Waterproofing Basement Walls/Floors with Hydro-Seal 75

Waterproofing Basement Walls/Floors with Hydro-Seal 75

Waterproofing Basement Walls/Floors with Hydro-Seal 75 is an easy Do-It-Yourself Project that will save you plenty. 

-Hydro-Seal 75 is a 2 Part Water Based Epoxy that is mixed right before application with paint rollers and brushes.

-Hydro-Seal 75 is a fast drying material (2 to 4 hours dry time) and can be recoated after 1^st coat is dry, making a two coat application a one day job.

Required Tools for Applying Hydro-Seal 75 to basement walls/floors

Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.

• Paint brushes
• Roller covers ½ for walls & 3/8” floors
• Paint Trays
• 2 gallon Mixing bucket
• small bucket or can to mix mortar if patching
• Stirring sticks to mix cans(2), mixed material(1), mortar(1)
• Putty knife or trowel if patching
• Paper towels
• 5 gallon bucket for washing with TSP
• Bristle brush for washing with TSP
• Safety glasses
• Gloves
• Utility knife

Required Materials for this Project

• Hydro-Seal 75 (150 sq ft per gallon per coat approx. on concrete and smooth concrete block)
• TSP to wash concrete or block prior to application
• Concrete Sand Mix or Hydraulic Cement or Portland Cement if Patching is needed. Patching material is added to Hydro-Seal 75 to make waterproof Hydro-Seal 75 Mortar.
• Masking Painters Tape

Stone & Mortar Foundation/ Basement Rehab

I just looked at an old stone and mortar foundation with crumbling mortar and concrete. An overlay of concrete was trowelled on decades ago was now coming off in chunks making the preparation a very labor intensive job. Here is what I recommended to do this job:

1. Go around the foundation and hammer off all the old concrete that is ready to come off. You can tell when you hit it and you get a hollow thud. The concrete overlay that is sound leave alone. Also work around the areas where some of the concrete has come off.

2. Wash all wall surfaces with TSP and then rinse with clean water. This will give you a surface to bond to with the Hydro-Seal 75. A pressure washer also works good on these types of surface provided to are vacuuming up the excess water as you power wash.

3. On very rough surfaces like this we like to use the very thick 1" or 1.25" roller covers and roll as much as we can and follow the guy rolling with a thick brush to cover all the areas missed with the roller. The 1st coat of Hydro-Seal 75 will act as a bonding agent for any mortar repair needed, giving it something to stick to.

4. Re-mortar all the areas where unsound concrete has been chipped out. My rule here is to use the Hydro-Seal 75 Mortar made by mixing 4 parts Concrete Sand mix to 1 Part mixed Hydro-Seal 75. Do all the thin patching first while to mortar is loose and the thick patch last as the mortar stiffens. This will keep it from slumping out of the holes and gaps. Use a straight edge trowel or wide putty knife to skim over your walls.
Packing the stiff mortar in with your hands also works very well.  Be sure to wear gloves to keep off your hands and wash hands and arms often with soapy water before Hydro-Seal 75 of Hydro-Seal Mortar dries on your skin or you will wear it for a couple of days.

5. A second coat of Hydro-Seal 75 will finish you job giving you a beautifully patched and finished Hydro-Seal 75 application.

Question regarding basement walls efflorescence;

I don't have a drastic water problem, but over time the walls grow "white
fuzz"...and it tends to be in the corners.

In reading your email I was thinking a possible solution would be to wire
brush the areas of concern down to the exposed block then apply the
Hydro-Seal. Or remove the paint some other way?

Basement Sealerman Answer

I want to emphasize that Hydro-Seal 75 will stick to the latex but is by no means going waterproof like it does when applied to bare concrete or block walls.

Regardless of what you have on the walls you need to address those areas where the powdering is a concern should be brought down to bare block, wire brushed and cleaned as best you can. While you don't have a water seepage issue, it is the water vapor drive bringing the powders to
the surface of the block, and the Hydro-Seal 75 can control and prevent
that.
It is very important in these applications that you wash surface with TSP and then
rinse with clear water for your preparation. Then wire brush any areas of
concern. I use a wire brush I can attach to a pole. Great tool and it saves
the knuckles.

Again, in areas where paint seems sound and can't be removed you run the chance of a problem re-occurring, popping up in a new area. But for the most part the area showing the powdering are the one to address now, so a gallon or two of Hydro-Seal 75 after proper preparation outlined above is worth a shot.

1. Clean surface by washing with TSP and water.

2. Remove as much paint or coating as you can by scraping, chiseling and wire brushing.

3 Apply 2 coats of Hydro-Seal 75 over areas of concern.

4. Look for reoccurrence of efflorescence in other areas of basement where paint could not be removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efflorescencehttp://www.northerncoatings.com/waterproofing/waterproofing.html

Basement Sealing With Hydro-Seal 75 1st Coat

Below is a picture I just received of a homeowner applying Hydro-Seal 75 to his concrete block basement walls in PA.  I though the job he was doing looked perfect and displayed how the 1st coat of Hydro-Seal 75 covers, and gives a great view of an uncoated wall vs. a Hydro-Seal 75 coated wall.

A second coat of Hydro-Seal 75 finished the job fill all pinholes giving you a perfectly painted surface.
A 1/2" nap roller or thicker 3/4" nap roller does a better job at covering all the grout lines as shown here.

Coverage from 100 to 125 square feet 1st coat & 125 to 150 2nd coat can be expected.

Standard colors include White & Gray.
Specialty colors offered including Light Gray, Dark Gray, Beige, Tan & Pool Blue are available upon request.

Applying Hydro-Seal 75 is easy enough for a Do It Yourselfer with a typical application like this easily finished in 1 day.

Mild Winter A Great Time To Seal Your Basement With Hydro-Seal 75

With temperatures well into the 40's & 50's this winter I have been able to seal many basements with Hydro-Seal 75 that I normally could not due to cold surface temperatures during winter months. With no solvents, odors or fumes, Hydro-Seal 75 can be applied in basements or crawlspaces without opening windows, bulkheads and sliding doors, unlike all the single component basement coatings sold in home centers that are loaded with solvents & VOC's.  By keeping windows and bulkhead doors closed you don't have to let the heat escape the area and you can maintain the 50 degree plus temperature.

You will need a surface temperature of 50 degrees to apply Hydro-Seal 75 to basement walls and floors.  While a temperature right on 50 degrees is OK it is better to crank up the heat into the 60's to 70 to reduce drying time which will allow you to start applying your 2nd coat the same day.

I always like to finish my walls with 2 coats before I start applying Hydro-Seal 75 to the floors or floor perimeter, almost treating the floors and walls as two separate jobs.

 While many contractors like to spray Hydro-Seal 75 with an airless sprayer I like to roll Hydro-Seal 75 out mixing 1 gallon at a time. With a 30 to 40 minute pot life I can roll out 1 gallon in 20 to 30 minutes no problem and as I run out my mixed gallon I have my helper mix another gallon so there is no down time.  With spraying Hydro-Seal 75 there is down time required to flush out your gun with warm soapy water after 2 or 3 mixes. Then you have to dispose of your waste water.

When deciding what method of Hydro-Seal 75 application you want to use I always suggest rolling and brushing instead of spraying when working in basements.  The exception would be old stone & mortar foundations with walls not smooth enough to allow rolling.  To brush these by hand is very labor intensive and spraying is the obvious better choice.

Remember a 50 degree surface temperature is required to apply Hydro-Seal 75 so check the temperature of your walls & floor in the basement to get a head start on cleaning up and drying up your basement this Winter to get ready for a wet Spring.  Don't wait, start planning your Hydro-Seal 75 application today.  Call Northern Industries Inc @ 800 346 5543 or visit http://www.northerncoatings.com/
to buy Hydro-Seal 75 today.

Waterproof Basement Walls From The Inside

When Waterproofing basement walls from the inside it is important to first try to eliminate the source of the water problem on the outside. This is done by checking the following:
1. Make sure gutters and downspouts are not spilling over and are running out away from the foundation. Cleaning gutters and making sure downspouts are not emptying near foundation are key factors. Extensions on downspouts will get the water away from the foundation.
2. Make sure the grading of the land does not puddle water near foundation. This is easier said than done and will require alot of hard work or expensive excavation.
3. Make sure all cracks are patched and sealed along with any    uncoated exposed concrete. For this use Hydro-Seal 75 epoxy coating for the sealing of the concrete, and Hydro-Epoxy mortar(Hydro-Seal 75 mixed with Cement & Sand) for filling the cracks. A wide putty knife works best for this.
Exterior:Skim over cracks with Hydro-Seal 75 epoxy Mortar as smooth as possible
Apply Hydro-Seal 75 over all exposed concrete; A two coat application over all exposed concrete is required.
Interior: (After proper preparation) Apply two coats of Hydro-Seal 75 to areas where moisture, dampness and seepage occur to walls and floor perimeter.Patch cracks and holes with Hydro-Epoxy Mortar. For a uniform appearance of basement walls and floors coat entire basement with Hydro-Seal 75.

Hydro-Seal 75 is an odorless water based epoxy available with or without an anti-microbial addative. Hydro-Seal 75 is mixed at a 1 to 1 ratio prior to paint roller or brush application. A 30 minute pot life allows you to mix 1 gallon at a time before paint on applications. No special tools or protection is required. All you will need is a mixing bucket, mixing sticks, a paint brush and a 3/8" or 1/2" nap roller and a paint tray.
1.Just mix your gallon(Hydro-Seal 75 is available in 1 gallon kits) and apply like paint to basement walls, exterior basement walls & basement floors.  Shake cans & stir before mixing
2.Allow 2 to 4 hours to dry before applying 2nd coat.  Floors may erequire 6 to 8 hours before re-coating

Old Foundation Rehab

Old Foundation Rehab
It seems almost every day I get an email or call about using Hydro-Seal 75 on an old stone and mortar 100 year old plus foundation in need of some repair and rehab.  I always say that the Hydro-Seal 75 and Hydro-Epoxy Mortar is the material they ought to use. By mixing Sand Mix and in areas where you have deep mortar joints to fill, Mortar Mix with Hydro-Seal 75, these foundations can be patched,  filled, & sealed to the delight of the homeowner. If you want to control moisture, seepage, dusting and deterioration of your old foundations walls and cover them with a beautiful pigment coating, Hydro-Seal 75 is your waterproof coating for these walls.  Although it is a daunting Do It yourself project that will require some physical labor, applying Hydro-Seal 75 in an old stone & mortar foundation will waterproof, rehabilitate & beautify most structures.

In most case these foundations are crumbling and powdering at the mortar joints and a vigorous prep. method is needed.

Preparation:  Power washing & wet vacuuming might be the fastest and best method of prep. This method keeps the dust to a minimum, aggressively cleans away most loose mortar and dust and leaves the surface ready to paint. It is important to remove old coatings and foreign materials prior to coating.
By having a second person with a wet vac. all waste water is cleaned up on the spot controlling puddling. Debris should be swept up and cleaned prior to Hydro-Seal 75 application
Working out of a 5 gallon pail with a stiff bristle brush will also work when washing these walls. then wire brushing out all loose mortar while washing will insure a good bond for your Hydro-Seal 75 and Hydro-Seal 75 epoxy mortar.

1st Coat:  Spray application of these surfaces with Hydro-Seal 75 is the way to go using a Graco 433 or equal spray unit. I always like to spray apply my 1st coat prior to patching to let me see where I need the patching the most. Plus that 1st coat of Hydro-Seal 75 acts as a bonding agent in all the crevices and holes in these old foundation walls. When spraying Hydro-Seal 75 it is important to wash your spray gun by running water through it every other mix.

Patching: Hydro-Seal 75 epoxy mortar is made by adding concrete sand mix or concrete mortar mix to mixed Hydro-Seal 75. For sealing mortar joints I like the mortar mix with the Hydro-Seal 75 at a ratio of 3 to 1 or even 4 to 1 mortar mix(4) Hydro-Seal 75 (1).  I will always pack my small holes first while the mortar is loose and then finish with my big holes last as the mortar stiffens.  1 gallon of Hydro-Seal 75 will make a 50lb tub of mortar. I always make smaller batches 10 the 25 lbs of mortar at a time because it is easy to mix up in smaller batches and you have more time to use it all up so you don't waste any.

2nd coat: Your 2nd coat of Hydro-Seal 75 is applied just like the 1st coat of Hydro-Seal 75 to try to achieve a pinhole free application over the surface. In areas where porosity is still present a 3rd coat or more patching in that area may be needed.

Rolling & Brushing: The alternative to spraying Hydro-Seal 75 is rolling and brushing.  I have also dealt with many of these foundations with rollers and brushes.  Depending on how well the walls have been parged with tell you if you roll at all.  If not you will need may thick paint brushes and alot of time to tackle these old foundations.  The good news is that this application of Hydro-Seal 75 will do a very good job. I would not mix more than 1 gallon at a time when brushing on because the application is slow and labor intense. As for the patching when brushing, I will always make my patching mortar out of thickened Hydro-Seal 75 as I run out my gallon and patch as I go on the areas I have already painted. With this method you may want to tackle a section at time unless you have many helpers.

Coverage: The toughest thing to determine on these applications is coverage. The best way to figure out how much Hydro-Seal 75 you will need is to buy 2 gallons and do a small section with a 2 coat applications using 1 gallon for each coat.
-Estimated coverage on Stone & Mortar Basement Walls- 75 to 100 square feet per gallon per coat
-Estimated coverage on Block Foundation Basement Walls- 125-150 square feet per gallon per coat
-Estimated coverage on Poured concrete Basement Walls- 130-150 square feet per gallon per coat
-Estimated coverage on Poured concrete Basement Floors- 175-225 square feet per gallon per coat
Note- Excess patching will require more material
Note-Porosity dictates product coverage(test area is recommended)

To buy Hydro-Seal 75 online go to:

http://www.northerncoatings.com/online_store.aspx