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February 11, 2009
What to do about basement walls
Hey all:
I'm looking ahead to being finished with the rest of the house and I want to improve the basement with a view to creating a couple of rooms down there.
Unfortunately I'm pretty tapped out and don't want to spend the 20k my GC has quoted to frame out and 'rock the area, so I'm thinking of improving things on the cheap.
What I'd like to do is to semi-strip, seal, and paint the existing walls so they look better. You can see signs of past water incursion but I think that was from leaky windows; as you can see I've already installed new ones. In the past year since we bought the house the basement gas been completely dry.
I'm wondering the best way to handle the walls. I could rent a machine and powerwash, or I could scrape off the loose stuff and hope for the best. I'm also wondering if the paint has lead.
Anyone ever dealt with this before? Did you strip and seal, just strip and paint? What paint would you use? Sealer?
Comments
It all depends on what`s under there. Is it a stone wall or are those cinderblocks?
Posted by: sally at February 11, 2009 9:11 AM
Sally, they're cinderblocks that I assume date back to the construction of the house, which was in the 1920s.
Posted by: denton at February 11, 2009 9:55 AM
I think that it would be cheaper, labor-wise, to sheetrock than to clean this stuff off and attempt to smooth it out.
Posted by: sally at February 11, 2009 10:13 AM
You can assume if this was white basement paint, pre 1960's, it had a high proportion of lead in paint. You're far better off not stripping it.
But I'm not convinced from the photograph that the water damage you're seeing is former infiltration through the old windows. It looks more like dampness passing through the wall, but maybe the problem has resolved itself with some other repair. I'd recommend getting a meter and probe an inch or two into the mortar after a rain storm to be sure.
If the wall is dry, washing the wall and then putting on a coat of heavy duty sealer would be the way to go.
Posted by: Smokychimp at February 11, 2009 10:21 AM
The UGL Drlok masonry paints are the best ones for the job. Wire brush the surface to remove all loose paint and wear a respirator because lead is likely.
Go to the www.ugl.com website and find the right one and order it locally or online.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 11, 2009 10:58 AM
I suggest going down the middle road: For a very reasonable price, I could have my crew stucco (parge with cement) the walls which would give you a new smooth wall, in adddition to helping seal out moisture and add some structural stability. If you desire, paint the new wall. This is me - smdconstruction@gmail.com
Posted by: smdconstruction at February 11, 2009 12:37 PM
Thanks SC, I think it's the windows cuz the staining is only by the windows. But I'll check it out. DIBS, thanks also, that looks like good stuff.
Posted by: denton at February 11, 2009 3:33 PM
I agree with Smokychimp; it could be water coming through the walls. Our basement was very dry for over seven years until the warehouse next door was torn down to make way for a new building. Then, water was able to seep into the soil right next to our home, through our walls, and all of the sudden we had pretty serious water infiltration (at least an inch deep after that December 11th rainstorm - now we get just a few puddles after regular rain storms). Our walls (behind the paneling which the developer’s remediation folks tore out) look a lot like yours.
I can post a picture of our wall - with water coming through - if someone tells me what code to use?
Posted by: Violet at February 11, 2009 3:45 PM
I'm bone dry, violet. If you send me the photo I can host it and send you a link to it. You can't post a photo in response to a thread, only if you start your own.
Posted by: denton at February 11, 2009 4:26 PM
Violet's basment images are at:
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/109113968
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/109113973
Posted by: denton at February 11, 2009 5:28 PM
I sent you an email, denton. I'm glad that it's not water coming in still.
Once our water infiltration issues are resolved we were thinking about sandblasting our newly-exposed walls, sealing them, and leaving them rocky. We did wonder if that might look too basment-y for a finished basement (especially since we're not going to cover the cement on the floor). We might end up drywalling over a few of the walls, and leaving the rest rocky, sealed.
Posted by: Violet at February 11, 2009 5:29 PM
yeah, i don't think that's cynder blocks, that's a stone foundation. cinder blocks were barely just invented when your house was built. also, that looks like much more than water from the window. is that black mold? you should check that out. potential indication of more than your wishful thinking.
these stone foundations are usually giving up water here and there, we get torrential downpours every few years, and have very wet seasons occasionally. don't be naive about doing a basement like this, there are 1001 ways for you as well as contractors to f- this up. water and basements go together (even if only every 10 or 20 years), you should hope for the best but definitely plan for the worst when doing a job like this.
good luck
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/finishing-the-basement-a-challenge-in-an-old-house.shtml
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/wet-basement-of-an-old-house.shtml
Posted by: invisible at February 11, 2009 7:59 PM
I agree the stone in the photo is stone and looks damp now. It also looks like it might be bowing out. I'd get a structural engineer to take a quick look. I would also ask the engineer about the best way to seal or finish the basement (assuming they know about old house structures).
If you read the Taunton Press book on fixing up old houses, the author says stone basements with or without dirt floors have special moisture issues. He says you have to be very careful about changes, such as painting the walls or putting in a cement floor or doing other things to seal the space, because you can trap moisture and create problems. Also insulation in the attic can have an effect on the basement.
Posted by: mopar at February 12, 2009 12:08 PM
Hello there,
There are different options you could go with in order to have a good firm basement and make it look good, and any for a good price (way under your GC's quote). I'd be happy to arrange an appointment.
I can be reached at 774-955-3804 or willianprates68@hotmail.com.
Hope to hear from you. Thanks.
Posted by: Aida008 at February 12, 2009 4:35 PM
I've always been under the impression that sealing off porous basement walls is a bad idea b/c that just traps water right against your foundation.
Posted by: serpentor at February 13, 2009 3:43 PM
Denton, curious what your actual solution was. I saw the pix on South Slope Reno. Did you clean or strip or seal before you put up the framing? Are you using any special mold-resistant insulation or drywall? Won't new sheetrock walls hide any moisture that is coming in?
Thanks!
Posted by: chuck at March 13, 2009 3:19 PM
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