Hey there, so I’ve got a house built in the 80s with a cmu foundation. The cmu isn’t filled with concrete, no vapor barrier, and is approximately 30 inches tall. I want to brick or brick veneer the block.
I’d like to help upgrade the foundation with better moisture control if possible and not cause any problems. Any construction ideas/materials to help shed water?
Thanks
Lee
Replies
Is the house on a crawlspace? I'm not sure what you mean about the CMUs not having a vapor barrier - I've never seen CMUs with a vapor barrier. What problem are you trying to solve? Maybe a photo or two? As to veneering, the easiest and best looking thing is probably Thinstone adhered to the foundation with Spec Mix.
Thanks for you comment. It is a crawl space. There isn't an issue, I just thought because most modern foundations have some kind of moisture control there was something that could be done for the CMU. I just want to make sure when I sheath the CMU I don't cause any water traps or sinks.
What you do to the outside of the foundation won't matter much. The important things are to make sure your gutters work and that the ground slopes from the house. The vapor barrier in the crawlspace should be plastic on the floor. If there's a slab, odds are it's already there. There's a great piece in the magazine about how to do crawlspaces right: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2015/05/13/creating-a-sealed-crawlspace