Hi, :-) This is my first post so here goes.

New gutter installed last year. Downspout at NW corner ended more than a foot off the ground with a 90 degree elbow, instead of straight down into the underground drain opening that feeds the back flower beds. I fixed it in late fall when I realized what was happening.

In removing everything from the NW basement storage room to reorganizing and declutter, I've found cracks, lots and lots of cracks. It appears worst in the NW corner and radiates out from there in both direction and under the two windows, which are eguidistant from the corner.

There are both horizontal and stair step cracks. I took the tuck pointing tool and tapped along the cracks. So far 3 vertical seams had all the mortar fall out, several of the horizontals were soft partway in. I haven't tapped out all of the cracks yet.

No water, no obvious bowing, no cold or moisture laden air coming in where the mortar is completely gone, both sides of the cracks/lines are still even with each other. I think I stopped the water in time. I hope.

Basement was completed in 1938-39. It sits on solid limestone, which had to be partially dynamited to get the 8' interior finished depth. Very solid floor!! There are I beams on the east and south walls. Old gutter pulled away when full, dumping all rain water at foundation on these side, possibly for years before I bought it. The center posts holding up the support beam are now, again vertical. were almost at 20 degrees when I-beams were installed, 2004.

The mortar appears to be only at the interior edge of each block. (?) Where this fell in or out I can see back to the outer wall of block!! Was this normal for that time period? This modest looking little house is made so sturdy, with metal exterior framing, solid redwood floor joists, interior framing, rafters, subfloors, even the boards on the roof are knotty redwood the length of the roof, 1/2" oak floors, red oak windows... why would they only mortar the interior edges of the blocks? Unless the original owners who built most of it, did not do the basement themselves. Could be it.

Not sure how to proceed to patch the cracks beyond opening them up properly. What type of mortar/cement mix should I use/make? How deep should I go on the fully opened seams, all the way to the inside of the outer wall?

I have experience tuck pointing the brick house I used to have and taking up and laying ceramic tile. That's about it for working with cement type stuff.

Sorry this is so long. I don't know how much information y'all need to be able to answer.

Grateful for input from anyone with experience with this type of problem and or working with cement.

Thank you, Thank You!!! :-)
Joyce P. (sago)

Joyce, there are three or four good people who post here who would be best at answering your questions, and hopefully they will appear. I'm talking about "ConcreteMasonry", "Home Care Club", "Maintenance 6" or "Jay in Minnesota". Watch for their comments.

Thank you Richard.

I'll do that. In the meantime I'm tapping all the cracks and cleaning out the mortar where it's loose.

-Joyce (sago)