mgbinspect

What a pleasant home, Steven! Nice pictures.

I, for one, would love to hear about your oldest homes inspected to date and some of its outstanding features. Mine was a 200 year old Huguenot estate home which was in either Chesterfield or Powhatan Counties of Virginia. It was a red brick home. The celler that had the look and feel of a catacomb. It had been dug out in several areas and had also experienced moisture intrusion and erosion in the cellar. My main concern was how close the excavation to dig out the cellar had come to the masonry footings. (It's best to not dig any closer than a 45 degree angle from the bottom of a footing.) Miraculously, the house had not settled? The floor framing system consisted of whole debarked only on the side which received the flooring planks. This home, while big, was actually quite simple. It was well maintained, but not drestically renovated or altered. That was about five years ago so I suppose it's about 205 or 206 now.

Very nice, Kurt

Hey Kurt, Bill and Jim, Here is a paper you may all be interested in regarding how insulation added to the interior wall affects the properties of exterior masonry. It's the first I ran accross and I'm sure that better studies can be found. http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/fulltext/nrcc ... c46109.pdf I hope this is what you needed, Kurt or at least starts you in the right direction. There certainly seems to be an infinite number of considerations when renovating an old structure. For every action there is a reaction. Mike

Now, as for the chimney in your picture, Bill, I'm certain we can all agree that the bow is the result of squirrels that prefer to climb the shorter side of the chimney to enter the residence. Over countless decades thier sharp little claws have gouged out the morter joints and shortened that side of the chimney. Hence, the bow. [] [:-angel] Enjoy your day.

Indeed Bill, I have posts all over the professional sites telling stories about the same discoveries. The "old school" had it right all along. When I left masonry and after a period of Design/Build construction, I entered the Disaster Restoration Field. Many of my projects were catastrophic losses to old Richmond row houses where the order of the day was find and replace, restore or reproduce what was here. One particular project was a large loss due to loss of heating in sub-zero temps. All the radiators and supply lines froze and burst and when things thawed, the owner came home from Boston to water running out from under the front door (Uhh.. ohh.. ). I had to go as far as Texas to find replacement radiators because some wise fellow had scoured the country collecting and hoarding them. $750.00 a piece! When I called up north in search of them, a salvage guy told me of the guy in Texas. I had to work with mills to make replacement trims for scratch and often went to salvage yards with huge collections of columns, fixtures, windows, doors, etc. It was a lot of fun, but the home owners and insurance companies made a hot box that was no fun to be in. That put a lot of gray hairs on my head. So, finally when I spent my second Christmas Eve in the middle of a large fire loss doing a take off instead of at home opening presents with my kids, I threw in the towel and became a home inspector. And speaking of timber, from 1981 to 1983 I lived in a 100+ year old hand hewn log cabin. It only had a fireplace and my wood stove for heat. I went through about 7 cords of wood a year. Someone had covered the exterior with wire latch and stucco. The owner, a farmer, asked me to tear off and re-install the stucco, which I did, and replaced all the chinking from the interior. The only drawback was that the plumbing, kitchen and bathroom were all in a very poorly designed and constructed addition on the back of the house. The cabin was atop a knoll that faced the gap of Harper's Ferry and when the wind blew and the temps were down, you had to run the shower for a bit to get the shower curtain to unfreeze from the stall floor! You could see your breath in the bathroom. From that house I went across the street to another farm and into a 100+ year old solid stone Quaker house, two side by side front doors, one for the ladies and one for the men. No heat but wood again. I had a copperclad cookstove with a firebox about the size of a shoe box. I finally got tired of feeding that thing and converted to coal! From my architecture days, through my masonry career, additions and renovations design and construction, disaster restoration and home inspections, nothing has intrigued me more or earned my respect like the designers and builders of old homes. It all is truly a lost art.

Hm... Well, I think we at least have it narrowed down to a combination of wind, rain, freeze and thaw. The remaining question is why they lean in the direction they do, which may never be explained. I've seen the lean toward and away, Mike in WA has seen them lean w/o freezing. Well, I'm glad to pretty much have consensus on the how? Bill, speaking of accross the pond, my second and by far toughest mentor in my apprenticeship was a man named Antonius "Dutch" Dassen from Holland. He turned out many a good mason. When I worked for large commercial companies, two masons would usually struggle to meet me in the middle and their work was a mess and mine was neat as a pin. I thank Dutch for that. He insisted that we use all tools as designed and never waste a move. No one could work out of my pans because, like Dutch, I used pretty soft mortar and never ever had to touch a brick with the but of my trowel. (Dutch would kill if he ever heard anyone beat a brick) We rolled the brick to the line, cut off the mortar and put it on the end of the brick just layed as we reached for the next. He taught us to be very efficient machines! Those were good and fun days, but I am glad they're behind me. I still have all of my tools. I have no idea why. Just can't part with them even though I haven't touched them in over 20 years.

Ok, Kurt, that was funnier than my joke. lol Thanks

Typically, Brian that is the result of an add-on chimney with a footing that was either not deep or wide enough. I was always worried about that whenever I did an add-on fireplace and would always not only go to the required footing depth but pour a very spread footing (usually twice what was required) just be sure that it would remain stable.

Oh.. no... we're back to square one... Which vindicates me somewhat... but... is it chicken?... or egg?...

Why thank you, Les. I'm touched. This has been a very productive discussion. I'll take the wagons circled around me to idle chit chat any day. Can someone pass me another log for the stove?...[:-slaphap "Input... Input..."

If getting my balls busted yields revelation, I'm all for it. As I said, I'm not a big theory fan, I like answers. Most of these stories I'm posting aren't about the story. Of course, the story is entertaining, but the conclusions are fascinating. Brian, if it's actually a bowed chimney, "I feel" or "I propose" [].. There is no easy remedy. especially since the integrity of the flue would forever be suspect. It's probably best to remove and relay it. But, if the entire chimney is leaning away from the house, yes that can be pretty easily fixed. We have a lot of shrink/swell soil around here and what they normally do is sink a couple of heliptical piers down into the ground until they hit a desired resistance and then jack up the chimney and clamp support angles under the chimney footing and to the piers. Also, when it's shrink/swell soil in subside state, I've actually instructed people to leave the hose trickling all night at the base of the chimney and they woke up to a chimney that was straight up against the house again in the morning. (Obviously a temporarly fix. Ya gotta stabilize that one.) Now truly, If someone gave me no option but to repair or right a bowing chimney, I guarantee you I could accomplish it. It would be costly, though. I've been involved in some pretty wild things. We once moved two railroad buldings and a huge (and I do mean huge) mill all (turn of the century buildings) into the center of Leesburg, VA and built new foundations under them all to form a downtown attraction. (shops) You'd be amazed what a master can do in any trade! I once watched an 80 old man and his young assistance remove and replace two of the bottom logs from a very old log cabin with merely a few rocks, bags of cement and a big log as a fulcrum! Now, that was a master using techniques passed along.

I've sent the name and number to you via private message Kurt. Amen, mah bruthah.... I'm never satisfied with theories. I long for answers. Good luck!

All we need now is a potbelly stove... [:-slaphap

Ok, just spent 60 fascinating minutes on the phone with Ray Henderson a lab tech at Essroc corp. a maker of cements and mortars for years. He was referred to me because another lab tech that I know said he has an interest in old mortars. I bounced my theory off him. After much discussion and thought he proposes that my theory may be a contributing factor, but that Kurt is probably closest to right. Freeze and expansion is over the years breaking the composition of the mortar and the bond of the mortar to the brick. That was fun! Regarding autogenous healing. It definitely is not as much a player in new mortars and cements as it once was. Autogenous healing does require water migration. Moisture is not enough. Water must travel and carry Calcium Hydroxide (which is quite soluble) with it to a void at an evaporation point where the calcium Hydroxide mixes with carbon dioxide to form Calcium Carbonate (no longer soluble). That is the new set point when healing has occured. He also likens the process to stalactite and stalgmite action. And, off the subject but equally fascinating and enlightening, get a load of this... He told a story about old masonry buildings up north (your way, Kurt) that were suffering accelerated damage to the brickwork due to.... of all things... the addition of good insulation to the exterior walls!! The masonry was no longer absorbing and radiating heat from the inside of the building out and began to abosrb and retain moisture and freeze and thaw. Kurt gets the big prize and I feel no guilt over proposing theories based upon my experience. Hey, somebody's got to have the gnads to propose the world is flat before we arrive at it being round. Frankly, now these posts are true discussion and iron sharpening iron! For Jim's sake, I'll begin to use the phrase, "I propose" or "I feel". [:-wiltel] Until the next time the wagons circle around me... best wishes to all. P.S. As "5" of Short Circuit fame used to say, "Input Stephane, Input!"

Hey, Les! Were it a thermal phenomenon, it would not be for the most part limited to old lime mortar chimneys. I'm fairly confident this is the cause for the following reasons: 1.) They always seem to curl to the most weathered side and on that side head and bed joints are often practically gone. 2.) It only seems to ocurr in unlined chimneys that don't enjoy the added structure of a terra cotta flue liner. 3.) Both the inner and outer surfaces of unlinded chimneys are exposed to the elements. I'll exhaust your proposal though. And, no doubt the constant expansion and contraction of heat/use makes it all the easier for those joints to wash out.

What a bummer! No matter how cautious you are, you just never know when your number will come up!

Why is there so much tape joint failure in townhouse drywall? Typically, when you observe a lot of loose tape in townhouse drywall, the firewall between units will be masonry. The front and back walls are load bearing wood frame construction. The drywall is hung on furing strips on the masonry firewalls. When the two stories of framing settle and compress the masonry firewalls don't budge. Hence, the loose tape. Notice that most of the loose tape is on your left and right walls (the masonry firewalls).

A slow consistant curl in a chimney is a common observation in an old chimney constructed with lime mortar. Over time, the mortar is getting washed out and compressed on the sides of the chimney exposed to the most weather. Those sides of the chimney are actually becoming shorter, hence the curl.

That looks pretty cheesy! I can't give you an insight to your specific observation. But, as a mason I used to install metal pre-fab units called "Heatilators" which actually came with a blanket of fiberglass insulation to be installed around the unit. The intent was two-fold. 1. Insulation 2. To keep the masonry away from the metal to allow expansion and contraction.

All constructive criticism and corrections regarding clarity and accuracy should and always will be welcome. Thanks to all.

If the house was constructed in the winter time and accelerators were used in the mortar or concrete, it may higher concentrations of calcium and salt from the accelerator.

Indeed, Jim. I've removed the words "large". "soluble" and "coagulant" from the original post. I stand by the fact that lime can and does refill small cracks and newer more cementicious mortars do not experience the same degree of autogenous healing. Thanks for your assistance in being clear.

Certainly, it was the first search result on the net when I typed "lime mortar autogenous healing" http://www.slcc.edu/tech/techsp/arch/co ... mortar.htm http://www.zatang.com/categories/busine ... edlime.htm http://www.graymont.com/applications_be ... lime.shtml This information was given to me by an old brick manufacturer in Winchester, VA. He was a pretty interesting man and knew volumes about masonry. And, of course it was my life and passion for about 12 - 15 years depending upon whether you wish to count my estimating and management years. Coagulant is the word that he used to describe the characteristics of lime but he did qualify it with "it acts more like a coagulant." In fact he also used the word scab as in a human scab. His analogy was indeed stalactite and stalagmite action. Unfortunately, Mr Barr is dead now. I agree that lime is only slightly water soluble. And, maybe Mr. Barr's use of the word coagulant was not the best analogy, but his point and mine is that lime actually will migrate and reset or rebind. If you have a better analogy, Jim, I welcome it. Of course lime mortar could never fill large cracks. I was referring to slow ongoing settlement. And, the new more cementicious mortars do not enjoy the level of autogenous healing that old lime mortars do. The flip side, lime can and will eventually wash out of a masonry system that is getting too wet or especially has water passing through it due to lack of flashing etc. I've seen many portions of masonry where the lime was all but gone and the sand could be raked out with your finger. Along the same lines, when we started using type "S" and "M" mortars in school construction it backfired on the designers. The high levels of cement removed all the flexibility from the system resulting in wicked settlement cracks. Architects quickly retreated to type "N" mortar in most of their applications again. Thanks for your assistance, Jim.

Have you ever wondered why you may not see cracks and voids in an old masonry building's mortar joints even when the masonry has settled? Some assume it is because the old lime mortars are more flexible. Actually, it is the result of a rather miraculous feature of the old lime mortar called "autogenous healing". Cracks form in the old mortars as easily as in any mortar. The difference is the characteristics of lime. When a crack forms, over time the lime with the assistance of water migrates to and fills the crack much like the formation of stalactites and stalagmites. Autogenous means self-produced or self-generated. The old lime mortar is self-healing.