Why You Shouldn’t Use Acrylic Stucco for Parging a Concrete Foundation

Parging is applying a layer of cement plaster on a concrete or brick surface. It assists in reducing the consequences of moisture on foundation walls and delivers a neat and polished finish. Acrylic stucco is much cheaper and easier to apply than other cement parging mixes. However, it is disastrous for concrete foundations. Here’s why you should not go for the acrylic stucco painting.

Issues associated with Applying Acrylic Stucco to Parge Concrete

Vulnerable to Cracking

Despite its use, acrylic stucco is not as strong or durable as cement plaster. Any structure applied to this substance becomes prone to crack because it becomes brittle when used as a material for the cracks on the foundation walls, which expand and contract as they continue to settle over time. These are so pervasive that water infiltrates and destroys the concrete through them. They also look unappealing and get too costly when it comes to repairs.

Not Breathable

It is also essential to know that Acrylic is water resistant but not water Vapor Permeable. It locks moisture within the concrete foundation, leading to mold, mildew, spalling, and shifting problems. The cement parging mixtures used before were permeable so that walls could also dry up.

Difficult to Repair

Cracked and damaged acrylic parging can never be patched or repaired. The entire outside of the home is painted and therefore requires scraping off the acrylic stucco itself and discarding it adding to its cost.

Doesn’t Bond Well

House acrylic stucco is a type that depends on the surface texture to form a bond with the exterior walls. Most of the time, smooth concrete walls do not provide the mechanical interlock needed for the material to bond with the surface. Any improper application or surface preparation causes the acrylic parging to peel or debond easily.

Hides Foundation Issues

Using acrylic stucco to conceal the cracks or issues with the foundation walls is wrong. It will cover the problems for some time and the unseen further structural issues behind the veneer stucco finish.

Parging for concrete foundations is all about creating a more efficient, durable, or attractive surface for the foundation wall than that provided by bare concrete blocks.

Use Cement-based Stucco

When it comes to parge of concrete blocks or poured walls, this cement-based stucco outperforms and outlasts any make of acrylic system currently on the market. While it is slightly more complicated to apply, it pays in the long run to invest in it. Some coatings require proper surface preparation before application and that should be observed.

Choose breathable parging mixtures.

Organic and inorganic parging material composites based on cement, polymers, fibers, and adhesives offer breathable and long-lasting parging for foundations. Several modern-day mixtures are also designed elastically to offset slightly widened gaps to let the concrete walls expand-contract.

Address Issues First

Before applying any finish to concrete, to prevent water infiltration, seal all leaking, cracks, and issues with the drain or water proofing. Parging should only be performed on top of sound and functional walls and not on those that have cracks or are bowed out. It is impossible to try to obscure such weaknesses – it will not work in future.

Hire Professional for Parging

For parging to be carried out on the concrete foundation that the building sits on the best way to achieve this should be hired from a professional. It should be done right with proper preparation, application and curing thus using the services of a competent contractor. This is because it eliminates all likelihood of a mistake which can otherwise lead to poor performance.

The right parging to protect your foundation

Using cement based parging in the correct method of will effectively water proof and enhance the looks of concrete and still enable it to breathe as well as possess some crack control. Having your home coated by substandard acrylic stucco will put your homes structure at stake. High quality durable parging pays out big with both curb appeal and on the balance sheet. Do not take shortcuts for protecting your most significant investment. Hire a professional who knows better about parging and will give you outstanding results and make your concrete foundation last longer.