Parging Repair Tips Every Home Owner Should Know
Parging refers to the motor mixture that’s usually applied on the outside walls of the house. Parging is actually applied on the walls of the foundations that are not covered by soil. As the house gets older, this mortar mix may start wearing out. The damages start with just a few cracks that eventually cause the finish to come off.
Parging repair is not necessary for newly built homes. This is because the mortar mixture is still strong enough to resist any external pressure. Parging is normally damaged by water especially during winter. When ice comes into contact with parging finish, the mortar mixture absorbs the moisture and begins to swell from the inside. It is this water that causes cracks to show on the walls of the foundation.
Why Parging Repair is Necessary
Walls that have been parged are not vulnerable to damages that are caused by water until the house gets old. As a matter of fact, parging creates a protective layer over the walls. Besides that, it makes your walls look nice especially if you intend to sell the house in future. If parging damages are allowed to persist, their impact can extend to the floors of the house. The water that accumulates on damaged parging could leak into your wooden floors and cause them to swell which will cost you more in terms of repairs.
Getting Started
Applying a new layer of parging on top of an old layer is useless because it will also crack and fall off. It’s therefore advisable that you get rid of the parging that’s already damaged. Since you can’t remove the old parging with your bare hands, you will need a cold chisel and a mallet. If you don’t own such tools, you have the option of either buying them or hiring them.
Buying is actually the last option because parging repair is done after several decades. If you are always on the go, you should consider hiring a mason to repair the parging. But doing it yourself is the better option because it will help you save money. You only need an hour or so to complete the job. You should buy cement and sand in advance and store them in a dry and cool place.
Chiseling Away
Once the materials and the tools are ready, you should use the chisel and the mallet to get rid of cracked mortar from the walls of the foundation. You should then get a brush that has metallic bristles and use it to scrub the walls. This helps in removing dust and debris that may have been left out. The secret to a perfect parging repair lies in mixing sand and cement in the correct ratio. The recommended ratio is one part of cement mixed with two parts of sand. It’s also important to add waterproof powder into the mortar mixture. This will prevent water from being absorbed into the walls. If you are not sure about this, you should consult a parging repair expert. Once the mortar has been mixed well with a spade, you should use a trowel to spread it on the walls of the foundation.
