Retucking Stone Basement Walls|How we Fix Bad Mortar Joints

on February 1, 2019

Re-tucking mortar joints in Michigan stone basements and foundations makes up about 70% of our work in any given year. I would say around 8 in 10 of our foundation retucking projects are basements with the rest being stone crawl space foundations of one type or the other. I should note that another term for retucking would be tuck pointing Often times the existing stone basement walls are in tact and basically in place. Many times there isn’t any bowing in the walls or even any stones actually missing or falling out. The mortar joints between the stones have simply rotted away and turned back into sand almost. Some of the stone foundation repair projects we do the joints are completely missing and the wall appears to be stacked stones without any type of mortar visible between the stones.

How We Fix Crumbling Stone Basement Walls

I will work on getting some before and after pictures here on the this article so you can see some of the basement wall we encounter that have missing mortar joints of one degree or another. To learn more about the stone foundation repair work we do you can visit the home page of this website.The process of fixing the mortar joints or (Re-Tucking, Retucking, tuckpointing, tuck point, and repointing are also words I’ve heard used. And to be honest, just pick a word, we know what your talking about) n a stone wall varies based on the existing condition of the wall. If the joints have mostly disintegrated then we basically just clean the wall, being sure to get back in the joint area. There is usually a good amount of sand and debris that needs to be removed.

Usually some of the mortar joints are remaining in the wall and have reached the point where they are no longer structurally sound. We usually remove these soft, loose, or crumbling joints with a masons hammer, chisel, and a brush. In rare cases we may us a chipping hammer or even waterjet the joints.

Clean Walls to Remove Debris, Cobwebs, and Flaking Mortar
Hammer out Old, Loose, Failing Mortar Joints
Clean the Wall and Joint area To Receive New Mortar
Apply Bonding Agent
Tuck point new joints and brush to seal
Coat walls with Water Proofing Cementitious Coating

A good percentage of the old Michigan basements we re-tuck will have some mortar joints that are still structurally sound, some that need removed and retucked and some that are already completely gone and to be re-tucked.

A typical stone basement is around 20’x24′ or so, many are larger as they have been added onto, but typically they aren’t as big as the actual foot print of the house. Most of the basements we re-tuck take 3-5 days to complete depending on the severity of the existing wall deterioration. We use a sand and cement mix with some type S mortar and a bonding agent. This mix works well to get back into the wall and is strong enough to hold the stones in place for years to come. If you have an old Michigan basement and need someone to re-tuck the walls, request a quote and we would be happy to help.

Michigan Basement Stone Wall Repairs and Restoration During Winter

on January 26, 2016

It’s been a great winter so far this year and we’ve been busier than ever over the last few months repairing old Michigan basements which are typically built with stone walls. We’ve been to Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula, Fenton, Grand Blanc, Owosso, and few projects on south west Michigan as well. Many of the stone basement repair projects we do can be done in the dead of winter. Unlike barn foundation repairs, which are usually unheated and frozen during the winter, Michigan basements can often times be completely repaired during the winter months. Sometimes we need to come back in the spring if there are exterior issues to be addressed, but the bulk of the work tends to be on the interior basement walls.

Stone Basement Repair Process

Our process is pretty straight forward, it’s not real complicated, but can be tedious depending on the current condition of your stone foundation walls. Projects fall in one of three categories or encompass some of all three. Here are the three categories most projects fall into, they are in need of:

Rebuild- It’s obviously better to maintain a stone wall to prevent a wall collapse or wall failure. We come across several barns each year where the walls have actually fallen in. We’ve rebuilt stone barn walls all over Michigan, some have holes as big as 30′ long and a few had holes this big in several locations.

Repairs- On many of our Michigan basement repair projects most of the stone are in place, some may be loose or may have fallen. There are areas of missing mortar joints that have rotted or crumbled away and are missing all together. Some of the joints may be in place and quite solid.

Preservation- When we find large areas of the stone basement foundation walls to be secure and the mortar joints mainly in tact, we like to preserve these joints so they will continue to last for years to come. This can be done several ways. One of the most common things we do is to bond a cement based mix to the existing joints that haven’t been completely redone.

It seems most of our Michigan stone basement projects are missing some joints in a few areas and need the remaining joints to be preserved. Often times you find a little pile of dust and debris, which is really old lime mortar, along the wall. This is a tell tale sign that preservation may be a good idea. If your stone basement is in need of attention, consider getting in touch over the winter months. We are typically a little slower during these months and that can mean a better deal for you.

Wall With Bad Joints Removed.

Michigan Basement Stone Foundation Repairs and Restoration

on March 31, 2015

“Michigan Basement” is a term used for stone basements oftentimes found in the State of Michigan. Many times these old basements have a dirt floor and lower than normal ceiling height compared to the modern basement. Many of the Michigan basements we’ve done stone restoration work on do have concrete floors that have been added more recently. Pouring a concrete floor in a Michigan basement seems to be one of the most popular upgrades. Not all old stone foundations are Michigan style basements. More that 70% of our stone restoration projects are full height stone basement foundations.

Why Repair Your Michigan Stone Basement

There are several reasons to keep up with the repairs on these old Michigan basements, the main one being structural integrity in my opinion. Once the mortar joints begin to rot and deteriorate we usually see water and soil begin to seep through the stone basement wall. Soon the exterior soil begins to settle and this just speeds the process of further failure in the foundation. Repairing an old fieldstone Michigan basement will keep the foundation, and the rest of the home, in tact for years and years to come. Many of the calls we get are on foundations that have seen very little upkeep over the years, it’s one of those items many homeowners are just unsure of, so they leave it alone.

Cost of Repairing Stone Foundation

It has been extremely rare that I’ve come across a stone basement that can be repaired and the cost is usually much lower than people expect. Keeping these old stone basement walls and their mortar joints in good repair is far worth the investment, and compared to poured concrete and block foundations, the cost is usually lower. Most of the stone foundation repairs we perform don’t require mechanical excavation on the exterior and complete removal of the walls is seldom done, these both help to keep costs down.

When to Repair Your Michigan Stone Basement

The best time to make the decision to get your old Michigan basement repaired if before the walls themselves start to shift, move or fall down. Homeowners who get the repairs done when the walls are still mostly in place and standing save a lot of money. Repairing the old rotten joints helps to keep critters and water from running into your basement, making it wet and smelly. If you’ve been thinking of having your Michigan basement repaired, you should learn more about the process on the stone foundation repair page.

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