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Polyguard’s Airlok Flex barrier systems provide an effective defense against air leakage and moisture intrusion. The first line of defense is a cinder block sealant. Apply a Coating Directly On the Bare Wall Plus, the mortar is less durable than the concrete, so it wears down over time and causes leaks.įor the best method for sealing concrete block walls and the best cinder block water barrier, read on. The wall responds to any soil settlement and hydrostatic pressure, and over time, these joint areas develop hairline cracks. There are mortar joints on all sides of the blocks - they’re basically just oversized bricks, in a sense.
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Once moisture intrudes into a block, it makes the pores even larger, which reinforces the cycle of damage to the structure.Īnother reason you need cement block waterproofing is that the blocks have more joints and more areas to seal than a poured concrete foundation or wall. According to the ASHRAE Handbook, the permeability of concrete (1:2:4 mix) is 3.2 perms per inch of thickness, whereas an 8- to 10-inch-thick poured concrete wall is about 0.4 to 0.3 perms. poured concrete make concrete blocks semi-permeable. (Many people use the terms concrete blocks and cinder blocks interchangeably, but concrete blocks are heavier than cinder blocks.) The larger pores of concrete blocks vs. It is imperative to use the best block wall waterproofing products on blocks.Īll concrete materials have to be protected from water intrusion, but concrete blocks and cinder blocks are especially vulnerable. However, concrete blocks have a disadvantage: They are more permeable to water and water vapor than poured concrete. Another benefit is that when a wall is made from a block, it’s already hardened and doesn’t need cure time. Both types of foundations and walls have advantages - concrete blocks are a uniform size, stacking concrete blocks is sometimes easier than pouring a concrete wall, and concrete blocks are sometimes easier to get if there’s not a ready mixed plant nearby. It’s common to build a foundation or outbuilding from either concrete blocks or from poured concrete.
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