Concrete Cure Room Woes

[erussell610]

What kind of sealant/ sealer/ epoxy can I use to help a leaky cure room? The company that built our room last year put BASE BOARDS in with the silicone sealer. There is nothing behind them but CMU walls (which sit upon a stem wall and footings). It is leaking into the floor right now. Any help is much obliged.

 

[civilperson]

Fiberglass reinforced epoxy lining the walls and floor will stop the water flow. Proprietary products, i.e. Thorseal, may also help.

 

[concretemasonry]

Before using Thoroseal, if there is a joint or crack on the inside of the curing room where the leakage may be occuring/worst, open up the joint. A dovetail shape is suggested and then pack in hydraulic cement. This can be done if the concrete is moist.

After the joint is packed, apply the Thoroseal to the inside of the kiln. Again this can be done when the wall is moist and instruction do suggest wetting the wall first. You may use a latex additive to increase the bond. Thoroseal is a dry mixture of materials that must be mixed properly. If I recall correctly, the instructions say to mix and allow to set for a period and then add water if necessary and remix. The consistancy is like pancake batter and it can be messy to apply. Having the wall pre-wetted makes the application easier.

Most other materials will require the wall to be dry, which will difficult if you have a room full of sampleswaiting to be tested.

 

[Rjeffery]

I would recommend a waterproofing system called Rub-R-Wall. As concretemasonry (Structural) indicated, the walls will have to be dry. this system is semi-self-healing. when it is being applied, proper ventilation and respitory protection will be required.