Comments on: Repointing a stone wall

By: Ron Peeleman

Ron Peeleman — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:58:22 +0000

Thank you very much for the article. We have some damaged stone walls which needed repointing years ago, and are going to do a “test run” on a small portion of the wall next year. I’ve been searching the net for some good advice and appreciate the effort you took to provide this very helpful information.

By: Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:59:55 +0000

Thanks very much for this article, it is very informative, confirms other advice and I’ll be putting it to use very shortly!

It would also be interesting to know exactly how to go about ‘picking out’ the stones and smoothing the pointing if one wants to go that route. Just a straight-forward spatula job?

Here in the Poitou-Charentes (near Poitiers) the use of lime only (chaux blanc) also appears to be the norm.

By: info

info — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:43:45 +0000

Hi,
Thanks for this warning. I know this has been the standard way for the maçons around here so I’m surprised it can cause problems. Thanks very much for the reminder – each building type and each region will have its own local techniques and methods. In any case care should be taken when pressure washing only to remove ’surface matter’.
Re cement, I suggest here a small amount but I can well accept that none at all is the ‘purist’ approach.

By: S> B> Matthews

S> B> Matthews — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:47:56 +0000

The way you are telling how to do the pointing,it is the wrong way for stones. You weaken the stone taking the patina, and also the water gets into the wall by the sand/earth and chalk joints, and you create a big trouble.
Talk with the joints experts from Parlumier chaux joints, or des Architectes de France.
We had suffer that method more than 17 months ago, and the house is inhabitable. We bought the house because it was dry…
Never, never use cement, you are calling for more trouble.