Rubble Foundation questions

[BrendanDon]

Our house (circa 1880) has a rubble foundation, mostly in solid condition though the summer plans were to repoint anything needing attention. Clearing our first corner (inside) we noticed dirt and some water seepage in a couple spots at the base of the foundation where the slab had been poured. We figure this may have been a dirt floor with a slab poured later at the level of the bottom of the foundation, but no matter, our question is what we should do with the gaps were the stones don't dip below slab level to fill these voids where there is nothing but dirt?

In our preliminary research (we're noobs here) we've discovered some discussions about hydraulic cement, mortar, and concrete. Does anyone have experience with this scenario and advice for us?

 

[bud16415]

Welcome to the forum.



These fieldstone / rubble foundation walls can be very sturdy strong walls but getting them to seal up 100% can be a tough job. Most of the time they were never intended to be living space and were used for coal furnaces and places to store canned goods etc.

Most had dirt floors and it was common to pour a pad many years later.



I would clean the gaps and mix mortar and trowel it in the joints. That is likely what someone else has done and it has failed over the years.



Go outside and check the grade of the land and that downspouts are working to move water away from the base of the house.

 

[Krich]

Rubble Foundation questions​

I saw the title and thought it was about Barney Rubble's Foundation... from the Flintstones in the town of Bedrock!