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