Waterproofing dips into wallet
Question No. 1
Hi Robert,
I live here in a condo in Santa Clarita, where there is a subterranean garage that has leaks from the outside.
We are in the process of getting bids for waterproofing and have received conflicting information.
I know that you are a waterproofing expert so am asking for your input on this, so that we may make a more educated decision on this project: One bid states that they’ll demo the sidewalks, excavate soil down along the building and then apply a waterproofing product followed by a protection board, they’ll backfill the soil and compact it, then repour the sidewalks.
This recommendation is quite costly but they say it’s guaranteed to not leak.
There have been a couple other contractors that have recommended another method where they go from the inside of the garage and apply a waterproofing product to the wall that is experiencing the leaking.
They won’t guarantee this method though, but say that it often works and is much less expensive. Most recently we’ve seen chunks of concrete falling off of this wall and have concerns about the structural integrity of it.
All of the contractors say that if they do their method we’ll be ok. Can you please give us your professional opinion on this? Stan
Answer No. 1
Stan,
The absolute proper way to fix this issue is to do the positive waterproofing, which is the method that the one contractor suggested, where they dig down from the exterior and waterproof. The other method that was suggested was negative waterproofing which in my opinion is a band-aid effect.
They’ll apply one of the waterproofing products such as Xypex to the interior of the wall and they can paint it to match so it looks aesthetically pleasing.
Yes it can be successful at preventing water from entering the space for a good period of time, but the truth is that the water will still end up encapsulated in the CMU wall, and will continue to deteriorate the steel.
This is what you are seeing signs of already. When steel rusts and deteriorates it swells, and when this happens, it pushes the concrete away which is the chunks falling, as you’ve seen. We call this spalling and it is the first sign that you have a future structural issue if this is not taken care of.
Once you have enough structural fatigue to a CMU wall, you’ll need a structural engineer to be involved and the repairs become much more costly than doing the positive waterproofing. I always prefer to do a job once and do it right which is why I prefer the positive waterproofing method, but there are times when properties just have to choose the lesser expensive option due to costs and buy themselves extra time.
Unfortunately, this is a gamble.
If your HOA is able to do the positive waterproofing I highly recommend this over the temporary repair of negative waterproofing. Good luck to you,
Robert
Question No. 2
Robert,
I have a home in Canyon Country and about eight years ago, I had windows replaced.
Out of eight windows, three of them are fogging in between the panes and there’s no way of cleaning them. Does this mean that I have to replace all of the framing?
I had a contractor out and he said that he has to break out the stucco and go through the whole thing again, replacing the windows. Is that really the right thing, is there another option to repair this issue? Any way to take the glass out or putting new gas in or something?
This guy seemed shady, and I need to know I’m not going to be taken advantage of.
Richard L.
Answer No. 2
Richard,
I’m going to refer you to a reputable glass company that can remove those two panes of glass and get these windows re sealed.
They are a master at their game and will do a great job for you. You do have other options, there’s no need to break out all of the stucco and go with all new windows. Do not use that contractor, he’s guiding you incorrectly.
This is actually pretty common, and it can be remedied at a much lesser cost than full window replacement.
The valley that we are in with the weather extremes, is a contributor to this and it’s quite common. Look for my recommendation separately.
Good luck,
Robert Robert Lamoureux has 38 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal.
Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at robert@imsconstruction.com.