Does this look like limestone mortar instead of cementer on my stone house?

[limestonenoobie]

When it rains its very dark and soft/crumbly.

I'm thinking of DIY pointing some of it, if it is existing limestone, can i just leave it in there and put new mortar over it?

https://imgur.com/a/p9006No

I would get it done professionally but for a detached house that would be like 15k+ for a full limestone repoint right?

 

[JohnD]

Post a photo with something in it to show scale.

A coin or a hand, perhaps.

Also stand back and take a wider pic of the entire wall. From roof to ground.

How old is the house?

 

[^woody^]

Limestone would generally have lime mortar, as cement is too rigid.

 

[ree]

OP,
Your pic shows a wall with two types of render finish - the only stone we can see is an exposed strip of random stone. The pointing is blurred in your pic, & its not clear what kind of pointing mortar has been used: cement or lime mortar?
For re-pointing the stones its necessary to rake out all the old soft mortar & re-point with lime mortar.

The original render would most likely have been cement render. The modern practice is to use lime render.
Do you intend to remove any more render?
Is the upper render sound or is water penetrating it? Do you have any damp damage inside the house?

 

[limestonenoobie]

Post a photo with something in it to show scale.

A coin or a hand, perhaps.

Also stand back and take a wider pic of the entire wall. From roof to ground.

How old is the house?

Limestone would generally have lime mortar, as cement is too rigid.

OP,
Your pic shows a wall with two types of render finish - the only stone we can see is an exposed strip of random stone. The pointing is blurred in your pic, & its not clear what kind of pointing mortar has been used: cement or lime mortar?
For re-pointing the stones its necessary to rake out all the old soft mortar & re-point with lime mortar.

The original render would most likely have been cement render. The modern practice is to use lime render.
Do you intend to remove any more render?
Is the upper render sound or is water penetrating it? Do you have any damp damage inside the house?

https://imgur.com/a/vJoCAkQ

https://imgur.com/hAFe9ts

Here is another angle, yes damp issues for sure, whole houses render is blown.

Is there any DIY or "cheaper" alternative i can do compared to a 15k+ lime repointing? Maybe cladding? but we know that would cause breathability issues for the solid stone walls so maybe partially cladded?

House is early 1900s i think.

Not sure, do you guys have some suggestions

 

[JohnD]

Why does there come to be that channel chased out of the render?

If the render is genuinely blown, it will need to be hacked off. Is it cement or lime mortar?

Unless you are in a district where the houses were rendered from new, it might have been applied to hide some kind of defect. Are there similar houses nearby you can look at?

Does the house have an original DPC? Pretty sure to be a band of slate about 9 inches above where ground level used to be when the house was built.

 

[^woody^]

I am confusion. Are we talking about lime mortar or lime render.

That bit of stone can be pointed up in cement mortar.

To me, that render seems unlikely to be lime.

 

[ree]

OP,
If the whole house render is blown, and damp is penetrating into the inside of the house then all the render will have to come off back to the stones.
All previous pointing will need raking out and the re-pointing done with lime mortar.
You then have the option of lime render or a modern render.
Any new render will have to have plastic Bell Casts above all openings and should stop on a Bell Cast above ground level. Plastic corner beads will also be needed.

 

[limestonenoobie]

OP,
If the whole house render is blown, and damp is penetrating into the inside of the house then all the render will have to come off back to the stones.
All previous pointing will need raking out and the re-pointing done with lime mortar.
You then have the option of lime render or a modern render.
Any new render will have to have plastic Bell Casts above all openings and should stop on a Bell Cast above ground level. Plastic corner beads will also be needed.

Is modern render ok for a solid stone house?

 

[noseall]

Is modern render ok for a solid stone house?

Yes