wHAT TO EXPECT

 By contacting Thompson Crowley Masonry a fully licensed and insured third generation New England masonry contractor. You are getting the security of a well established masonry company who for over fifty years has worked in the Boston area foundation repair and restoration business. 

We specialize in historic fieldstone foundations. What does that mean to a property owner ? If you have a 1600's, 1700's, 1800's and early 1900's stone and brick foundation we can help you restore it to better than new. Foundations of this era used lime mortar and lime based mortar with additions of portland cement in the 1800's and 1900's. 

 However the most common mortar we see in Boston basements and foundation walls is a mixture of lime masonry cement. With a mix of hydrated lime or Hydraulic lime depending on the processing of the time. The lime was mixed with washed sand and sometimes local clay.

 Over the years ground water and negative air flow drys out basement foundation sealants and bonding joints. The result is cracking, leaks, soft mushy mortar joints, dry sandy joints and general poor air quality. Old foundations in need of repair tend to absorb water into the walls rather than repel it. 

People always ask why seal it in the first place? The original builders used lime coatings to bond the walls and create a finished look. By coating the walls with a lime and sand mix it would effectively seal the walls making them waterproof. A waterproof stone foundation wall properly sealed has a sufficient barrier to stop the volume of outside water and create an outside water table. Foundation walls in need of repair do not have this resulting in leaks, infiltration and failing walls.

 We use period correct lime based mortars, fortified mortars and sealants to achieve best results for your Boston basement. Local stones vary slightly through out Boston area in the West Roxbury area there tends to be mix of split and seem granite along with pudding stone. In Hyde Park and Cambridge there is often slates and granite mix. Through out Boston area we have the experience of working with different types of stones and mortars to accurately preserve and restore your foundation. 

                Thompson Crowley Stone Foundation Restoration 617-633-1896