Proper maintenance and regular inspections are the best way to prolong the life of a masonry building, be it of limestone, granite, brick, marble or sandstone. Inspection should begin with the building’s site; environment, terrain and vegetation are the 3 areas to look at.

Environment

Stone and brick are assailed by multiple forces over time, and the extent of a structure’s resistance to them is dependent on how well designed it is.

A robustly built building may be able to bear up indefinitely against such forces, while a structure with a bad foundation, which does not shed water well, absorb movements and expansions, or is made from shoddy materials, will quickly deteriorate and require maintenance.

Most Common Causes of Masonry Deterioration

1. Excess moisture in masonry that leads to damaging freeze/thaw cycles and soluble salt crystallization action.

Over time, brick and stone buildings weather and age, and often new owners decide to clean them up to make them appear newer. I happen to prefer the rich, soft colors and patina of naturally aged stone. By removing all signs of aging, they also end up not only removing much of it’s character, but also speed up further deterioration through harsh chemical cleaning or sandblasting.

Spalling is a form of masonry deterioration in which the outer section of a stone, brick or mortar breaks away in a localized area. The term spalling sometimes can be a general one, refering to any type of coming away of the surface, such as exfoliation or delamination.

The cause can be either freezing and thawing cycles of moisture trapped within the masonry or salt crystal pressures. Another cause is mortar of excessive hardness. Any movement in the wall, from settlement, thermal expansion, or vibration, is deflected by the mortar, instead of being absorbed by it. This pressure then transmits back to the masonry, ultimately leading to spalling.

Purists who want to use real stone in their construction instead of the new manufactured stones often turn to limestone to meet their needs. Limestone is durable and widely found. It comes in a variety of natural colors that can accent the beauty of a home.

Limestone costs more than fabricated stone, but should last hundreds of years, and you can know that you are using the real thing. As for durability, many of the ancient castles of Europe are built of limestone. In fact, the Great Pyramid of Egypt is a limestone structure.