More Basement Walls

[Phil12345]

I have a 80 year old house with concrete blocks for walls...in at least one place I can see daylight thru the blocks....what would be the best repair assuming I can do this myself. Thanks!

[HayZee518]

easiest thing you can do is repair the wall mortar joints using hydraulic cement. this stuff expands as it cures. locate the area and go outside and remove the old mortar from the joints. now apply the hydraulic cement. once you've buttered up those outside areas, go in your basement and do the same in the same areas. next time it rains go in the basement and see where you need more cement.

[tudor]

What is the difference between hydraulic cement and either concrete patch or Quikcrete? I have both of the last 2 on my basement walls (the Quikcrete is from the previous owner, and I used up some concrete patch there that I had left over from sidewalk repairs). Should any of these not be used on basement walls? The house is about 90 years old; the original basement walls are a strange combination of stone and mortar and bricks.

[HayZee518]

Quik-crete and concrete patch are portland cement base, limestone and sand. Conventional concrete mixes generate their own heat and shring when they cure. Hydraulic cement actually expands when it cures which makes it actually stop a running water leak when its applied. Bricks should have never been used for a foundation because they get water soaked and crumble. My house sits on field stone - big ones! I used hydraulic cement on the joints. no water leaks! You mention you are in upstate well I'm about 20 miles from the canadian border and the St Lawrence river in the Adirondack park. This is that part of New York they call "Little Siberia."

[tudor]

Thanks. The house is actually in Philly. Some of the old houses there are really pieces of work, made out of bricks from ship ballast and such. The bottom part of the basement is mostly stones and cement. The bricks in the top are crumbly though and I think will need at least filler between them before long. Maybe hydraulic cement there?

[HayZee518]

yeah, I guess the hydraulic will work there too! U-G-L has a concrete coating that they advertise will stop water infiltration when applied and dried.