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November 29, 2007
cellar walls disintegrating?
The mortar in the stone walls of my cellar appears to be crumbling/shedding dust. Is this something that presents an immediate hazard? What is the fix? Any experiences?
Comments
First of all, when these brownstones were built, the masons used to mix asbestos in with the mortar for insulation...so you better not breath in any of that dust.
Other that that, when that mortar crumbles, the wall can weaken. After years of crumbling, the brick wall will lose it's integrity, and can collapse. That could happen in 10 years, or 100. Call a mason in for a consult, but tell him to bring a HAZMAT suit.
Just kidding about the asbestos.
Posted by: guest at November 29, 2007 3:14 PM
idiotic comment 3:14 re: asbestos.
but true that you need an engineer to look at it.
Is the wall buckling? What does the center beam look like? Any cracks? etc....
Posted by: guest at November 29, 2007 6:35 PM
Have a mason you could trust take a look at it.
Should be a simple job.
Posted by: guest at November 29, 2007 9:46 PM
I had the same problem. What I did was wet washed the walls to get all the shedding to stop. Work on one wall at a time coating the wall with bonding cement. I layered the front and back walls for extra protection from water. Once I had all the walls resurfaced I used a theroseal white paint. It's not a difficult job but it takes cosiderable time.
Posted by: Rick at November 30, 2007 6:38 AM
Rick - I've been doing some reading about interior masonry and I'm not convinced you should seal the interior of any wall whose exterior surface is exposed to weather and moisture. My front and rear interior walls are thorosealed, but I have a problem with efflorescence and the thoroseal is falling off. Opinions vary, but I believe the brick/stone needs to breath on the inside so that moisture does not get trapped.
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Posted by: guest at November 30, 2007 11:53 AM
Rick, you're creating a HUGE problem for yourself. You aren't stopping the shedding, you're simply trapping it (and a lot of moisture) behind the paint. 9:56 is right, masonry needs to breath, on the inside AND the outside. It's a porous material. If water can get in, it also needs to get out.
OP should contact a mason. It sounds like this problem could become serious, but that its fix (perhaps improving drainage outside of your building to make sure that water is directed away from this wall, or installing a dehumidifier in the basement) might not be so bad.
Posted by: guest at November 30, 2007 2:20 PM
Actually, if it is stone wall it is not nearly as bad to seal the inside as if it were a brick wall. Stones do not need to breath like bricks do.
Posted by: guest at November 30, 2007 4:40 PM
still not a good idea to trap moisture inside your walls though.
Posted by: guest at November 30, 2007 4:41 PM
still not a good idea to trap moisture inside your walls though.
Posted by: guest at November 30, 2007 4:41 PM
Get yourself a mason
Posted by: guest at November 30, 2007 8:08 PM
We have the same issue with a stone foundation/basement walls, but were told by a structural engineer that its better to leave it alone so as not to trap moisture behind the wall.
Posted by: guest at November 30, 2007 8:50 PM
Use the proper mortar mix, problem solved.
Posted by: guest at November 30, 2007 10:17 PM
I agree, not a good idea to trap moisture. Theroseal by name makes one think it is a waterproofing material. I don't think it is, I think it does air. I have not had any problems with it ( yet ). However, these products are made for specific situations & conditions and should be handled with care.
Posted by: Rick at December 2, 2007 8:36 AM
Can anyone recommend a mason for dealing with crumbling basement mansonry?
Posted by: guest at December 2, 2007 5:43 PM
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