Repairing crumbling stem wall

[zelliottm]

I have a small, crumbling stem wall that I'm looking to repair to look cleaner & neater. Attached are some photos. There's a 1'' strip of wood that runs above the stem wall, then drywall.

The stem wall is white because the painter I hired for the interior also painted the stem wall. In hindsight he probably shouldn't have done this, but I'm hoping it's not a big deal.

I'm looking for recommendations on how to repair the stem wall and generally make it look more finished. I'd like it to be the same color as the concrete flooring. I'm looking for recommendations on concrete materials, tools, and approaches for repairing the stem wall. I'm a total novice, so I really appreciate the help!

 

[The Cobbler]

one thing I would do is make the 1" strip flush with the stem wall, then run a bead of construction adhesive on the stem wall, nail a 1/4" or 3/8" strip of plywood on top . finish the top off with a pc of 1/4 round or something and paint it any colour you want

 

[DGersic]

Is it crumbling, structural failure? Or just ugly?

If it’s just ugly, I’d run some PT along the edge to hide it, then paint.

 

[zelliottm]

one thing I would do is make the 1" strip flush with the stem wall, then run a bead of construction adhesive on the stem wall, nail a 1/4" or 3/8" strip of plywood on top . finish the top off with a pc of 1/4 round or something and paint it any colour you want

This is an option. I was also considering building a PVC "sleeve" baseboard (like an upside-down "L" shape) to encase the stem wall / 1'' strip / bottom of drywall, but that is a lot of work.

I'm now considering (1) repairing the stem to be smooth and nicer looking, (2) painting the strip black, and (3) installing some black vinyl / rubber / diamond plate base on the bottom of the drywall.

Is it crumbling, structural failure? Or just ugly?

Definitely ugly, unsure if structural failure. I have the budget at this time to repair it regardless of whether or not it's actually structural failure, so thought I might as well do that. Sorry - what's "PT"?

 

[DGersic]

This is an option. I was also considering building a PVC "sleeve" baseboard (like an upside-down "L" shape) to encase the stem wall / 1'' strip / bottom of drywall, but that is a lot of work.

I'm now considering (1) repairing the stem to be smooth and nicer looking, (2) painting the strip black, and (3) installing some black vinyl / rubber / diamond plate base on the bottom of the drywall.



Definitely ugly, unsure if structural failure. I have the budget at this time to repair it regardless of whether or not it's actually structural failure, so thought I might as well do that. Sorry - what's "PT"?

I’d want to know if the wall is physically ok before covering it up. Before it was painted, was it actually crumbling? Were chunks of concrete coming off? The pictures look like it was just a half-assed pour where they didn’t quite fill the forms, but it was “good enough” to hold up a garage wall.

PT is pressure treated lumber. I use it against garage floor on the assumption that it will occasionally get wet.

PVC might be better still. If you have a table saw, you could cut something like this down to whatever size you need. Then just fasten and caulk the seam on the top.

 

[Kaizen]

Those gouges look like someone tried to chip it out previoulsy. Too consistent to be crumbling concrete.
That pvc L looks fine. cut it down to get as close to the wall as you can. Might need a powder actuated gun to attach some pressure treated strips to the concrete to screw down through the pvc. Really depends if you are gonna be doing stuff in there or just giving tours

 

[CraigStu]

I'd be looking at a quickcrete catalog or maybe something related to doing tile work. Seems there has to be something that you could mix up, trowel on there, and paint.