A stone foundation is commonly featured in older home designs. However, it is still widely used as part of modern home designs, mainly because of its efficiency and highly attractive appearance. As a structural support, it is not entirely free from problems such as cracking and loose stones. When left untreated, these simple problems can cause bigger damages later on. Be able to fix them right away by knowing the different important aspects of stone foundation repair.
Materials Needed
To accomplish this moderate task, you need to gather a few simple materials. The list includes a chisel, a wire brush and gloves. Likewise, bring in a bucket, a mortar and a trowel. Lastly, do not forget to bring in concrete sealant.
Steps
Before working on anything, it is good to examine the extent of the damage first. You can easily fix it as long as the nature of the problem is only a cracked mortar or just broken, missing or loose stones. Protect your hands all throughout this task by wearing protective work gloves. After that, take out all the loose stones and then lay them aside.
Clean the remaining parts, especially the areas left out by the missing and loose stones. For this step, get the wire brush and then use it to remove all kinds of debris and dirt. In case of a cracked mortar, remove it entirely using a chisel. Pour the mortar into a bucket and then mix it. Be sure to follow carefully the instructions written on the packaging.
Put the mortar right into the spaces and holes created by the loose and missing stones. Be sure to fill every hole and space. Use the flat side of the trowel to smooth out the edges of every hole. Leave the repaired parts untouched for at least three days, which is enough time for the mortar to set. Do the same steps to the other damaged parts. Check the different parts of the foundation twice just to be sure that the repair has covered all the damages.
The same steps can also be applied to the interior parts of the foundation, specifically the areas with missing or loose stones. Usually, these parts are accessible in the basement of houses. You can easily protect the new mortar repairs by applying enough cement sealant on top of the stone foundation.
Additional Tips and Other Helpful Information
When repairing stone foundations, do not forget to keep the newly repaired surfaces damp for about 3 to 4 days. This can actually prevent cracking while waiting for the newly installed mortar surfaces to dry up.
