One home repair job that is DIY in nature and quite effective is to patch breaks in a wall in your basement. This is nevertheless important to the vital structures of your home; despite how simple and straight forward it can be to do. Before you begin the project, you should keep an eye on the area requiring patching for a few months to make sure that the holes or breaks are not a sign of something more serious at play such as a sign of a major structural problem. If the problem area does not seem to stabilize, but appears to be getting worse over time, then the project is no longer DIY in nature and will require the assistance of a repairing building contractor or an ordinary building contractor.
First and foremost, assess the concrete wall in your basement. If the damage appears to be leaking, then you should be using plugging cement that is quick hardening, or a concrete epoxy to fill it in. When you mix the cement for the dry patch spots, you should be using one part cement mixed with two parts of sand in order to make a mortar. You should slowly add water in until you have a dough like consistency, stirring well along the way.
Should a new leak spring up in an area close to the repair site, then there may be water that is backing up against the foundation's exterior, and this can be a serious problem. As a result, you are going to have to take more drastic measures with the help of a repairing building contractor as leak repair measures must be taken before this problem becomes any more serious or any more significant.
If you have a hole in your cement, here is what you can do: You can use a cold chisel to make the hole bigger, undercutting edges so that the plug is not going to pop loose. You can mix plugging cement, creating a stopper shape that you can pop right into the hole as if it were a cork. Keep it in place for a few minutes and let it harden.
If you are dealing with cracks in your cement, here is what you can do: You can use a hammer and a chisel in order to cut cracks back to the sound material, beveling the edges. Then moisten the cracks really well. Turn the mortar several times using a trowel, then work the well mixed mortar into the cracks using just the very tip of the trowel. One the mortar is beginning to harden, you can pack the crack completely full. Shave off whatever mortar is extra using a putty knife or a wet trowel and let everything harden.
Photo Credits: pirate johnny
Originally posted 2009-06-18 05:38:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
How Do I Install Under Cabinet Lighting I love my kitchen, I really do - it's just so dark over the countertops, which makes food preparation a bit dangerous. I've been looking into DIY under cabinet lighting options over the past couple of months and I think I've found a suitable option for our kitchen. Since we...... -
Repairing Damaged Drywall Sheets of drywall are generally quite strong, but they are only made out of gypsum plaster that has been pressed between two sheets of thick paper. The thing that ensures rigidity is the kiln drying process. The basic construction of the drywall allows for it to be inexpensive as well...... -
Why Bother with Basement Renovations? For some people, basement renovations are something complicated by problems with water or because their basements are little more than dirt cellars. For homes that have the potential, however, basement renovations can greatly improve a house. Adding a room to your home is a significant expense. But renovating the basement,...... -
The Basics of Drilling 3 Drilling without splinters! Drilling a hole completely through a piece of stock is going to leave an edge that is rough and splintery on the way out. In order to create a hole that is clean, you should look for the point of the bit as it is piercing through...... -
Options for Building a Retaining Wall If you have a problem with drainage, or you would like to keep a hill where it belongs, a retaining wall is the perfect solution. There are many different options and materials that you can use when you need to build a retaining wall. Let’s look at some of the......
Related Websites -
Indian Valley Golf Course Indian Valley Golf Course is located in: Novato, CA Phone: (415) 897-1118 Website: http://www.ivgc.com Course History: The course opened in 2004 and was designed by by Robert Nyberg/(R) and Kevin Ramsey. With nearly 6500 yards of play, this Par 72 course is challenging for professionals while still being friendly to...... -
Golf Etiquette: Taking Care of the Course pt 2 Fairway Holes 1 - It is definitely easy for someone to accidentally lift a divot while they are playing on the fairway, either as the result of a poor practice swing or a proper golf swing. Do not feel bad if this happens, just understand what needs to be done...... -
Boundary Oak Golf Course Boundary Oak Golf Course is located in: Walnut Creek, CA Phone: 925.934.4775 Website: http://www.boundaryoak.com Course History: This course has hosted more than 10,000 rounds of tournament play and is leased by a PGA professional. It features a club house, practice facility and tons of parking. With more than 7,000 yards,...... -
Caring for a Violin Instrument Care: Make sure that you tighten up your bow before you play. The way that you can achieve this is by turning your instrument's tension screw. You are going to want to avoid allowing the hairs of the bow to become too taut, as the separation between the hair...... -
Snowboarding Glossary Continued Gap - This is essentially like a tabletop that does not have snow in the middle, or similar to a jump that has a ramp for taking off that is higher up than the table down below it. A gap is described as the distance or the space that exists......
- Water Plants Ponds Water Features Garden Décor Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
- Concrete Fire Pits Outdoor Cooking & Eating Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Outdoor Water Fountains Water Features Garden Décor Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
- Wall Antique (Pre-1930) Clocks Collectibles
- Concrete Dolphin Fountains Water Features Garden Decor Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
Categories:
Basement, Fix, Handy Man, Walls
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment