Stone walling repair, how to repoint natural stone walling using lime mortars. DIY stone pointing 

Thank you so much!

same here :)

So glad it was helpful 😊

So glad you found it helpful

Thanks. I tried to condense a couple of decades of learned information into a few minutes so hope it was all simple to follow.

@@SelfSufficientHub it was! We certainly know more than we did and it gives us a starting point, should we ever need it. That said, you made that look so easy that we just know there’s years of experience and hard earned knowledge behind that ease. 😉 Thanks for being generous enough to share it. Perhaps some of the other skills you have acquired as a building that transfer to homesteading and DIY could be the subject of a series of little ‘how tos’ at some stage - a bit like your foraging and cooking ones. You have done some, we know, but to build on that would be awesome!

@@geoffanddebshipton6797 sounds like a plan! As always, your encouragement is appreciated 😊

Haha, yes it’s a real craft. Lots of bricklayers lever learn how to lay natural stone properly.

@@SelfSufficientHub It certainly is which I hope doesn't die out as I have seen some really awful stone wall repairs that crumbled after a few years. It's really interesting on the science behind it keep up the good work! 👍

You’re welcome! Thanks for commenting 👍

Thank you sir 😊

Very welcome 😊👍

You’re very welcome, hope it helped!

Thank you Paul

Thanks

Thanks, I’ll add this to my to do list when the opportunity presents itself 👍

Hi Josh, yes some sharp sand would defo a be advisable with large joints like that to reduce cracking. I would use three parts sand to one part hydraulic lime. I would probably use one part building sand and two parts grit sand to make up the sand element. Hope that helps

@@SelfSufficientHub thanks!👍

Granite should cope with any mix you would want to use. I would try a few and choose by colour in this case.

@@SelfSufficientHub thank you, much appreciated

Thanks. Well it does kinda depend but I would expect one bag (approx 25kg) to do somewhere between 4-20 square metres depending on the mix used and the size of the joints..

I would be using 3.5 in this situation I’m fairly certain. The stone would need to be extremely soft for me to consider 2, and as for 5, no chance with the stone you describe. WRT granite dust, this will be mostly for colour/texture of finish and to match existing pointing I suspect.

@@SelfSufficientHub Thankyou for replying. There are harder stones used throughout the property grounds external walls so got nhl 5 for those as they are going to beexposed to a lot of rain and cold wind,snow etc however I bought 3.5 for the internal front door arches which need repointing to the stone arch which is the sandstone I mentioned around the stout wooden frame but I’m not sure what sand to use ie sharp grit sieved out and nhl 3.5 as it’s a seal which is around the main front and back door which looks like something out of game of thrones and I want it to be as original as possible to what’s there which looks fine grained and light mortar on the back and a lighter mortar on the front so the repointing before was obviously a different tradesman. I have a mortar gun to get to the farthest reaches of the frame but don’t know if this is possible with lime mortar till I try it but have to get the mix just right for viscosity and strength and if it’s even possible in one of those mortar guns. I believe in doing the job as they would have back in 1890 but it could get messy on an arch hence the mortar gun but I’m trying to research castle masons and how they used to do it which is a task in itself but I’m ever inquisitive and love learning these new techniques thanks to good people like yourself. Any pointers ?

@@pamwalker7823 firstly on sand. Definitely use a sharp sand in the mix. I thought that’s what you said in your original comment which lead me to my answer on the granite dust. The granite can be used to make the softer sand sharper. Basically you want some form of grit as with any natural stonework you will have areas of larger pointing. Anything over 35mm is definitely prone to too much shrinkage etc if not integrating some grit. The grit basically means the mortar will perform more like a smaller version of concrete. WRT the mortar gun, I have found these to be impossible to use with anything less than very fins sand so there isn’t a mix that would be suitable for both the house and the gun unfortunately. I would recommend simply using two trowels as I do in the video and squeezing mortar in until it starts coming round the edge of the smaller trowel as you push. Start at the bottom and work up.

@@SelfSufficientHub thanks again. I pointed the outside wall today after building it last week and it looks perfect so happy days and will try and use a muddy water on it once it’s set a bit stronger later next month. The granite was for an area that had it in the pointing as it looks blue coloured in spots hence the granite and I heard it sets the mix off quicker before the cold sets in but have not entertained that yet. I understand on the mortar gun side of things. I don’t want to compromise strength as it will need a lot more water to squeeze it through the nozzle which renders that tool useless in many respects but there is a subsidence crack spanning the car park area by the water run off weep hole so will need a sloppy mix of cement to penetrate all the way down or I was going to try a resin but it will cost a lot as there is a crack about 20 metres long where the car park has sunk about 10mm due to heavy loaded trucks, saplings in the crack growing and also a truck hit a pier at the entrance which all caused this domino effect. Do you recommend a load of Resin or cement mix slushy then a harder cement mix to pack and grab finished off with lime pointing ? Thankyou so much for getting back to me. I really appreciate your help. R.e arch door frame. I will do as you said 👍 but what mix and type of sand and lime ? It almost looks like there is no grit in the pointing around the arch doorframe. Looks like rendering sand but I’m not sure till I excavate it.

@@pamwalker7823 I can’t really comment on the big crack without seeing it. WRT mix around the door I would probably go for a simple 3 parts sharp sand to one part lime (3.5) mix.

Thanks Mike

@@SelfSufficientHub your welcome much love xoxox

No - you can definitely use it to raise PH levels just like garden lime, it is a different product though and it will be stronger than regular garden lime

@@SelfSufficientHub Cheers. Yeah, I'd assumed from the effect of working with the stuff on my hands that I'd have to keep the usage down to light surface dustings rather than the handfuls of garden lime you see chucked in planting holes!

😊👍

Hi Tony, I’m not really sure as I charge per job and they are all so different. I just work for myself and only do small jobs- and not just this type of thing, one week I’m pointing, next week I’m fencing or plastering or roofing…. I live in the southwest Uk so location also changes price. I know in London you’d probably be looking at paying £300 per day for a decent tradesman, where I am it’s more like £200. Hope this helps

Thanks 👍

If you mean the stonework yea I agree

Trying to polish a turd! Needs taking down and starting fresh. I know it cost money but it’s such a shame that the wall is such a mess !!

@@Stonerestorationsoutheast I couldn’t agree more. It was not in my hands to make the decision unfortunately. I basically say what you write almost word for word in the video lol