Foundation Inspection in Irvington, Indianapolis
Irvington foundations are generally Indiana limestone, laid with lime-based mortar, and the single most damaging thing done to them in the last fifty years has usually been a repair. Portland cement mortar is harder and less permeable than the lime mortar these walls were built with, and repointing limestone with it traps moisture in the stone and concentrates stress at the joints.
The result is that a wall which was repointed in the 1970s can be in worse condition than one that was left alone, with spalling faces on the stone itself rather than simple joint erosion. Recognising a prior incompatible repair is often more informative than measuring the wall, because it explains a pattern of damage that otherwise looks inexplicable.
Set against that, these foundations tolerate movement well. A century of settlement in a limestone wall produces displacement that is visible and usually finished. What warrants attention is loss of material and any evidence that movement is current, not the fact that the wall is no longer where it started.
What We Look At Here
- Mortar type where a repair has been made, and whether it is compatible with the original
- Spalling and deterioration of stone faces, which indicates trapped moisture
- Joint depth and how much sound bedding material remains
- Whether displacement shows weathering consistent with long-settled movement
- Sill and joist bearing where wood contacts the top of the wall
- Water management around a wall built before damp-proofing existed
More on the service itself: Foundation Inspection. More on the area: Irvington.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
My Irvington limestone foundation was repointed and now the stone is flaking. Why?
Almost certainly because a Portland cement mortar was used on a wall built with lime mortar. The harder mortar traps moisture and forces it to leave through the stone instead of the joint, which spalls the face.