restoring sandstone wall

[MdB]

If your sandstone is like ours, good luck in getting anything to stick to it. Fortunately, the bits of ours that is crumbling just adds character so I'm not worrying about it. (I've no idea of sensible ways of repairing it - sorry)

 

[JoceAndChris]

As I have remarked in another thread my sandstone house is crumbling away beneath its unforgiving, thick layer of cement render.I've had a number of stonemasons out now (the latest ones, http://www.weldonstone.co.uk, seemed amazing but want 11k). The consensus is that once the render is off (and I've been warned that this is likely to be hugely damaging to what's underneath, but not as damaging as leaving the render on )the badly crumbled stone will have to be chipped out to a depth of 5 or 6 inches in places as well as a good deal of the ancient sandy, muddy mortar. Then pieces of sandstone, which are from an old pigsty in the garden, will be dressed to fit and glued in with lime mortar. The whole house will probably need a lime render and lime wash after this. I'm also interested in a product Womersley's do called "Stone Hardener", but at £100 a can it's a bit prohibitive.

I think the whole process may break us financially but save the house.

 

[Cloudscape]

I think the whole process may break us financially but save the house.

Likewise. One day, this house will be very happy, and I will be undernourished and shuffling around in holey clothes... actually, I think that's already started. I understand that sandstone is often quite friable. Anything that consolidates it - like a liquid treatment you apply - is likely to be a resin or chemical that sinks in and helps bind the sand particles together, isn't it? I wonder if this is irreversible, and could set up problems for the future.

I found this 'hardener', actually two products - one water-repellent, one not:

http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:uC501xFLHTAJ:www.womersleys.co.uk/acatalog/stone_hardener.pdf+stone+hardener&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk

 

[Cloudscape]

Bigdoozer, yes I have now seen the product/service you mention. I moved away from Manchester to get away from things like that. No offence, mate, but (in the context of the advice I need, and maybe generally) it's pants. :?