Question about concrete

[Beth & Rod]

Anyone ever had a request to do concrete repair? One of our clients has a silo (yes, as in barn silo) and it has cracks that effloressance is coming out of onto the side of the silo. He wants that all cleaned off, but he wants the silo repaired too, since the barn is partially finished and the water is causing ceiling damage.

I know there is a product called Drylok out there, but is that the right thing? (homeowner suggested it)

Beth

 

[Ron P.]

ron p

Hi BETH, they make a cement chaulk. It forms a water tight flexiable bond.
If water gets in the crack and can freeze it will exspand and break it.
Dry loc is OK after you chaulk it.
Another one is THURO-SEAL [bad spelling] you can get it in diffrent colors.
most of these things you can get at home depot.

 

[Dave Olson]

Hi Beth,

Always enjoy reading your posts.

Look the silo over. Is it poured concrete or staves? Does it have steel rings on the outside?

My dad was a plastering contractor when I was a kid and we used to plaster the inside of silos used for silage for cattle. Sometimes we would plaster the outside bottom. We used a spray process called Gunite.

Remember there is a good chance that there are more cracks in the walls that may not have been noticed yet.

Good luck,

Dave Olson

 

[Ron P.]

gunite

i think they make inground swimming pools with that now.

 

[Beth & Rod]

Hi Dave,
It has the rings around it, and a metal dome on top. What I don't know, and I don't think the home owner does either, is what the coating is on the silo. Who knows what the prior owner put on there. From what I have read you have to have a clean surface without anything on it to use the Drylok. You have to etch it first with either their product or muratic acid. I'm going to check out the things in this post, then we can speak intelligently to the homeowner and see if he has more info. By then we should be able to say if we can offer anything other than a wash. I would have no clue what to charge to seal a silo...

Thanks everyone!
Beth

 

[Mike Hughes]

Concrete repair..............can you say "subcontract" ? Stick to what you know.

 

[Beth & Rod]

May do that Mike. It's crossed my mind. Depends on what I learn about the sealer....
Beth

 

[Dave Olson]

Hi Beth,

Prior to plastering (Gunite) we would sandblast (air) the surface clean!

If you need to remove a coating you may need to at least waterblast (10,000 psi or more) it clean. Or use your equipment and a sandblast attachment.

Dave Olson

 

[Beth & Rod]

Thanks Dave & Squirt!
p.s.
Update... Got some really good info from a very helpful Rep, and what was interesting to me was how similar in many ways the process is to wood! Minimum temps, amount of dry time you need, balance the PH, how much of old sealer has to come off for the new sealer to take well, number of coats, very interesting!

 

[xoddah]

Concrete repair..............can you say "subcontract" ? Stick to what you know.

Please "DO" that is how i make my money ...

i do extensive research, talk with the experts and when i am comfortable i jump right in with both feet..

i just landed an account , sand blast (glass beads)
swimming pool ceramic pools and made enough to pay for all the equipment in 2 jobs ..I was lucky this time and would not recommend a 10k investment for a 1 k job,
what did you know about pressure washing before you bought your first machine how about those stripes on the driveway or 20 gallons of goo on the floor bet you did not do it twice


i love a challenge and make mistakes but when i do my research i always find out who can help if i get in trouble that is why i read this forum and others

doing the "unusual" for 12 years