Over the years I’ve worked on dozens of stone foundations under old farm houses, many of which were basements.  I’d say half of the basements I’ve worked on either didn’t have windows or the window openings were boarded up. A few years ago a customer asked if we could install windows in her basement so I looked into possibilities.  The window openings on this particular stone basement would require a special ordered window, I couldn’t find any the right size at the Lumber yard.  I recalled a foundation I had worked on previously that had glass block windows installed and they were really nice. I ran it by the homeowner and she chose the glass blocks.

Why I like Glass Block Windows in Stone Foundations

There are several reasons I like the Glass Block option when it comes to old stone foundations.  First off the are a high quality option that doesn’t cost a lot.  Another benefit to glass block windows is the security they provide.  I usually use the frosted glass blocks which prevent a person from seeing in your basement.  They are also much harder to break than a traditional window.  Glass blocks come in many different sizes and they can be configured to fit just about any window opening, which is nice on older foundations that don’t have standard window sizes.

If you have a stone basement with windows you probably notice the opening is wrapped with some sort of lumber.  Long ago they didn’t have treated lumber so regular lumber was used and it rots pretty fast.  Usually I can install glass block windows in a stone basement without even using lumber, thus eliminating a material that will just rot and attract bugs.  Another option with glass block is a 8″ x 16″ screened vent that can be opened and closed which is nice for airing out your basement area.

Letting natural light into your basement also makes it seem like less of a “dungeon” and glass blocks are a great, long lasting, good looking way to get that done.  If you would like a quote on getting glass blocks installed in your stone foundation in Michigan or would like a price to get stone foundation repair done, just get in touch, we do good work at an affordable price.

Many of the foundation repairs I do are on stone basements of older farm houses, but over the last 15 years or so I’ve worked on just about any project you can think of.  In this article I’m going to share some of the costs of foundation repairs I’ve encountered.  I like doing interesting and challenging projects and I’m open to consider any project whatever the location, that said, most all of the foundation repair projects I do are in Michigan.  More than 80% seem to be south of Lansing MI and they stretch from one side of the state to the other.

Some of the towns I’ve worked in over the last couple years include:  Grand Blanc, Big Rapids, Jackson, Dundee, Ann Arbor, Blissfield, Ithaca, Clare, Gladwin, Mt. Pleasant, Flint, Stockbridge, and several more.  South eastern Michigan is more populated, which is probably why I get a lot of inquiries from that area.  Regardless of the location of a project there are costs of getting there, it’s a rather insignificant amount, but it is one of the costs of every project I do.  I’ve found I can offer a more affordable quote because of my very low overhead and the fact that I perform each project myself lets me be very efficient.  Good judgment is crucial in doing a foundation repair project correctly and I like to be the one who make the decisions on my projects.  I use the flat rate of $150 dollars per day for figuring the cost of me staying in a hotel near the project if the location is more than an hour and a half away.

Cost of Stone Foundation Mortar Joint Repairs

Fixing rotten mortar joints in stone basements is what I specialize in, these type of projects account for around 75% of the foundation repair projects I do.  I also pour concrete driveways and concrete pole barn floors.  Most of these old stone basements are under older farm houses.  Back when they built these homes builders stuck to a standard 20X30 (ish) size basement, then additions were added on crawl space foundations.  It’s common to find the addition foundations to be constructed with cement blocks.  Most of the stone foundation repairs I do include a couple “bad” spots which may be corners or under windows and then spot repairs around the remaining basement walls.  I call these structural maintenance projects.  If the areas that are bad, have falling or loose rocks, aren’t fixed they will begin to cause problems in other areas of the home.  Hence, Structural Maintenance .  These types of foundations tend to run between $3,500 and $6,500, some are less but few are more.  I’ve done repairs on small stone basements for under $1,500.

Around 1/2 of the calls I get are stone foundations that have crumbling mortar joints, or sometimes they are just dried out lime mortar and turning into dust.  These require most all of the basement wall area to have the mortar joints removed and have new joints installed.   These projects take more time, materials, and removal of debris which all increase the cost of the repair.  If your stone foundation needs all of the mortar joints between stones to be completely re-tucked then you’ll pay a little more.  Going with the traditional 20×30 traditional stone foundation size, I’d estimate this foundation repair to fall in the window of $4,000 and $8,000. It depends a lot on how the joints are to work with.  Some just fall right out and can be done in a couple days, which would obviously cost less.

There are several options that can add or subtract cost on these stone basement projects.  Most of our clients choose to have a damp proof coating to be applied after the joints are repaired, this can add between $300 ~ $800 dollars.  Here are a few other things that affect the cost foundation repairs:  Access to basement, is water available, can debris be disposed of on site, or repairs being done in the past.

Costs of Wet Basement Repairs

One of the most common and effective ways to fix a wet basement is to install a drain tile and sump pit below the floor of the basement.  Without having to excavate the exterior of the foundation costs can be quite economical.  I usually estimate a below floor grade drainage system between $35 and $50 dollars a foot.  That should give you a good ball park if you are wondering how much it costs to repair a wet basement.  Sometimes there are other simple and inexpensive solutions to a wet basement, some include:  Make sure you have slope AWAY from your basement walls.  Install rain gutters so water isn’t running into your basement. If you have a sump crock, make sure your pump is working.