# crack in stone wall



## xbigp (Apr 9, 2011)

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how would you go about repairing, or treating/sealing a crack in the side of a stone house like this. the footing is sound and not cracked, it'sonly in the stone face around the masonry. im not concerned about dexterity as much as moisture getting in or other possible issues. thanks for any ideas:nana:


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

That is some odd ball masonry work! I have never seen such a job fitting stones. 
Beyond that, it looks like the foundation has separated near the air vent where your coax goes in under the house and again above the unsupported/ under supported header above the window.
chisel out the mortar, squirt in some silicone, then cover with fresh mortar. Any idea if the stonework is attached to the house?


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## xbigp (Apr 9, 2011)

its a house built in the 70's from timber and stone found on the property(as far as i can determine), hence the irregular look. im not sure what lies between the back of the stone face and the interior wall. i do know that beginning at ground level as pictured, there is cement blocks that are stacked 4 deep to form a crawlspace. the blocks are set on top of a thick concrete footer. neither the blocks or the footer show any cracks or distress. the lintel seems sturdy and made from thick steel

i dont know how long this has been cracked like this. could been like this 30 years far as i know??? just curious if i should take immediate action to keep the corner of the house from fallin off, lol. ok i lied. the wife is on me to figure out will the dang corner of the house fall off:help:
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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

To some degree it depends on your climate. water/snow in the crack will expand it. Where are you. Must be somewhere fairly dry, the rafters are against the stone work. If they tied the stone to the wall, it isn't likely going to fall.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Looks like it's not structural, but architectural... I'd mix some mortar mud and if necessary, some coloring to make it match the current mortar, and use a 'bag' (like a pastry bag) to point into the cracks... or, use some of the masonry caulk...


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Those cracks are called settlement cracks. It is structural!

The upper one...cracked mortar could be ground with a hand held grinder with a diamond blade, chopped out with a hammer and chisel, and repointed. However, it may crack again. In that case, it should be ground about a half inch deep and caulked with a rubber type caulk. The caulk will stretch and eventually split if the crack is still settling. Time will tell.

The bottom shows that some of the stone below the window are moving. Water has been getting in and freezing and pushing the stones out. The stones need to be removed and relaid in mortar. If the upper crack is above this ground level area, relay the below the window stones first. In this case, it's likely that this area is causing the settling. Fix this first and then proceed to repair above the window.

Double check your foundation. You didn't mention any problems with it, but settlement cracks often start with the foundation and telegraph upwards.

Don't caulk stone with silicone...it's a pain to remove from the stones if you have to caulk it again. 

This is really work for a stone mason or a bricklayer.

PS: The sides and bottom of your windows need to be caulked also! A bed of mortar isn't a suitable choice for a window sill.


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## xbigp (Apr 9, 2011)

thanks guys for all your replies. i may have a masonry guy come out and have a look. previous owner said cracks been there long long long time. who knows. the foundation footers and concrete block crawlspace walls are not cracked anywhere from what i can see in the crawlspace. 

our winters usually get to about 20F and not much below that and only for a few days at a time. guess that is plenty cold for water to freeze up in the cracks though huh.

i'd like to just "seal it up" with some proper caulking or other method, and ride it out. 
like i said, wife thinks the dang end of the house bout to fall off. im not as seriously concerned.. bu maybe she's right :runforhills:


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