Brain Trust: Help... Tuckpointing beautiful 120-year-old Girl's field stone, lime mortar foundation!

[Deleted User]Homesteader (deleted user)
in General

One of the things I most love about this site is the HUGE amount of collected, varied wisdom available from our many members. If there are a few of my fellow Construction/Builder folks here, who are willing to give me a few pointers, it will be deeply, deeply appreciated!! :)

To keep my request germane, however, I will CUDDLE YOUR SKIN OFF if you'll advise me on this issue! lol Super Extra Points if someone could give me wisdom on the process of "parging"! :)

My ol' Girl has some pretty serious cracks in her foundation. I'm going to have to tuckpoint them, probably in the Spring. It's still relatively dry, but I don't want it to get worse. I don't have a problem with the snakes I find, down there, but I would just feel better knowing that no further water intrusion could happen..

Any ideas? I've researched a bit and found that the original mortar used with the field stones would have been a lime-mortar mix---where the limed sand would have served as a self-healing, sacrificial mix which would spare the stones from splitting. ANY HELP/ADVISE/TIPS will be truly appreciated because I love my Girl and want to fix this!!

Ideas?

Comments

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod
    edited December 2024

    I don't even understand most of that post ...... but I do know that a couple of photos showing the problem might help provoke the right response.

    I had to look up "parging", but now that I see what it is I happen to know two things. Firstly, you have to make extra double sure that water can't get between the wall and the covering otherwise all hell will break loose, but you won't know about it until it's too late. And secondly, you must use the right covering for the type of wall, otherwise you can cause damage directly. That is the entire total of my knowledge of the subject.

  • BearBear

    My knowledge & experience.

    When my brother’s girlfriend bought her first house, she found out there was a crack in the foundation by the water that came in. That’s if I remember correctly.

    One of the things he did to facilitate this not happening is put ductile in around the base of the foundation. That way there’s a place and a route for the water to escape.

  • OokerSnapperOokerSnapper

    I usually use duck tape or JB weld.

  • starrynitecudsstarrynitecuds
    edited December 2024

    I've worked in the waterproofing industry. "Water will find a way."
    Is this a full-height basement, a crawl or btwn those 2? Are the cracks seen on the interior walls or exterior only? Do you have a sump pump? Do you have gutters in good repair with downspouts that extend at least 5 feet from your house?
    (We can take this to DM, I just threw out a few common questions that I would ask in my initial calls for their profile. Others may benefit from them, too.)

  • [Deleted User]Homesteader (deleted user)

    @CuddleDuncan ~ That made me laugh! Thank you!! I've become my typical Sour-@ss-Depressive (SAD), for the winter, and that laugh felt good :)

    I'm kind of glad that you jumped in, seeing as how you're across the pond! That's where a lot of the videos I saw were from. I won't drag you any further in (I actually understand the issues that you mentioned, but you don't seem super excited to discuss tensile strength, shielding, or any of that other stuff! lol) Thanks for lending your entire knowledge of the subject to my concern! :)

    @Bear ~ You look cute in your Santa Suit! :)
    I'll bet your brother's girlfriend was grateful to him for coming up with a workable solution!! I'm not sure how to explain it, but my issue seems more along the line of the mortar kind of just dissolving away. She's over 100 years old... we all get wrinkles, after a while! lol But thanks for the idea, anyway, and thanks for chiming in!

    I think @CuddleDuncan might have had an excellent idea in telling me to provide pictures.. I may just do that :)

    @starrynitecuds ~ What a cool screen name :) Yes, it's a full-height basement. Yes, I have a sump-pump. Ouch on the gutters and downspout extensions, though! lol Love these targeted, clear questions!!
    See you in the DMs! :)

    She's surprisingly solid, having stood for over 100 years. Hanging around here as the Satan-Hermit-B!tch with SAD has allowed me to become reacquainted with the deferred maintenance I've been ignoring! lol Welp... Looks like I'll have to dig in soon...
    Anybody have any research on the forumula for lime-sand-mortar? Asking for a friend... lol

  • BearBear

    @Homesteader I understand the issue you were having. She had something to let the water in obviously. That had to be fixed. The ductile helps. Make sure that it hopefully doesn’t happen again. Draining the water away from the building into a drain that was set up for it. I think a sewer connection was made. My brother was a plumber and his friend was a sewer guy. That way there’s less chance of this happy and again.

  • [Deleted User]Homesteader (deleted user)

    Ooooh... Plumbers... LOVE them!! lol Sorry, that just kind of slid out... lolol Richard Trethewy on This Old House... mmh hmm!! Nevermind!!! hahahaha!!

    ANYWAY... @Bear , you've got an excellent point about the preventive aspect of this issue. @starrynitecuds also brought that up, and I'm over here feeling pasty-faced because my front gutters have become a "bath house" for the local starling swingers!!! lol Ewwwww...

    The basement's actually still quite dry, with that cool old basement smell---without the mildew, just a few garter snakes.. It's just that I can actually see OUTSIDE in a few places! If I can get someone to tell me the formula for the lime mortar, I'd take a cake decorating bag, fill it with that mixture, and squooge it into all the cracks from the inside, first. Really pack it alllll up in there, until it couldn't take more. Then, I'd do the same from the outside! But I don't know the formula for the mortar mix!!!! :(

    I AM, however, going to soon close down the Starling Swingers Bath House in my front gutter! lolol

  • BearBear

    A standard lime mortar recipe for stone walls is a ratio of 1 part lime to 3 parts sharp sand; this means for every 1 volume unit of lime, you would add 3 volume units of sand, then slowly add water until you reach the desired consistency.
    Key points to remember:
    Use "natural hydraulic lime (NHL)": For best results, use a type of lime called "natural hydraulic lime" (NHL) as it has better setting properties, especially for damp environments.
    Sharp sand: Always use sharp, clean building sand for optimal bonding.
    Mixing process: Mix the dry ingredients (lime and sand) thoroughly before adding water gradually to achieve the correct consistency.
    Important considerations:
    Matching existing mortar: If you are repairing an old stone wall, try to match the existing mortar by analyzing its composition.
    Consistency: The mortar should be workable but not too runny.
    Protect yourself: Wear appropriate protective gear like gloves and a mask when handling lime.

    Google may be your friend

  • CuddlerSeekingCuddlerSeeking

    I'm late to this conversation and have no real-world expertise to speak of, but WD-40 and some duct tape should do it.

    Right?

  • MrPaulMrPaul

    I’d recommend adding some Portland cement to the mix, straight lime mortar is very weak. I have added a picture of a spreadsheet I use to calculate mortar mixes. The volume ratios are what you want to look at. In the very least mix type K; N will be even more durable. Add very little water, and add it slowly as you mix it. You want the mix to be fairly firm, not watery. It’s better to make small batches that you can finish within an hour or less than a big batch.

    Wire brush the old crumbling stuff out first. Use heavy rubber gloves with long cuffs to protect your hands when applying the mortar. Wet the surface first and let it get to the point where it’s saturated but has no liquid water present, which is called “saturated surface dry” then apply the mix by hand, I find it’s the easiest and fastest way if you have a lot to do. Is this outside or inside? Don’t work if temperatures are going to go below freezing, wait for a stretch of days above 40°F.

    If you want clean stones, use a short stiff brush to clean the excess mortar off them, then a damp brush. The next day you can remove the remaining haze with a brush and hydrochloric acid, but wear a mask, safety goggles, and heavy gloves if you do. Rinse it off with water after it cleans off the haze.

    A important thing to do is make sure the land is graded away from the foundation. Water should run away from the building not towards it. Next, are the gutters working properly, if they are blocked with leaves they will overflow and that’s another water problem.

    Good luck with your project!

  • [Deleted User]Homesteader (deleted user)

    Um...Wow? @MrPaul ~ When I tell you I just created an entire document--complete with chart--- to save for Spring!!! THANK YOU!!! lolol Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' 'bout!!! lolol

    It is sooooo awesome that here, there are sooo many different minds, so many different life experiences, sooo much wisdom---and that, many times, we are allll willing to share what we know with one another!! As horrid and grouchy as I currently am SAD, i'M STILL GRATEFUL that you all looked in on my concerns! :) If ANY OF YOU EVER HAPPEN TO BE OVER HERE, YOU'VE GOT A SQUEEZE COMING!!! :)

    Ugh... Now I have NO FURTHER EXCUSE to not get my deferred maintenance handled...but I appreciate you all for the help!!!

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