PK (5 Bus. Days) Schneider Labs a.co/d/9zaa7jJ
@@mi-tinker thanks so much. Great video
You are very welcome!
What is the best cement or mortar mix for a job like this. I have same basement walls
Thanks for the question. Check the description for several helpful links.
I've seen two different types of mortar used, I decided to use a type S mortar (structural) vs a type N (nonstructural) since this is a foundation that supports a 2-story home:
www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-80-lb-Type-S-Mason-Mix-113680/100318510?MERCH=REC-_-searchViewed-_-NA-_-100318510-_-N
Also note: I used this for interior repairs. Some folks have mentioned if you are doing an exterior repair to use a lime mix. Here is one more informational link you might consider: lancasterlimeworks.com/learning-center/lime-mortar-basics/
My repairs have done well. My earliest interior basement stone wall repairs are now 7 years old and doing well. Good luck with your repair!
Thanks for the video, everything looks great! How did you know the quickrete bonding agent was compatible with the mortar?
This old house had 2 videos showing the process and materials. Here you go: czcams.com/video/jgU245CbALc/video.htmlsi=4CVnjlu95N3xGGPF
How can I control to color shade of the mortar I use? I recently reset a bluestone tread using type S and while working with type s was great I did not like the color once it was fully cured, more of a dark grey almost blue color as opposed to the more tan/beach sand color of the other treads and the joints of the thermal bluestone fielding on top of the landing.
I have to retuck a section of a fieldstone wall soon and the existing mortar I will be matching also has the tan beach sand like color (you can actually see a lot of sand in it). I would like to match the existing mortar as close as possible but I do not know how to go about controlling the color shade of mortar or why a lot of the older mortar I see has a lot of what looks like visible sand in it.
I live in Connecticut if that has any effect in material choice.
Thanks for watching. I don't know what color additives are available. You may need to talk with a brick mason or a mortar supply specialist.
What about this on the outside of the house ?
Same method may be used on the exterior. This repair was an inside wall with craw space behind our repair.
Gloves would have helped.
Gloves are easier on the skin 😉
Was it lime mortar used originally?
Good question. I don't know since the foundation was built over 140 years ago... What I was working on was a crumbling repair done circa 1950s. The research I did indicated I could use non-lime mortar mix however, there seems to be 2 camps on this. Some folks feel very strongly about using a lime mortar even when I mentioned I was working on a "newer" 1950s crumbling repair vs the original (more than likely) lime mortar.