Patching Cement: Winterize the Stone Foundation of Your Old House and Eliminate Drafts

When it comes to winterizing your house to save energy costs, there is a world of difference in what you might need to do if you live in an old 19th century house as opposed to one from the last (or current ) century.

Patching and filling holes in the uneven stone foundation of our 1830s house had seemed to me an onerous task-- one which I fretted about for a long time. I finally had to face up to it this winter when, upon investigating an extremely cold draft coming from the basement, I found a four inch hole where mortar had fallen away. No wonder that part of the house was cold! The daylight was shining right through this huge gap and the chilled wind was pouring in like a continual air conditioner.

What was I to do about this hole? I went to my local hardware store and came back with a patching cement product that proved to be extremely effective and easy to use. The product is called Rockite©, made by Hartline products of Ohio. Specifically, Rockite© is an expansion cement for anchoring and patching.

While the notion of owning an early 19th century house may sound exotic, many of these very old buildings are small and unadorned. They are actually quite common across the United States. Upstate New York is filled with them. To the credit of their early American builders, often the first settlers in an area, these houses were built to last.

Lasting is one thing, however, and being energy efficient is something else again. Old houses such as ours are full of uneven angles, drafts and holes. Take the foundation, for instance: Ours is made of mostly round stones. Round stones seem an odd choice for building foundation walls, but such smooth glacial cast-offs were what was available and abundant in the local ground.

Since round stones do not form a tight fit with each other, they rely heavily upon mortar to keep them in place. It stands to reason that over the years, the mortar between these round stones would wear away and form holes. This results from basic geological shifting, from vibrations from heavy truck traffic (we are on a busy road) and from mice, squirrels and other small animals who form underground burrows into the basement to stay warm for the winter.

The Rockite© expansion cement simply mixes with water. You can add varying degrees of water to achieve different consistencies for different uses. To fill large holes in cement or in foundations, you add less water for a thicker mixture that you can mold more easily. For cracks in cement or stone floors, you add more water for a thinner mix. For anchoring posts and poles, you mix it so that it can be poured.

To patch holes, simply add a small amount of water till the cement is quite thick and evenly blended. Wait approximately 15 minutes and begin to fill your hole. You can, to a degree, make a ball out of the mixture-- and place it in the hole, though you will need to trowel it in and add to it till the cement truly fills the space and stays put. You must heed the following safety measures, however, always wear a dust make when using this or any cement product, and, If you handle the cement with your hands-- you must wear gloves! The cement gets hot as it begins to harden and expand and can actually burn your skin.

Within a few minutes the mixture will begin to harden in place, fully filling your hole and eliminating the draft. When you revisit your filled hole, you will find a rock hard substance that will last for a good long time. The whole process is not only simple, it is somewhat enjoyable as well. Filling holes in your stone foundation can be done from the exterior or interior. With Rockite and many other true cement-based products, dampness and cold temperatures are not a problem.

More information about Rockite can be found on their website at http://www.rockite.com/.