Stem Wall finishing, best/easiest product?

[10baggio10]

Looking for the easiest product to make the top of this stem wall look nice before I paint it. Thanks

 

[billconner]

Garage I'm planning has same condition and I plan to cap it with a 2x6.

 

[10baggio10]

I thought about that but it won't work for what I want to do. I am looking for a concrete product that is easy to use and will not crack over time if i cover and smooth out the top of the stem wall.

 

[billconner]

Tile or pavers or bricks possible? Add a little forming and cover with concrete and trowel top? Look for concrete countertop materials.

 

[ace10]

Plenty of premade masonry cap options at big box stores or brick/block suppliers. Attach with adhesive for ease of installation.

 

[GJK1981]

They make a sealer that mixes up similar to thin set, but a courser blend. You trowel it on at about 1/8” to 3/16” no more in a coat. It is designed to fully seal concrete or block stem walls or retaining walls, foundations, and finishes smooth and even . Easy to apply and fast.

 

[GJK1981]

This is called THOROSEAL. Speak to a masonary retail person and they should be able to help you in picking it out.

 

[ozyborn]

Mine is this exact same way. Covered with base cabinets.

 

[FJ4FUN]

Wolverine Coatings' TrowelEase 1162 epoxy mortar binder. It's like Bondo for concrete, trowel it on, let it cure, grind/sand it to your liking and paint or coat it.

 

[tncatadjuster]

Ardex “Tilt Wall Patch”.

 

[FJ4FUN]

TrowelEase before and after

 

[Walkers]

I may not be understanding what I am seeing, but shouldn’t the wall be set on it?

 

[10baggio10]

Wolverine Coatings' TrowelEase 1162 epoxy mortar binder. It's like Bondo for concrete, trowel it on, let it cure, grind/sand it to your liking and paint or coat it.

Is there a way to get pricing on this product or actually purchase it?

 

[FJ4FUN]

TrowelEase 1 gal

TrowelEase Kit

Contact me directly with any questions.

 

[BombShelter]

There's dozens of products that will work, the biggest issue is the foam will degrade over time and a thin coating of anything will crack. I'd dig out some of the foam, maybe a few inches and fill them in with non-shrink grout or hydraulic concrete before adding a coat on top. Just coating over the foam might be a safety hazard if anyone tries to use a support on the block core.

Inside garages I usually just see a wood board but sometimes they'll have some core-filling, something like Thoroseal (basically a concrete paint) will smooth it out nicely, once it's filled but might be overkill.