Stone walls making basement dirty

The stone walls in the basement of my brownstone let loose a lot of dust and debris, to the point where anything I store down there is filthy within a week or two. I’ve been looking into ways to clean and seal the stone, prevent crumbling and further dirt buildup. I havea  dehumidifier and sump pump to control moisture related issues, though really just looking for a safe way to keep basement clean.  The best suggestion I’ve gotten is to clean and fill in any gaps in the stone, and then paint with a sealer like Thoroseal. But can this damage the foundation? If so, then what would be a better product to use? Thanks for any help.

slvillager

in Cellar 13 years and 1 month ago

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simonmoudgil | 11 years and 3 months ago

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If your basement walls are loosing a lot of dust and debris than i would recommend you to use Cleanwrap which helps in limiting the [infiltration](http://cleanwrap.net/) of dust and debris from the walls on the floors.

jeff80 | 13 years and 1 month ago

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You can certainly use thoro seal for your foundation. We have used it for over 20 years in the business and never had any issues. You can check out the product details here:http://www.thoroproducts.com/pdf_info/thoroseal_foundationCoating_sellSheet.pdf Specifically, the product “Protects building interiors from dampness and moisture damage.” And xistent, you can apply another coat of thoroseal to waterproof your backwall. You can check out their general products @ http://www.thoroproducts.com/products_waterproofing.htm

Silvermax | 13 years and 1 month ago

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Don’t use Thoroseal, which prevents moisture from escaping. Locking in the moisture will cause your foundation to deteriorate. Use whitewash.

jeff80 | 13 years and 1 month ago

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That would be the most cost-efficient solution and quite effective. If the only problem is the loose dirt then I would highly recomment taking out the loose dirt/cement and fill it up with cement. Would this damage your foundation? It depends on how much dirt/cement you take out and how big holes you leave in the stones. You can certainly paint it with thoroseal afterwards.