Repointing recs for brick mason using Lime

We’re fairly new owners of a small brick rowhouse. We’ve been looking for a brick mason who will use the correct material (Lime or Type N mortar?) to repoint a 16’x7’ brick wall (on the inside of our exterior wall) of our basement (possibly more if it’s affordable). The masons we’ve talked to suggest cementing over the brick with galvanized mesh steel + layers of cement stucco as they think the interior bricks are too far gone to repair. Yes, it’s an old house built in the late 1800’s and has been subject to moisture over the years but since becoming the new homeowners, we have a dehumidifier working full time and got French drains under the house with an excellent sump pump that handles flooding from the big rains successfully. We want to use the basement like any other room in our house (within reason), and although I’m sure we won’t be in this house longer than the next 20 years, I disagree with this approach and feel that cementing over the bricks will only increase the structural deteriorating as it will lock in moisture more. Curious if anyone has thoughts on what is best to do, both for our pocketbooks but for the bricks and if you know who to call? (Photo attached of the wall from when we were getting our french drain installed) [IMG_4640](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:b3O9:img_4640.jpeg.jpg)

leekenky

in General Discussion 1 year and 8 months ago

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annep | 1 year and 8 months ago

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Limeworks is a great resource. FWIW I tried finding a mason to repoint three large interior walls in my brownstone unit using lime mortar a couple years ago and couldn’t get anyone to return my calls or give me a quote. I ended up going down to limeworks, taking one of their classes & doing it myself – so totally doable.

leekenky | 1 year and 8 months ago

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@cubie123- we hired the company Quality First Basements who installed the French drain and sump pump with backup battery, so any water that was prone to seeping in the basement merely from the groundwater becoming so high and saturated, is now gone.

colonialrevival | 1 year and 8 months ago

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These bricks look fine. The guys suggesting parging the brick with portland cement and mesh will absolutely ensure those bricks fail. I’d call someone from Limeworks.us to see if they can recommend somebody in the area. Do post what you find.

hithere | 1 year and 8 months ago

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Sorry, cannot help on mason. If you could please let me know who you used for sump pump. Thank you