swampscott stone foundation repairs

 Swampscott once known as the land of the red rock famous for its innovation in the fishing industry which created  a host of modern homes, later luxury resorts and estates in the 1800's.

 When our family first started working in Swampscott in the masonry field  in the 1960's there were houses being built, old homes being renovated and countless masonry projects. 

 Also in the 1960's, 70's and early 1980's Swampscott hosted a working quarry with available granite for stone walls, steps and foundations. Lynn builders masonry supply was also located in Swampscott where we bought  masonry supplies and started our days. 

 There was no google at the time. The majority of work was word of mouth and references. Local property  owners would call the Swampscott brick yard and we were fortunate to be referred on a regular basis. 

 It was very common to spend whole masonry seasons working on masonry projects in Swampscott. Learning how to work with the dense blue granite and ledge was was an education within itself . What held the stones together would turn out to be the greater story. 

 In all masonry the mortar is the weak point. Stones are millions of years old and generally have no issues if you use granite. Bricks made from clay will decay in time but almost always the bonding agent will fail first.

All stone foundations built pre 1920's used lime based mortars from single family's to grand estates.

 In the 1600's, 1700's, 1800's and early 1900's mason contractors would use lime and sand to build stone foundations. Later in the 1900's Portland cement was added only on the above grade exterior part of the foundation to protect against weather conditions.

By the 1960's and 1970's ( and today 2023) stone foundations in Swampscott had hundreds of years of ground water infiltrating the mortar. Lime mortar after time would soften, become sandy powder and fall out. The first sign of stone foundation issues was the interior lime coating would start to wash out. This was repaired with stone foundation repairs of mortar re-pointing and a lime white wash. 

Our company today specializes in the restoration of stone foundations. Being a third generation Massachusetts masonry company. 

We have restored thousands of stone foundations and have direct experience working with Swampscott stone masonry and foundation construction. We know what works and will stand the test of time.