| Location | Annapolis, MD |
|---|---|
| Service | Foundation parging |
| Property | Single-family house with an attached garage |
The job
This Annapolis homeowner had parging failing along one side of their garage, in a band about two feet tall at the base of the wall. They also wanted that side skimmed so it would look uniform rather than patched. They sent photos before we came out, so we had a clear picture of the problem areas before the estimate visit.
Efflorescence: the white, chalky deposit
Part of this wall had efflorescence, a white, powdery crust on the surface of masonry or parging. It forms when water moves through the wall and carries dissolved salts out to the surface, where the water evaporates and the salt is left behind. It is not harmful by itself, but it tells you water is moving through that wall. It also has to come off before any new material goes on, because parge will not bond to a layer of salt.
What we did
- Went over all the damaged areas the homeowner had documented and confirmed them on site.
- Scraped off the damaged and deteriorated parging down to sound material.
- Power-washed the wall to remove loose debris, efflorescence and surface dirt.
- Bevelled and feathered the edges of the sound parging around each repair, so the new material locks in and does not leave a hard ridge.
- Patched the damaged areas with cement-based parging, in multiple coats where the depth needed it.
- Applied a finish coat across the side for a uniform appearance.
- Cleaned up and hauled away the debris.
Why the base of a wall fails first
The bottom two feet of a foundation or garage wall take the most water: rain splashing back off the ground, snow piled against it, and moisture wicking up from the soil. That is where we see parging fail most often, and where efflorescence shows up first. Keeping gutters and downspouts directing water away from that wall is the best way to make a parging repair last.
We do parging from March through October. Read more in what parging is and whether your home needs it.
Have a similar problem?
Call or text (443) 806-8077 for a written estimate. We will look at the job, explain what is going on and give you a clear price before any work starts.
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