Mortar between stones comprising foundation turning to sand


I have a standard brownstone cellar surrounded by an irregular stone foundation held together with mortar. The prior owner painted the walls with white paint so the basement looked very solid when we purchased. Over the past 5 years, the paint has started to peel off and loose sand has been coming out of the resulting holes in the paint between the stone blocks. It looks like maybe the mortar is breaking down into sand and slipping out of the wall. Should I be concerned? What should I do to fix? Any advice greatly appreciated.

Categories: Foundation
By apwhite | 10/12/2010 5:20 PM | Comment

Dust Prevention on Brownstone Repair


I have to repair my brownstone facade. We are not renovating the inside of the house, and are therefore quite concerned about dust damage to the interior. Job involves fixing old repairs and spalling stone, ~40% of surface area. What measures should I take to protect against dust and how concerned should we be about dust coming into the house and damaging stuff on the interior. Any advice from those who have gone through this with a finished interior would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Categories: Painters
By apwhite | 10/11/2010 6:03 PM | Comment