sealing products?

[ken snyzyk]

Would appreciate advice,I'm pricing a job for a basement.Its a very old house with a stone foundation,due to age and moisture all the cement grouting is falling out and the customer would like it all sealed up and just a textured finish,I was wondering if there is a product out there that I could use to fill in all the stones before overlaying the surface.There's some huge gaps and holes to be filled to bring the wall even,or should I  just fill it in with a portland/sand mix.The basements a little over 800 sq ft.

[Jeff Tobler]

[Nathan Giffin Vertical Artisans]

This is tricky but here is my experience...

If you can not get to the out side of the housed and  tar, seal , protect the moisture from leaching in what ever you put on the wall is subject to failure…..

Old walls like that let a lot of moisture in, the problem is not with the mix its with the moisture coming behind it and delaminating the products right off the wall.

If you clean and re grout the stone work and then seal it you have a chance… you can also try epoxy based grout…and basically tuck point all the stone work… thats probably not gonna fly but I can tell you this… to just clean it up and shoot it with a plater coat and a sealer … you will face some issues at some time...

You may want to build a wall with a moisture barrier all together…. may be faster and offer a better environment.  

Dank moist basements are really go for mold as well … de humidifiers and plenty of air circulation behind the wall will keep that at bay.

[ken snyzyk]

thanks for the info guys,Nate building a new wall is not an option,they just want it sealed up and their looking at $12-$14k to do so.I'll try a bonding agent on the stones and then filling it all in with Portland and then quikwall to finish it and then a sealer, that's even if I get the job.maybe in the spring they'll let me stoneface the outside foundation,that should do it.But this is Rhode Island people don't like spending $$$ we'll see,again thanks for the advice

[SCOTT ARMSTRONG]

Ken, I recommend you consider the use of Xypex to address the hydraulic pressure and moisture issues. If not addressed, Nathan is spot on with his prediction of future failure. Check out their website...www.xypex.com. The products are often specified in Public Works projects related to water storage and control of moisture problems. It can be applied to the inside of the basement foundation once you complete the repairs and slurry coating. After which you can texture as planned. It is available here in CA at White Cap Supply. I'm sure a supplier near you can order the product. Contact one of Xypex's tech rep's for detailed advice to support your estimating. I recently used it to leakproof a fountain/pond foundation.

[Hobby Carver]

Scott which Xypex product did you use for your pond. Was it a cementious 1 that you could brush or trowel on?

[Jeff Tobler]

Take a look at the homes exterior if the moisture is a big issue. Properly functioning gutters, and the grading of soil to slope away from the house helps tremendously.

[ken snyzyk]

Thanks again guys,The outside should b sealed too but they want to focus on the inside now.Its more damp and coldness in the basement that they want fixed,anyway I gave him a price for the whole job or doing it in sections and he has to talk it over with his wife and get back to me,that usually means no, this is rhode island unless you work cheap you don't work much.Its hard to find people that want  nice work done right.I HAD a job to overlay and stonefinish a set of brick steps that all the joints were falling  apart and cracking but lost it yesterday  to a mason who's just gonna repoint it.Its cheaper!Thats life here.Anyways you guys are really great to offer your advice to help out thanks again.I'll post how this one goes

[SCOTT ARMSTRONG]

Matt Lewis said:

Scott which Xypex product did you use for your pond. Was it a cementious 1 that you could brush or trowel on?

Matt, I used "Xypex Concentrate" as a slurry coat about 1/4" thick. Below is quoted from their website.

Xypex Concentrate is the most chemically active product within the Xypex Crystalline Waterproofing System. When mixed with water, this light grey powder is applied as a cementitious slurry coat to above-grade or below-grade concrete, either as a single coat or as the first of a two-coat application. It is also mixed in Dry-Pac form for sealing strips at construction joints, or for the repairing of cracks, faulty construction joints and honeycombs. Xypex prevents the penetration of water and other liquids from any direction by causing a catalytic reaction that produces a non-soluble crystalline formation within the pores and capillary tracts of concrete and cement-based materials.


Recommended for:

Reservoirs
Sewage and Water Treatment Plants
Secondary Containment Structures
Tunnels and Subway Systems
Underground Vaults
Foundations
Parking Structures
Swimming Pools

Advantages
Resists extreme hydrostatic pressure
Becomes an integral part of the substrate
Can seal hairline cracks up to 0.4 mm
Allows concrete to breathe
Highly resistant to aggressive chemicals
Non-toxic
Does not require a dry surface
Cannot puncture, tear or come apart at the seams
No costly surface priming or leveling prior to applicationDoes not require sealing, lapping and finishing of seams at corners, edges or between membranes
Can be applied to the positive or the negative side of the concrete surface
Does not require protection during backfilling or during placement of steel, wire mesh or other materials
Less costly to apply than most other methods
Not subject to deterioration

[Hobby Carver]

Thanks Scott