Archive

Any home improvement projects planned for this year?

  • LJ
    sherm03;1403062 wrote:What did you use to seal the concrete walls?

    The two fixes that we've done so far (repairing our front porch that was sloped back towards the house, and moving the side downspouts out of the original clay pipes that feed under the house and into a new pop-up drain) have helped to stop the water from coming in. But I'd like to seal up the walls as an extra preventative measure.
    The outside of the walls need sealed if you are worried about water intrusion. If you seal the inside, you are just going to trap water in the block and it will wear the block out even faster. Interior sealing is a crutch that is just out there for duping people into spending money.
  • ernest_t_bass
    LJ;1403134 wrote:The outside of the walls need sealed if you are worried about water intrusion. If you seal the inside, you are just going to trap water in the block and it will wear the block out even faster. Interior sealing is a crutch that is just out there for duping people into spending money.
    LJ'd
  • ZWICK 4 PREZ
    LJ;1403134 wrote:The outside of the walls need sealed if you are worried about water intrusion. If you seal the inside, you are just going to trap water in the block and it will wear the block out even faster. Interior sealing is a crutch that is just out there for duping people into spending money.
    so water can permeate through the side of the block, but won't go down through the bottom of the block huh?
  • LJ
    ZWICK 4 PREZ;1403153 wrote:so water can permeate through the side of the block, but won't go down through the bottom of the block huh?

    Huh? So you are saying that a foundation should adequately drain through hollow blocks? Concrete is porous and will absorb water. Sealing from the inside only just allows water to soak in only. Then there is no airflow to dry out the block. The hollow block is NOT a drainage system.
  • ernest_t_bass
    LJ;1403158 wrote:Huh? So you are saying that a foundation should adequately drain through hollow blocks? Concrete is porous and will absorb water. Sealing from the inside only just allows water to soak in only. Then there is no airflow to dry out the block. The hollow block is NOT a drainage system.
    No, but what prevents the water from going DOWN? Does it hit the sealant and just stop?
  • LJ
    ernest_t_bass;1403161 wrote:No, but what prevents the water from going DOWN? Does it hit the sealant and just stop?

    The block walls should be parged from the top all the way to the footer. Then there is weeping tile under the basement floor running to the sump. All is minimum code these days. If you have interior water intrusion that means your parging on the outside of the wall has failed and needs redone.
    (Parged with sealant not morter)
  • sherm03
    LJ;1403134 wrote:The outside of the walls need sealed if you are worried about water intrusion. If you seal the inside, you are just going to trap water in the block and it will wear the block out even faster. Interior sealing is a crutch that is just out there for duping people into spending money.
    Ya, that's not an option for me. The wall I'm looking to seal up is up against a thin patch of grass (maybe 4 feet) before you get to my neighbor's driveway. With that small of an area to work with, I can't imagine that we'd be able to dig all the way down to properly seal from the outside.

    I've already stopped the few leaks I had seen on that wall by rerouting the downspouts out of the clay pipes. But I just want to do a little extra to be sure. I may have to go to my plan B...which is planting a series of shrubs or bushes along that side of the house to absorb most of the water from the soil.
  • LJ
    sherm03;1403165 wrote:Ya, that's not an option for me. The wall I'm looking to seal up is up against a thin patch of grass (maybe 4 feet) before you get to my neighbor's driveway. With that small of an area to work with, I can't imagine that we'd be able to dig all the way down to properly seal from the outside.

    I've already stopped the few leaks I had seen on that wall by rerouting the downspouts out of the clay pipes. But I just want to do a little extra to be sure. I may have to go to my plan B...which is planting a series of shrubs or bushes along that side of the house to absorb most of the water from the soil.

    You should maybe see if you can get down far enough for a new weeping system. That may get enough water away. Do you have a window on that wall? Improper drainage on window wells cause tons of leaks too
  • LJ
    Threw up some more track shelving in the garage

    The new garage lights


  • sherm03
    LJ;1403166 wrote:You should maybe see if you can get down far enough for a new weeping system. That may get enough water away. Do you have a window on that wall? Improper drainage on window wells cause tons of leaks too
    There are a few block windows on that wall. But they are all above grade and seem to be sealed up properly.

    The leaks I saw were from the bottom of the wall. So we may have to look into installing a sump pump and just adding weeping tile to that wall if we notice the leaks coming back.
  • Shane Falco
    First off my basment walls are poured not block. Second the out side of my walls were sealed and lined with a plastic membrane before before it was back filled when I built the house 14 years ago. I "sealed" the inside of walls with a mold and mildew proof paint before framing interior walls.

    Trust me its being done right. It 's not my first rodeo.
  • LJ
    Shane Falco;1403194 wrote:First off my basment walls are poured not block. Second the out side of my walls were sealed and lined with a plastic membrane before before it was back filled when I built the house 14 years ago. I "sealed" the inside of walls with a mold and mildew proof paint before framing interior walls.

    Trust me its being done right. It 's not my first rodeo.

    I don't think anyone was saying you did it wrong. I was saying that just sealing the inside of a leaking foundation is more bad than good.
  • ZWICK 4 PREZ
    LJ;1403158 wrote:Huh? So you are saying that a foundation should adequately drain through hollow blocks? Concrete is porous and will absorb water. Sealing from the inside only just allows water to soak in only. Then there is no airflow to dry out the block. The hollow block is NOT a drainage system.

    No it's not an adequate drainage system, but its not going to trap it in there. Water will always find its way down. The damage to the block is the real problem.
  • LJ
    ZWICK 4 PREZ;1403216 wrote:No it's not an adequate drainage system, but its not going to trap it in there. Water will always find its way down. The damage to the block is the real problem.

    Yes it will trap it. Rather than leaking out the porous other side, it will just continue to saturate the blocks, making the problem worse with more blocks soaking up water
  • dlazz
    justincredible;1402426 wrote:Homeschool.
    Home school is great if you want your kid to grow up socially fucked.

    P.S. I rent, but one of these days I'll buy a dining room table and maybe some bar stools.

    Probably not, though.
  • gport_tennis
    dlazz;1403657 wrote:Home school is great if you want your kid to grow up socially ****ed.

    Yes please take social tips from dlazz
  • ernest_t_bass
    gport_tennis;1403660 wrote:Yes please take social tips from dlazz
    lol
  • dlazz
    gport_tennis;1403660 wrote:Yes please take social tips from dlazz
    Do you want a kid to grow up and become a dbag like Tim Tebow?
  • gport_tennis
    dlazz;1403676 wrote:Do you want a kid to grow up and become a dbag like Tim Tebow?

    If my son grows up to be the best Tim tebow, I'll consider job well done.
  • dlazz
    gport_tennis;1403677 wrote:If my son grows up to be the best Tim tebow, I'll consider job well done.
    You want to raise a 25 year old virgin?

    More power to you.
  • gport_tennis
    dlazz;1403680 wrote:You want to raise a 25 year old virgin?

    More power to you.

    If my child grows up to be a respectful millionaire, I will consider job well done.
  • dlazz
    gport_tennis;1403683 wrote:If my child grows up to be a respectful millionaire, I will consider job well done.
    I hate you
  • justincredible
    dlazz;1403657 wrote:Home school is great if you want your kid to grow up socially fucked.

    P.S. I rent, but one of these days I'll buy a dining room table and maybe some bar stools.

    Probably not, though.
    You can homeschool a kid and still get him involved in sports and other stuff in the community.
  • dlazz
    justincredible;1403706 wrote:You can homeschool a kid and still get him involved in sports and other stuff in the community.
    Fine, but it won't come close to the social interaction they'd get in a traditional school setting.
  • Belly35
    dlazz;1403676 wrote:Do you want a kid to grow up and become a dbag like Tim Tebow?
    No! but employed would be nice :)