Why do I **** with Hydraulic Cement so bad?

[cash68]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

I mix it up, and it's either clumpy and cures way too fast so I wind up wasting most of what I made, or I make it too runny that I can't use it and then it sets up way too quick and I wind up wasting most of what I make.

Anyone have any tips for getting it useable? I know it's supposed to set up in 3-5 mintues, but it seems like I have about 45 seconds to a 1.5 minutes before it sets. It's pretty frustrating.

 

[LXCam]

Cold cool water helps. All more water does is shorten your widows depending on what you using it for since you need it to kick off before you can work it. The best bet is small batches mixed as dry as you can but still make certain it's mixed properly. There should be mixing ratios on the bag but you'll likely find the required ratio ends up dry and clumpy unless you have a good drill and paddle mixer. If you don't, get one sizes to mix in a one gallon bucket. Have another 5gl buck full of water and a brush ready to go. Once you do your mix clean the paddle off in the water and leave it submerged while you work your mud and it goes without saying keep your mixing bucket clean.

One last thing. You can work it dry per the mix ratio and if you want a nice smooth finish take that brush or a spray bottle and sprinkle some water on the surface then trowel it.

Btw what are ya doing, dry packing?

 

[cash68]

Filling cracks on a block wall.

 

[LXCam]

Filling cracks on a block wall.

Oh hell I'd just buy the caulking gun type then and save the headache.

If it's a structural repair it should be epoxy Injected by a pro as that takes special equipment.

Do it yourself structural: https://m.lowes.com/pd/PC-Products-...rFiY51Kl6PcBn3_QdChGL0LgqTY8gg2RoCsHcQAvD_BwE


Just for looks and if you search this type is available in various colors; https://m.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-Rep...aWaLpAKSVLQM2-4P-6h50zY7QnTj1zIRoCxjQQAvD_BwE

 

[May Pop]

There are other types that work better than Hyd cement for the repairs you are doing. Look in the same area as Hyd Cement at Home depot. There are many choices. One is a fast dry for projects like your doing. It will give 10-15 minutes working time.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Wet the wall first, that will keep it from sucking the water out of what you are putting on. For cracks I mix small batches on a scrap piece of plywood (about 1ft sq). I also pre-wet the wood and my tools.
Don't let it set up on your tools, putting it under water does not stop it from curing.

1 minute is plenty of time.

 

[zak77]

I mix it in red solo cups for projects such as yours but you only get about about a handful at a time but then you're not wasting any. Yep it cures real fast so mix it up, and put it where it needs to go, give it a minute and work it with your hand and some water to smooth it out. I wear 2 layers of latex gloves so it doesnt cure on my hand.

 

[strutaeng]

Are you filling cracks to stop water leaks? As in a basement wall? That's the purpose of this stuff. If it is not for stopping water leaks, I agree there are other repair mortars better suited.

I used some of this stuff connect a portion of a sewer line that I replaced. The existing line is Orangeburg and is an ellipse in cross-section. The replacement is PVC, so the connection did not match. You are right in that it set up too quickly, but for my application that is a benefit. I mixed similar to plumber's putty consistency and apply it quickly with some nitrile gloves.

 

[GS-Louie]

If you have cracks in a block wall they need to be fixed from the outside. I used to live in an area that all the houses had block basement walls.Many tried patching from the inside but the cracks will make their way through the mortar from the outside. Epoxy filer will help somewhat in a poured wall but block really needs to fixed with new mortar over the whole block.

If it is a structural wall you need to make sure that the mortar between every block fills the entire mortar spacing. Otherwise you will have blocks that are not supported evenly and the wall will become unstable and crack worse or even fail.

I had a neighbor who had bad leakage. They removed the block walls and relaid them. In the bottom 4' of the wall they put in rebar and filled the voids with mortar. He was the only one in the neighborhood that had a dry basement.

Good Luck.

Lou

 

[cash68]

It's my detached garage foundation. The wall was coming inwards about 1/4". I drilled holes on the top board, slipped in rebar, and mixed 2500lbs of core fill grout a 5 gallon bucket at a time. I couldn't tie it into the pad, but I don't think the wall will move again.

I'm trying to seal up the inside cracks with hydraulic cement. On the outside of the garage, i have dug a trench, plan is to pressure wash the outside wall, fix the cracks with cement there too, then paint both sides with drylock, then install a plastic dimpled foundation membrane, then install the french drain.

I think it might be over kill but I don't want it to leak again.

 

[strutaeng]

I see. So you grouted all cells (fully grouted)? Reinforcement every cell also?

So it looks like grade is 3-4 feet above the inside finish floor? 8" CMU should be more than okay for this, although it is more or less a cantilever from the floor. It looks like in the photo there's a crack on the floor roughly parallel to the wall. It looks like the stair-step separation is probably from differential floor movement. Assuming there is no more movement, repointing is the "proper" fix. Basically, rout out the old mortar and repack new mortar. Or just fill with sealant.

The water infiltration is another issue altogether. I'm not a waterproofing expert, but I think you want something better suited for basements instead of drylock. Something like a fluid applied waterproofing. I guess the plastic dimpled foundation membrane IS the waterproofing membrane?

 

[cash68]

Correct. And idk, maybe I'll use something else on the exterior, but I have a bigass 5 gallon bucket so we'll see what happens. The exterior coating is a backup to the plastic membrane, and the interior coating is backup to all that.

 

[cash68]

This is the plan, I found this online somewhere. The dimpled membrane will go INTO my french drain area, which should keep the wall dry.

 

[Mr. D]

Cash, you are spot on with the water proofing plan. Water intrusion into a crawl space or basement can only be addressed from the outside anything else is snake oil and Band-Aids.

I went through this on my last house and used the same process as in post #13 except mine was a roll on sealer followed by the plastic membrane with a French drain. I dug around 3 sides of my house all the way down to the footer about 150' total. Paid my BIL to do this had to cut concrete out of back patio, add a patio, hire a helper ETC. I spent about $25K doing all this and would have been double that if contracted out.

BTW, my crawl space went from 6" of standing water to desert conditions.



LOT OF WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cash68]

So far it's been pretty cheap:

$130 for 5 gallons of dry lock
$8 for hydraulic cement
$15 for two tubes of concrete sealant
$60 for rebar pre cut up (I'm lazy)
$240 for core grout
$10 mixer for drill
and maybe another $300 in riverstones and pipe for the french drain.

I did all the trenching by hand, and went through 2 shovels and broke down and bought a $30 Fiskars shovel which theoretically should not ever break, and a mattock. I don't think tools count tho.

 

[Mr. D]

Here's a couple pictures of my mess.

You can see my water line in the CS picture.

 

[cash68]

That looks fun. lol