Greetings, folks –
I have to cover some exposed concrete, while dealing with a covenant issue at the same time. Covenants in this subdivision say I can’t leave exposed raw concrete, except for 6″ around foundation. Paint on concrete not accepted as a solution.
I seem to recall many years ago that my Dad used Portland cement and water in a thick slurry as a kind of paint-on/trowel-on finish over masonry. Held up really well in a tough climate. Does that sound right to anyone out there? If I can use that, or something similar, as a stucco-type finish over a larger area of exposed foundation, then I can paint that and meet the covenants. Yeah, goofy, but that’s the deal.
Any help? Thanks in advance.
Bruce
The High Desert Group LLC
Replies
Durango, and you're not insulating the outside of the foundation?
I've troweled on a portland/sand mix on retaining walls. Used latex admix on the wall and in the mix. No delamination, close to 10 yrs.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Got R10 and a radiant barrier on the inside. I know, I know, it would be more effective on the outside. But trust me, I'd rather not go into all the details about why this won't work in this application, in this area. But thanks for the hints!
Bruce
The High Desert Group LLC
Another vote for Surewall or similar. It won't crack like standard mixes will.
Matt
We do this all the time with Type S mortar, sand & water. Just trowel it on heavy enough that the joints in the block won't show. You can use a brush to make some nice swirls in it. Looks good.
It bonds real well to the block. It might develop some hairline cracks over time.
"It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept."
Don't have no stinking joints ... this is a poured foundation. Want to give me any hints on a good mortar to sand ratio? Also, would some kind of bonding agent on the foundation help?
Thanks again!
Bruce
The High Desert Group LLC
Sorry, can't help on the cement ratio. I've got an older retired gentleman that I pay to do it. Not sure what ratio he uses."It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept."
I've had very good results on 3 jobs with Surewall, a fiberglass reinforced cement product developed for building block walls without typical mortar joints. The other bag masonry product manufacturers make similar products. It comes in a few colors, or can be colored to suit, & you just mix it up & trowel it on. It has a slight, but not pronounced, texture, & is easy to do. So far, I've used it to cover and reinforce traditional block walls, to replace/repair old stucco on plain concrete & on brick, & on my foundation. I'm planning to use it to parge my chimneys and 3 fireplaces this summer. Hope this helps!
I lkike the one-part idea, being extremely lazy. Thanks for the tip; I'll check it out.The High Desert Group LLC
Try a coating product such as Dryvit or Syntek either straight out of the bucket or over an adhesive basecoat, which you would apply to help adhere the top coat and smooth out any irregularities in the poured wall.
Top coat is a sanded, custom colored (no need to paint) product that can be either a straight sand or with added particles that when worked with a trowel give the finish a wormy look.
Base coat cost is $22 for a 50 lb bag and the top coat is a $40 for a 5 gallon bucket. My supplier (Syntek, sold as Accro-crete) also has mis-tint at half price and if you could get a decent color by mixing some buckets (get more than enough for the job) you could save $$ on a 2+ bucket job. And, it's still paintable if you need but I would try for the finished color right out of the gate.
Bruce,1 part Portland cement to 3 parts sand. As already mentioned, latex admix and bonder are good to use.Bill
This mix sounds a lot like the sand finish parging on my parents' 75 year old house. Still holding up pretty well. But it sounds like it would be tough to get some texture into it. Any reason why it wouldn't hold up w/ less sand?The High Desert Group LLC
Here's one I did with tile grout.
gotta love these building schemes....guess they haven't seen quality poured concrete retaining walls before. We've done, lots of high end retaining wall work. We use paper face plywood for a smooth finish.(on the exposed side) Sometimes it gets sand blasted to get rid of minor imperfections and give the concrete a nice texured look.
anyway, I understand the need for the restriction. You never know who's going to do what kind of job. I'm glad you posted your question, 'cuz I will be coming up with the same situation as you, and was wondering about parging, as it's never been done on any of our jobs before. and I haven't seen a whole lot of it period.
Being a fan of contemporary design, I probably would have featured naked concrete, but you do what you gotta do. I think it's a great finished material in the right application, even some not including driveways and sidewalks.The High Desert Group LLC