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Nashville, TN – Potential Problems With Historic Home Foundations

BY: John Greene, Smoky Mountain Crawl Space Systems

Stone foundation is very common in older homes, particularly homes that are over 100 years old. There are many kinds of stone foundations, believe it or not! These stone foundations range in composition from limestone, sandstone, river stones, and field stones. Of course, depending on the type of stone would depend on the type of problem that could be encountered with the foundation, such as sloping floors, cracked plaster, bulging, bowing, or shifting. Regardless of what type of stone your home has or how old your home is, it will benefit you to know what problems you might face and how they can be solved.

Field and River Stone Foundations

Field and River stone foundations are understandably the oldest type of construction technique used for stone foundations, probably because they are easy to come across. They tend to be rounded in shape, as well as harder and more durable than limestone or sandstone.

Limestone and Sandstone Foundation

Limestone and Sandstone are a softer type of rock. If you are able to use a hard utensil to scratch the stone fairly easily then you probably have limestone or sandstone. Limestone does take a little bit more effort than it’s sandstone counterpart, but easier than other stones. Limestone and sandstone foundations are made with cut blocks or rubble stones ranging from small or large. These blocks or stones vary in size and are interlocked as broken pieces, like a puzzle. Colors range from off-white to red with the most typical color being beige.

Rubble Stone Foundations

Rubble stone foundations are the oldest type of stone foundation construction techniques, dating back hundreds -and even thousands!- of years. These foundations were used in Central America, the pyramids of Mexico, and South America. Usually laid at the bottom of the foundation trench are large, flat stones made of limestone. The rubble stones are commonly 1/3 wider than the stones laid above them with the walls being constructed of randomly sized, uncut stones that are interlocked like a puzzle, much like limestone and sandstone.

Between the stones is a lime-based mortar installment, and lime-based stucco-like coating used for the exterior of the rubble stone foundation. This ‘parging’ is applied from the top of the wall of the foundation down to the footing. Rubble stone foundation tends to be one of the most easily repaired foundations due to the interlocked, tightly woven stones, which rarely move from their place, even is large amounts of mortar have failed.

Cut-Stone Block Foundations

This type of foundation is made using a construction of stones cut into uniform blocks at the same excavation. In earlier houses, a lime-based mortar was used and in later houses, a Portland cement was used.

Block-Faced Rubble Stone Foundations

Well if that isn’t a mouthful, this is a very uniform foundation. It is basically the same as rubble stone foundation, except with a much more uniform look and finish to it.

Phew! So after covering the different types of stone foundation, here are some of the most common problems found amongst stone foundations and how you can go about fixing them.

When it may need Mortar Repair:

If you find the mortar is either generally missing, or seems to be crumbling.

When it may need gutter maintenance and a call to an excavator:

If you spot deterioration from excessive, constant moisture. Grading of the ground away from the foundation and ground extenders can also help resolve this issue.

When it may need removal of paint and/or cement:

If the interior foundation seems to be trapping water with the added appearance of flaking paint. Removing the cement or paint will allow the rest to flake off over time. Frozen or trapped moisture can also cause mortar deterioration and stone spalling.

When you may need to call to a professional foundation repair company like Barrier Waterproofing Systems:

  • Your foundation has cracks that are large or look like stair-steps.
  • The cut-stone blocks are cracked or broken.
  • Your foundation shows efflorescence, or salt that has migrated to the surface of the foundation material.
  • One or more sections of foundation are bowing inward or collapsing.
  • The mortar between the stones are showing excessive deterioration and water is entering the basement.

Preserving the foundation of a historic home might be a tall task compared to more modern built homes, but it is well worth the investment if you enjoy securing that piece of history and, better yet, being able to enjoy it from the inside out! If your home is experiencing any of the ailments listed above, give your local foundation repair experts a call and schedule an evaluation to determine the extent of the damage and the types of repair that will be necessary to correct it the most efficient way possible. Call BWS today at (615) 257-1060 | (931) 536-1168.

“Best Crawl Space Repair in Nashville, TN”

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Davidson County: Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, TN

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“Best Crawl Space Repair in Nashville, TN”

Top Rated Local Crawl Space Repair & Cleaning Service Company

Davidson County: Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, TN

CityScoop is the top ranked local business news network in the United States. Established in 2008, CityScoop has been providing local communities with high quality news about local businesses and their most recent projects.

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John Greene

Smoky Mountain Crawl Space Systems

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BIO: BARRIER WATERPROOFING SYSTEMS is a top rated full service custom crawl space and basement repair service & cleaning company serving the greater Nashville, TN area.

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Nashville, TN – Potential Problems With Historic Home Foundations