Crumbling stem wall

11-16-2009, 03:52 PM	#1
phxinsp Newbie   Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3	Crumbling stem wall My sister-in-law's house is 50 yrs. old. It is of red brick construction. The concrete stem wall is crumbling in several spots. It appears to be water damage to me. We are in Phoenix, AZ. Here are a few pics. Any ideas? Attached Thumbnails

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11-16-2009, 05:21 PM	#2
itsreallyconc Member   Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: north atlanta suburb Posts: 2,032	Crumbling stem wall its ALL bret's fault think she's getting some movement at the jnt from expansive soils,,, also looks like the paste is separating from the core conc - too much wtr when the conc was finish'd,,, need to scarify & repair w/polymer-modified cements w/FINE aggregate only,,, the jnt should be widened full-depth, too,,, that's my story & i'm stickin' to it don't believe wtr alone will damage correctly finished conc - especially if its not subject'd to salt,,, btw, freeze/thaw cycles compare w/heat/cold cycling.

11-16-2009, 08:40 PM	#3
phxinsp Newbie   Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3	Crumbling stem wall Thank you for the info! I appreciate your input.

11-16-2009, 09:01 PM	#4
Thurman Household Handyman   Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Albany, Ga. Posts: 2,210	Crumbling stem wall Maybe it's a Southern thing, but I'll bet IRC, as well as I , were taught to NEVER, NO NEVER, write or place hand prints in new concrete, as it will cause the concrete to crack and/or crumble later. Writing your name into cured concrete is fine. That's my 2¢ worth, and I'm sticking to it. Joke's over: Listen to "itsreallyconcrete" he's the concrete man, and certainly knows more about that subject than I do. Good Luck, David

11-17-2009, 05:13 AM	#5
itsreallyconc Member   Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: north atlanta suburb Posts: 2,032	Crumbling stem wall notice there's no expansion jnt mtl 'tween the sidewalk & slab ? we learnt, in hi skoul phisix class's, solids expand when hot as liquids do when cold,,, have seen conc road slabs literally rise up out of the ground due to that expansion,,, a little diamond sawing & backer rod/sealant should resolve the problem.