My folks had our house done in Formstone back in the late 50s. I just recently drove through the neighborhood and that old house still looks good in 'Stone! When our house was brick, my Dad spent endless hours repointing the mortar, then with a small brush painting that mortar white. I'm talking two stories in Highlandtown. He was more than thrilled to pop for the Formstone!
I’ve been a mason for almost 45 years and have worked for a prominent Baltimore commercial masonry company for 35 years so I speak as a masonry craftsman. Form stone is iconic and that’s it. It was a fad. It really destroys the substrate which is mostly beautiful solid brick walls. It traps moisture as well. It’s a cementitious wallpaper.
I'm a tinsmith with 45 years doing tin and copper roofs in DC. Mostly residential. DC has a fair amount of Formstone. I've always wondered why anyone would cover brick and what the affects are on the brickwork. Thanks for your comment. Our climate is so humid that anything trapping moisture is bad news. But often I see this stuff holding up really well after 70-80 years, too. I guess like most things, it's as good as the man doing the work.
I grew up in Hueytown, Alabama which is a suburb of Birmingham. My Aunt next door had the bottom half of her frame house covered in Permastone in the early 1950s. We neighborhood kids were fascinated watching the craftsmen apply the stuff. It is definitely permanent and would still be there if the house hadn't burned down sometime in the early 1980s.
Similar to Garden State Brickface in NJ. Many lawsuits resulted from lawsuits due to damage to the underlying structure, rot, mold and mildew all being prevelant.
I would unfortunately proceed to rip it out and bury it deep somewhere all while quietly freaking out about the historical implications. It is the worst thing to happen to brick houses since siding. yuck! (i do admit though that nicely painted formstone can look really nice)
as a child my neighbor had formstone and I asked my mom why our house wasn’t like that and she simply said “because it’s ugly.” I didn’t understand why she thought it was ugly but now as an adult, I realize, formstone is ugly.
My folks had our house done in Formstone back in the late 50s. I just recently drove through the neighborhood and that old house still looks good in 'Stone! When our house was brick, my Dad spent endless hours repointing the mortar, then with a small brush painting that mortar white. I'm talking two stories in Highlandtown. He was more than thrilled to pop for the Formstone!
I’ve been a mason for almost 45 years and have worked for a prominent Baltimore commercial masonry company for 35 years so I speak as a masonry craftsman. Form stone is iconic and that’s it. It was a fad. It really destroys the substrate which is mostly beautiful solid brick walls. It traps moisture as well. It’s a cementitious wallpaper.
I'm a tinsmith with 45 years doing tin and copper roofs in DC. Mostly residential. DC has a fair amount of Formstone. I've always wondered why anyone would cover brick and what the affects are on the brickwork. Thanks for your comment. Our climate is so humid that anything trapping moisture is bad news. But often I see this stuff holding up really well after 70-80 years, too. I guess like most things, it's as good as the man doing the work.
'The polyester of brick' 🤣 Perfect John Waters!
We agree!
Ha ha John Waters mastermind of weird Baltimore movies.
I grew up in Hueytown, Alabama which is a suburb of Birmingham. My Aunt next door had the bottom half of her frame house covered in Permastone in the early 1950s. We neighborhood kids were fascinated watching the craftsmen apply the stuff. It is definitely permanent and would still be there if the house hadn't burned down sometime in the early 1980s.
How about marble stairs next?
Watched a company do this to a couple houses on Sargent st. In the 60s...
I love formstone so much back on the 90s i formstoned my car
I remember the formstome car
Very interesting
Similar to Garden State Brickface in NJ. Many lawsuits resulted from lawsuits due to damage to the underlying structure, rot, mold and mildew all being prevelant.
There are Formstone covered houses all over my neighborhood. The next street over also has brick cobblestone sidewalks.
How can you remove it?
Charmingly tacky, like pink flamingos.
I would unfortunately proceed to rip it out and bury it deep somewhere all while quietly freaking out about the historical implications. It is the worst thing to happen to brick houses since siding. yuck! (i do admit though that nicely painted formstone can look really nice)
as a child my neighbor had formstone and I asked my mom why our house wasn’t like that and she simply said “because it’s ugly.” I didn’t understand why she thought it was ugly but now as an adult, I realize, formstone is ugly.
Lmao 😂
🤣
I would buy a regular brick home over a formstone any day!
The cats meow. Haha
Not a fan. Happy to see people removing it to expose the beautiful brick underneath.
Almost all of Baltimore was formstone back in the day now they tearing it all down to brick again.
It’s hideous. I hate it lol
Just bought a house with formstone front it's so ugly hahaha