Stone ruin issues with foundation, floor and leaking

Nancy Reading wrote:I can't help a lot I'm afraid.  
Did you see  this thread where someone in a similar area has a similar issue with soil covered walls?

I did read through that thread.

Also some people are putting in earthen floors, is keeping yours a possibility?  There is a section in the building forum that might be worth browsing.

James MacKenzie wrote:i would be wary of excavation - but i am no  stone expert...



Thanks, James.

A drain seems to be the way to go.

There is no foundation as such.  Stone placed on the ground. It is an agricultural building built in the year dot. Amazing at how they got the rows so level.

We are going up and will have a story and a half. 2 stories if we are lucky but we have to get it past the town clerk.

James MacKenzie wrote:hey jenny!

best of luck - hope you get a permit before 2100

the drain wiil work "relatively" dry so long as teh water keeps flowing out  -level as best as you can and gravel - not w smooth floor, but not dirt either... it would make decent "rough and tumble storage" .. and maybe a cold store in the higher corner.. good plase for a pimp fo ra well... yadd yadd

my workroom is basically that - gravel on dirt that leaks - it isn't what you see on DIY shows, but after 10 years it still functions... if you can get 2 opposing windows in there for cross draft - THAT would help too - enjoy

Jane Mulberry wrote:The videos Glenn found look excellent!

I went looking for a blog I've read that I thought was set in Portugal and found it: http://www.themudhome.com/earthwhispering  She is very much into natural building and shares much of her personal philosophy, but she is also an experienced builder who is renovating a very old stone barn. She's not in Portugal, but in the mountains in Spain.

John C Daley wrote:How to repair a stone wall

Stone cottage repair

Stone wall refurbishment

As for the tilting stone,  it may be best to eave it and restore where it is. The texts I have given you speak of this .  

Much better than pulling it off.

Brilliant.  Even the Portuguese words for lime mortor is so helpful.  Working in a foreign language has added a layer of complexity I did not fully appreciate before we started.    
 
The floor will obviously be a mixture of rubble left over the years.
When you clean the rubble out things will be revealed.
You can wait a while before taking action about the floor. Flagstones may be available, underfloor heating may be possible.

Glenn Herbert wrote:It looks like there is a lot of decayed mortar or debris under/around that loose rock, so I think pulling it out and thoroughly cleaning the bed before resetting it in lime mortar would be the best way to go. If it was in the middle of a tall wall I would be concerned about touching it, but it has only a couple of stones above it and you are not risking any collapse.

Daniel Ackerman wrote:

Glenn Herbert wrote:It looks like there is a lot of decayed mortar or debris under/around that loose rock, so I think pulling it out and thoroughly cleaning the bed before resetting it in lime mortar would be the best way to go. If it was in the middle of a tall wall I would be concerned about touching it, but it has only a couple of stones above it and you are not risking any collapse.

As an old house (with a stone foundation) owner and casual stone wall builder who as spent a lot of time reading about this subject, I’m 100% in agreement here. It’s even possible to pull large single stones out of a well-built wall to reset their mortar without causing collapse. But be careful!!

D