Repointing a Stone Foundation

[@thomasfurlano9106]

in Old New England Mr. Manning trained us to clean the stone remove any soil or loose mater, then let it dry, then do concrete mixing with a shovel in the wheel barrow to mix it manually. If you have large spaces you actually need to fit some stone in them, definitely to have it not break up again.

[@torref9230]

That’s a good practice but you were using cement mortar which will trap moisture and then crack due to freeze/that cycle. Lime mortar is much more flexible and also self repairs which is its most useful and amazing quality.

[@thomasfurlano9106]

@@torref9230 we used portland cement torre and mixed it with gravel

[@jluecking5596]

Very nicely done. Just visited your blog and the concept of lime mortar being the "sacrificial layer" for historic foundations blew my mind. Exactly! We also have an 1880's house. It's a farmhouse in the NY Southern Tier and we'll be taking a look at the patchwork from previous owners before we get started. They did a good job, but nothing like the finishing work you do so artistically - and with drainage in mind.

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Thank you for your kind words. Learning that mortar is the sacrificial layer was eye-opening for me too. Suddenly, a lot about masonry made sense. Good luck with the foundation at your house. Happy Spring (Is it finally here for us? :) )

[@PoubelleKansas]

Lime mortar is the ticket. You might need to freshen it up every 5 years but with that old soft stone and brick, Portland mixes will prove destructive.

[@oscarruiz4233]

I feel inspired to tackle on my 123 year old foundation now! Thank you.

[@heidistrong4705]

Me too. Home was built 1870

[@heidistrong4705]

Mine is all inside basement

[@johndeggendorf7826]

That was great. You covered it 8 minutes. Thanks 🙏 🍷🎩🎩🎩

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

You're welcome! I'm glad it helped.

[@kelleywyskiel3478]

Thank you. We have a 1904 Victorian up for sale and an inspection pointed out gaps in the stones like this. Oddly the ones that appeared after we paid thousands to have the French drain and the basement walls reinforced. Also after I noticed gaps after the work and they had to come back to repair them but here we are. All I know is we no longer have water in our basement from the French drain. But we do have a basement I can see through the wall cracks out of and instead of being the place to store wine it gets too hot and too cold so… idk. Now I have to fix this or it might fail a sale. So yeah thank you. Except for the two man mix I can do the rest of if.

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Hi Kelley, I'm glad this video helped! I've since mixed a lot of mortar by myself with a trowel in a concrete mixing pan. That works really well, too.

[@kelleywyskiel3478]

@@StacyBlakeHillHouse yes that’s my plan and I’m already set up to get out and repair these today. Thanks to you or I might have left t up to my sweet things fix themselves hubby. lol

[@AZ-vt7dt]

Good job. I have to say....a mason will never touch the mortar, they always use a tool. I use a technique like yours as well.....it works great as you demonstrated. Thanks......

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Thank you!

[@philkingmke]

Maybe I missed it but can you advise what mortar you used? I'm in Wisconsin and I swear I'm so confused what mix abd ratio to use...lime? Sand? Mortar? What ratios? Lol. I have an early 1900s outhouse that needs some repointing but I want to make sure I get the mortar mix right.

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Hi Phil, I used lime mortar from www.limeworks.us. There are so many options! I was also very confused about the formulas and ratios. So, the customer service at Limeworks helped me figure out what type of mortar to use for my particular application. I bought pre-mixed. There is more information on my blog linked below the video. Good luck with the outhouse!

[@scottgould294]

Did you give up on the garbage bag? Seems like a good idea in theory but might need a stronger bag. And how many more days until the podcast?

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Hi Scott, The garbage bag trick worked really well for the very deep holes. I could pump the mortar back where I couldn't reach my hands. As you noticed, the trowels worked better for the small crevices. To answer your question, True Tales From Old Houses will be back Monday, February 1st--very soon!

[@philkingmke]

Yeah, it did seem fairly useless lol. They make masonry bags for this exact use that would've probably worked much better. BUT with that said, she got the job done and thats truly all that matters. Well done!

[@christinajones2155]

Great job! Ty!

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching.

[@jayfreedom]

What sort of mortar is it?

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Hi! I'm using lime mortar. I discuss lime mortar more in this blog post: www.blakehillhouse.com/repointing-a-stone-foundation-with-lime-mortar/

[@gary24752]

Have you ever used a Pointmaster tool?

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

I have not. I've only used my DIY version.

[@damienstargemini]

What is the specific type of mortar powder used? Not brand, just type, so I don't get the wrong mix. Thanks.

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Hi Derek, The specific type I used was formulated by Limeworks for my particular climate. The mix will vary depending on where you live. Here's a link to the NHL tool to find the best mortar for your project (scroll down the page): www.limeworks.us/product/ecologic-mortar/#NHL Full disclosure: Limeworks is a past sponsor of my podcast. However, I don't get a kickback or anything by sharing that link. I'm just a happy customer.

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

I forgot to mention that when you scroll down that page, you're looking for the NHL Selection Tool.

[@PoubelleKansas]

What is the stone type on the house?

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

@@PoubelleKansas Hi! The stone is granite fieldstone.

[@PoubelleKansas]

@@StacyBlakeHillHouse Thank you; it's not often seen here in Kansas as a foundation stone.

[@Laguna2013]

I have seen people advise using a 'bonding agent' in such scenarios. Thoughts ?

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Thanks for the great question. I am not a mortar expert, so I hesitate to even try to answer this. However, here's a link from Limeworks.us that might help answer your question: www.limeworks.us/types-of-masonry-binders. Also, here is another link to the exact product I used. However, the customizations were based on my specific regional needs: www.limeworks.us/product/ecologic-mortar-custom. I highly recommend reaching out to Limeworks if you have any other questions. They are wonderfully helpful.

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

PS: I also wanted to add that I don't get any compensation from Limeworks or anything. All the opinions are my own. :)

[@judy123]

One mason man just thins mortar and uses a paintbrush to paint it on for a bonder

[@ddevincenzo]

Good video, thanks.

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

Thanks, Dan!

[@Laguna2013]

I have yet to see any other video professionals wear a mask of any kind good for you

[@StacyBlakeHillHouse]

I am a huge proponent of using PPE. Thank you for your comment.