How To Seal Concrete Block Walls
Concrete blocks commonly begin to show signs of dampness or worse leak water soon after exterior waterproofing.
How to seal concrete block walls. How to seal a leaking concrete wall. Concrete walls sometimes only leak periodically such as after a hard rain or during snow melts. Patch any holes in the basement cinder block wall with your hydraulic cement. Water moves easily through porous concrete so sealing interior walls is necessary to prevent moisture from seeping in promoting mold growth and that cold damp basement feel.
They are generally absorbent and can easily absorb moisture that may cause mold problems. However some walls gush water through openings in the concrete. Some tests show 4 8 perms for hollow concrete blocks and 2 4 perms when the blocks are filled with a slurry mix of concrete. The importance of waterproofing for concrete block.
Cinder blocks are classified as permeable to water and water vapor 10 perms. Distribute the tar evenly across the wall leaving no more than a 1 16 inch thick coat. Use a masonry sealer such as thoroseal that also patches cracks 35 for a 50 pound bag. How to seal cinder blocks walls.
Concrete blocks that are not protected and treated can suffer from severe damage over a period of time. The best and easiest way to make sure your cinder blocks will not leak is to take preventive actions before you need it. If the conditions outdoors are cool allow the bucket contents to sit in the sun for an hour to loosen the contents. Block foundation walls will provide only a weak barrier against capillary water seepage and water vapor.
Heavyweight concrete blocks are semi permeable 5 perms and less so when the hollow cores are filled and packed with a slurry mix of concrete about 2 perms. Push the cement into the cracks and crevices making sure to pack and seal. A cinder block is much more porous compared to a standard concrete block or poured concrete. A great newly concrete poured wall with 8 10 inches thick is considered impermeable.
Allow the cement to dry before proceeding usually 24 hours. Why cinder block walls leak. Water that enters through the pores can result to foundation seepage in the long run. The cement becomes hard quickly so be time efficient.