Basement Stone Walls

Type N or Type S, That is the question. The rule is, hard stone, hard mortar. Soft stone, soft mortar. I have had no trouble in the past 20 years when I have used type S on the stone basements in the Twin Cities, MN. Type N seems to be preferred by masons for tuckpoint use.
We recently did a basement wall with Type N at the homeowners request. We will have to wait 5, 10, 20 years to get a verdict on how well its all holding up. I went back to see a basement I did 20 years ago using Type S. Then we painted with dry-lock basement waterproofing paint. There was only a few small spots of efflorescence. and all the mortar and stone are holding up very well.
Stone walls in the basement. We removed the plaster and mortar and re-tucked all the joints. It took about a week and a half and about 15 bags of masonry mortar and we used a water-based sealer after it dried for about a week. The walls can breath. Stone Foundation Restoration is our winter specialty.
www.naturalstonemasonry.com
See also this new Basement Stone Repair:
• Basement Stone Wall Re...
Here is an older small job:
Stone Foundation Repair
• Stone Foundation Repair
Due to this videos success I have been found by many home owners in my area and they have been contracting Natural Stone Masonry LLC. for their stone foundation restorations. It provides a rustic beautiful wall for finished basement rooms.
Call for a free quote.

[@duotronic6451]

The person that built that wall did an excellent job. ❤❤❤

[@58gennaro]

one of the most labor intensive jobs i've seen in a while. looks great.

[@demetriusgallitzin8859]

This is a work of art. Photographs of this could be in a museum. Thank you for producing this video and the work that went into it.

[@avayalde6902]

FINALLY FOUND THE VIDEO I WAS LOOKING FOR CANT WAIT TO WORK ON MY BASEMENT THANKS BROTHER FOR SHARING WITH US REALLY APPRECIATE IT

[@glennwilck5459]

Nice to see people showcasing the art and craftsmanship of the stone masons who took the time and effort to build these walls rather than just cover them up!!!

[@thomassmith7803]

Truly an master of your trade brother, beautiful job

[@marinahelsel4401]

Looks great! I was looking for video on how to repair shale wall, but watched yours instead. It's a hard and tedious work, but at the end looks great! I bet customer is happy

[@jackww839]

I watch this about once every few months….amazing work👍

[@forsbergmicah]

I haven’t watched my video for 5 years. Wow! It’s so satisfying to see. So many basements since. Cool teaching quality like Bob Ross.

[@philipshane768]

What a cool basement and an excellent job. Looks great.

[@davidpiersimoni9844]

This is high quality. Great to have a standard like this for people to see. Thanks.

[@CAkavskaTvKvarner]

Great work, very nice outcome!

[@crappo8459]

Can't believe they covered that beautiful stone work , stone is the best and the most beautiful ! great job dude

[@jandouglas5013]

my basement is sandstone....I think it actually needs re-sealed...

[@peterkotzPete]

Wow, really fantastic work and attention to detail!

[@audreybowles6357]

Absolutely gorgeous results 😍

[@padrehousecat]

Excellent work

[@nicolasbouyiouclis4726]

Great clean job! Just a suggestion from my own experience in the Construction industry I have found out the better of doing this work is that you fill an approx a 3' x 3' + - wall area, and then use a flat steel masonry strike to pack the mortar into the joints for better structural bonding and smooth it out at the same time, it always gives you a better product and better looking wall with disting joints.. Like I said it's just a suggestion...

[@patriciaboeglin8591]

Beautiful job! Before & after was amazing!

[@RobertViani]

Wow. Beautiful work.

[@back40bandit98]

Nice job. Love it.

[@lyssairis4628]

This came out amazing!!

[@kalijasin]

Excellent work 👍

[@eg7647]

Beautiful job!

[@winston9505]

Thanks for this helpful video!

[@zacheiriksson]

Jesus i would not have the patience for this. Props to you man

[@sabino8378]

Excellent job

[@remodelassets6523]

Nice work! I hope for you it’s a two or three family home but and hold! Today not many people want to do that work. They just don’t give s $hit. Respect ✊ That is a lasting job.

[@atruefreethinker1944]

gorgeous basement.

[@clacicle]

Looks great!

[@dariosame2655]

Kudos to you guys 👏

[@user-wr4lg2co6z]

Looks great.

[@holymoly6829]

Fabulous job 👏👏👏

[@barkebaat]

That's exactly the look I'm after for my dungeon.

[@FJPOWERFJ]

Power hom and beautiful 🏠👍nice

[@pyramidbrickandstone2198]

I acid wash to bring out the shimmer then tuck point with a tinted mud. Sharp looking stone for its age. Usually round field stone with huge joints around here.

[@CForged]

That’s a beautiful foundation. I would love to have one

[@bg147]

It looks a million times better than a parged finish.

[@RockyMountain4x4]

Looks amazing man

[@bradsantos3815]

what a fantastic job

[@samjunior6467]

thanks for posting this...👍

[@t2d2420]

looks sharp and pops good job

[@seanmcguire7974]

Awesome job bro

[@fidelgranados1700]

It looks great 👍

[@jeremygibson228]

My girlfriend and I are doing our 170 year old stone foundation. Man she is tough for we are limited equipment and doing it the hard way with hammer and chisel. No, not air hammers but hand powered hammers. We are also mixing mortar with a shovel and tray. Slowly but surely comin along and looking nice. We are chiseling all of it, not just those loose pieces.

[@nzanikos]

Hang on to that woman!

[@davemiddleditch9741]

Awesome job mate! I just aquired an old victorian church with a stone basement... might give this a go

[@MrMkapusta]

Yeah, great job! Like the vintage european stone look.

[@beefsamples]

i’ve watched this video like 4 times and it pisses me off every time. the one time that i’d actually hire somebody to do a job for me, they’re not anywhere near where i live. amazing work dude, that’s a thing of beauty.

[@Lone2011Wolf]

Settle down killer 😂

[@christinajones2155]

Great job!

[@chiquita683]

Most helpful vid on KZbin

[@vr4bastard353]

looks really great, i personally use my own mix of Type S Lehigh cement with masonry cement and additive of cement fortifier, but to each their own and I also know it depends on the area you live in.Im in Texas just to be clear

[@fahridedektif7650]

excellent job

[@evergreeninternationalgree5766]

Thank you for information. Very useful. We are buying stone houses in Italy and we are looking to restore them.

[@evergreeninternationalgree5766]

@@dougthebuilder1 thank you very much.

[@shelleymclorinan9761]

wow great LOOKING JOB

[@garrettrini]

Looks fantastic!!! Wish ya'll were in PA!

[@josephdolderer]

Beautiful!

[@RICHB124]

looks great!!

[@bertrandducouedic8621]

Great job. Thanks

[@daytonwhat]

looks great

[@alexhahahah]

Nice render

[@paulnueberg742]

Can't front bro, Really nice. The prep, pastry pointing, brushing, finish, sealing.. 2 thumbs up.

[@indiankite7358]

Totally awesome

[@clacicle]

Looks very satisfying. Do you also evaluate the outside when you take on a job like this? Do you look at possible sources of water and places it builds up?

[@neighborhoodratt8178]

That's awesome that you're using your shirt as a dust mask I do that regularly

[@brucesims3228]

Color me "amazed" at the outcome. Ques: Is there a reason the deeper locations were not brought up to the plane of the wall? Thoughts?

[@stevenb4249]

great job, a horror turned into an amazing stone foundation

[@Raquesheety]

Excellent!

[@homelessjoe]

Very beautiful. Do you have any examples of a darkened mortar grout line?

[@tefaeman6753]

اذا كانت الشقوق بين الحجر ضيقه فبامكانك استخدام عبوة السلكون الفارغه ومكبس السلكون ايضا كما كنت افعل قبل 30 سنة مضت شكرا لكم على الايضاح وعلى هذا الفيديو المفيد جدا

[@robertsouthrey3480]

well done

[@nekbiodieselworks]

Absolutely fantastic! now all you need are some shackles and chains. Maybe a rack or an iron maiden?

[@forsbergmicah]

I was congested as you can hear. Wear a good mask that removes mold.

[@rhondasisco-cleveland2665]

Beautiful

[@eshkakogan75]

Would this work for a river stone foundation? Old parge is flaking and bulging out. Beautiful work btw.

[@rmy6944]

Replace the valid river stone, use mortar that is durable but doesnt have big strenght lime+cement+sand is the way.

[@Bricky-gs3lp]

All of the premixed mortars as you buy in a bag are mixed to meet predetermined specs. The ratio of portland cement to lime and sand determines how hard the mix will get. Workability is often overlooked when making these products and they often seem high in sand content but they still produce a product that will meet the mix spec. ASTM standards give a crush strength for type S and type N and they can be mixed high and low on the scale. I worked in the masonry trade for over 40 years. The premixed products are relatively new in the whole picture. The wall you are tuck pointing looks to have mortar that is very bad and looks to be doing nothing. As old as that home and the walls look I doubt if any new style portland cement was used. Probably old slack lime and sand. Since the wall is 1. a bearing wall it is structural and use of type S mortar is called for. 2. it appears that the mortar in the old wall is so bad that I would say there is a good probability that moisture will seep through the wall. 3. The wall is below grade which would call for type S mortar also. Some engineers will spec type M mortar which is all portland cement with no lime when placing below grade. I would say that for all things considered the use of type S mortar would be the best. Also you could mix in some water proofing additive. The term is thumb print hard when determining when it should be tooled. Also the grout bag does not force the mortar into the back of the open joints. The use of a tuck pointing tool would compress the mortar into the joints and should be used. Type N mortar is normally used for veneer situations like brick on a house where strength is not the 1st requirement. N mortar is usually one part lime and one part portland with the required amount of sand. The less sand usually makes the mortar harder and also makes it stickyer which can give it better workability. Increasing the amount of cement will also make it easier to force out of the grout bag and will speed drying time. I would not use type N on these basement walls. You can buy type S that is made for this situation but usually not in the box stores. You have to go to Spec Mix or some one like that.

[@unifiltered6840]

Bricky1952 thanks for the info much needed

[@jeannehagan7333]

Great information. Finally someone on here is explaining the actual uses of the different mortars to use of stone foundation. I have been researching this for awhile and I find Mike Haduck to offer the most common sense approach when it comes to masonry

[@Bricky-gs3lp]

@@unifiltered6840 As I have said you may need to go to a business that sells brick and block to get the premix product desired. In my area I can buy type S or type N premixed in a bag from one of the local brick and blocks sites. Midwest Brick and Block around the St. Louis area and into Missouri, the state with senator josh hawley who created the domestic terrorism on Jan 6,2021, and also into Illinois who has the US representative Mary Miller who's husband a state of Illinois representative who is a supporter of the 3 percenters, a far right domestic terrorist group.

[@tylerbhumphries]

@@Bricky-gs3lp this comment is perfect. I inherited a house built in 1899 and I need to repair my stone basement and I’m in the St. Louis area. I’m new to this DIY stuff but I feel like as long as nothing is out of place, I can save myself a few thousand dollars and just do the tuck pointing myself. At least for this.

[@Bricky-gs3lp]

@@tylerbhumphries Be warned that this is labor intense. Old mortar needs to be removed and the dust and debris removed preferably by washing. The old stone needs to be somewhat clean and free of dust so that the new mortar can stick to it. You can remove the old mortar with a chisel and hammer or even a hooked rod with the hooked end flattened. I am sure that the home built in 1899 used the old slack lime and sand maybe some portland cement. Not sure if it existed then. I've seen some old walls in the Alton Illinois area that the mortar is like sand and just keeps falling out. Try a small section at first to see what you are dealing with. Have fun you may find yourself in the cellar for a long time.

[@justinfoley4954]

Very clean, polished end result.

[@d4jsmit]

Just curious - what type of warranty do you offer on work like this? Most of the basement waterproofing folks around here just want to hang vapor barrier and let the water keep coming into a french drain. Wondering if this is a viable alternative. Thx

[@blazopecev5346]

I like the way !

[@louishollandjr]

How one Control Dust. What's Difference in Mortar? What key to get new Motar to stick to old Brick.

[@InsidiatorPhotos]

I had a mason do a little work on one of my basement's stone walls and he (like the TOH people) added a latex product (I think it was Sika Latex R; he called it "mason's milk") to the mortar to help with adhesion. Is that something you do or does the kind of stone you work with and your skill at application (maybe better surface prep?) mean it is not necessary? Thank you for the video! My basement in Massachusetts needs a looooot of work (I think I can do it).The walls also seems to be parged with a material that includes horsehair. I know horsehair was used in plaster, but I didn't realize that was used in stone basements, too.

[@cmdaniels1986]

Yup.... Horsehair plaster is covering my basement walls in Gettysburg PA.

[@waltsguitar]

Excellent video, very informative. I wish you lived closer to me, I am in northern NY, 10 miles from Canadian border. I have had no luck trying to find competent help here for my stone foundation.

[@clacicle]

Well, now you know how to do it yourself! Also check out Mike Haddock’s KZbin page. Tons of videos like this.

[@chriscaahbaugh2246]

Umm..before you go diy consult a pro 90% of foundation problems are cause by outside conditions if you dont fix them 1st everything you do inside turns to crap

[@GGg-ug3jr]

@@chriscaahbaugh2246 this is true. But to repair your exterior foundation wall is a massive job and cost a ton of money. so if your mortar is crumbling on the inside and you don't have a lot of money to spend I see no problem and doing just what this guy did here in this video. It cannot be any worse than doing nothing and doesn't cost much money to do.

[@mmanut]

BEAUTIFUL JOB. IVE SEEN MANY GUYS TRY BUT THE FINISH PRODUCT IS A MESS. GREAT LOOK AND SHOULD LAST A VERY VERY LONG TIME‼️👍‼️. Vinny 🇺🇸

[@Hotrod8677]

Did you cement around the pipes on the wall too? How far did you dig into the walls with the power tool? Very nice job by the way.

[@stlounsbury]

My god, that is so much work. Your hands must have been totally in spasms . Feel for ya.

[@Hew.Jarsol]

Similar to my sandstone mud cellar wall 1850 UK. Leaks water now. Need to repoint.

[@mudraaills3771]

Great job!!! I found your video while looking for this type of work for my basement. This is exactly what I need for my basement project. What type of contractor would I need to hire to do this type of work? A stonemason is where my current research leans to. Please redirect me if I’m mistaken.

[@unclefester9113]

Easy.... I could do that If I had ten months !!! Amazing

[@guillermojacques6671]

Much better look than the plaster coat.

[@susanland5731]

You do a beautiful job! I live in NE Ohio and the lower half of my basement is constructed with round stones - not sure what type you would call them. I recently had my exterior water line replaced and they drilled thru the wall. Now my wall is leaking in that area when we have heavy rain. Would I use the same mixture you used to fill in around my stones? Thanks for any advise you can give me. Again, excellent job.

[@cmdaniels1986]

I would use Lime 3,5 mix. Google Lime 3.5 Mortar mix. Lowes should carry it. It will prvent water. Good luck!

[@edwardostachowski1421]

Thanks

[@rickinnepa9008]

Where did you get the grout bags. They really similar to decorating a cake with icing.

[@hollickrichard]

my dad makes them out of worn out jeans legscut fold and blanket stitch a line down the length to control flow and yes very like icing

[@jamiewatkinson4123]

What specific sealent do u use on this stone. I use for brick prosoco siloxane pd so what would u use for stone

[@bhartley1024]

Do you prefer Type N mortar over a traditional non-hydraulic lime mortar? Or was the original mortar Portland based anyway?

[@bebedar7667]

Looks like the best contractors I’ve seen on KZbin are located in MN. I leave in Phila,Pa. not so good

[@paulnueberg742]

I'm In NYC, though we have quality architecture all over this city, what we lack is old school restorers. Not to say we don't have any, they just come at an extremely steep cost. Ironically, some restorers sometimes earn more than owners of 10 million dollar apts. It seems that parts of the Mid-west (Minn) has held on to the tradition of quality restoration. kudos.

[@redking8585]

Such beautiful stones behind that horrible plaster

[@brandonschwab3692]

There is a nice razor scraper attachment you should try for removing the very large mortar pieces- it is a scraper glad about 10 inches long. That one you were using looks like a nightmare to do. Not sure if that would help or not.

[@platinumgold8209]

what tool is the electrical power chisel? brand?

[@dirtycommtroop]

Gorgeous. Buying my first home soon and I want our basement to look like old stone whether it be real or fake.

[@f1f1k2]

Amazing job, mega impressed. But how does that old mortar taste?

[@MC-rz8fx]

Nice job. A medium hard brush and thick leather gloves makes the last stage easier

[@samjunior6467]

what did you use to seal the wall?? or if you have a clip of you sealing let me see...coz I have the same project like this I'm doing..

[@trisharaylify]

Me too! What did you end up using for a sealer?

[@emma88ish]

Nice