I have a 3 ft tall by 70 ft wide concrete retaining wall, 20 years old. It has no rebar in it, but about 8 inches thick. It’s solid, even has a 16 inch wide base below grade. It has some cracks (about 5 total) all the way through (in the 3 ft direction) that allow the sprinklers in the bed leak through, not alot of flow. The bed is full of shrubs. I want to put a bullnose brick cap on it and stucco the entire 3 ft by 70 ft wall.
Questions:
1. How do I seal the wall so it won’t leak from the inside out from the existing bed sprinklers ? I’m thinking if injecting something into the cracks from the inside (Henry’s roof patch, something else ?) My concern is that it will leak into the new mortar coat and stucco, causing it to bubble ?
2. How should I do the stucco on the exterior of the wall ? First do a brown coat, then stucco ?
3. If I use the regular Home Depot La Habra stucco, assuming the cracks are filled and block all the water from leaking out of the bed, will the stucco be able to handle getting wet ocassionally from nearby yard sprinklers ?
4. Are there swimming pool-grade mortar or stucco that I should use on the wall to handle the water sprayed on it by the yard sprinklers ?
5. Do I have a chance in hell of stopping the water in the bed from going thru the cracks ?
thanks for your help ?
Kirk
Replies
You're fighting against the odds, but your best bet is probably to power wash the cracks and inject epoxy repair from Abatron. They may have a plaster coat too
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1. It takes a lot of Henry's to seal and then it will still leak. Best to use W.R. Grace Buthathane, its a thick vinyl with a sticky tar backing, also its used for ice dams.
2. If your gonna get La Habra Stucco, go directly to the factory in Anaheim (assume your in SoCal, because LaHabra is) and get the pre mix bags. If the wall is even textured (not uneven like conc block) you can color coat it without scratching. Wet the wall first, use rubber float and do it when the wall is shaded. Sandblast it if it was ever painted, Stucco only if the wall is plain concrete.
3.4. Stucco breathes and wont pop off like paint, unless you apply it without wetting down. After constant sprinkling, there will be a sprinkler line, get the proper sprinkler heads (Toro)to avoid that.
5. With membrane waterproofing and well thought out drainage, you'll be OK.
If you wanna go really cheap, buy the fog coat (lots of colors) at La Habra a $12 bag will color the wall, won't peel and won't change the texture of the wall. Its a lot cheaper to fog it evry few years if its stained.
thanks for the Bituthene info, I checked out http://www.na.graceconstruction.com/
they have, under Air & Vapor Barriers
Bituthene¯ Mastic A rubberized asphalt-based mastic. It has excellent adhesion to structural concrete, masonry and wood and is designed to seal terminations, edges of patches, and overlaps in detail areas. It is an integral part of the Bituthene Waterproofing System, though it should not be used as a primary waterproofing material.
and Bituthene¯ Primer B2 A rubber-based primer in solvent specially formulated to provide good initial and excellent permanent adhesion of Bituthene¯ Waterproofing Membranes. In addition, it promotes the adhesion of Bituthene¯ membranes to green concrete, damp surfaces, masonry or wood.
Is this the stuff you recommended ?
Can I get it somewhere in So Cal without having to buy a truckload ?
thanks
Sungod-
yes, I'm somewhat close to Anaheim (in Arcadia), could go there, but how much better is the stuff from factory compared to the white La Habra bags at Home Depot ? I have no clue. I'm willing to spend the money if the factory stuff is better, what's the name of it ?
Yes, the wall is even textured, it's never been painted, does have some staining but its' dry, no efflofesence of any kind, so I should be able to just put a color coat with no scracth coat, right ?
thanks
If you really want to keep the water coming through the back you need to dig up the back and do your repiar work there.
Then put in drain tile, grave and landscape cloth. That give the water an easier place to go rather than throug the wall.
What Bill said. You don't want to seal a retaining wall -- it's important that it be able to drain.
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