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Efflorescence from stone basement walls and plaster walls

sdavis00001 | Posted in Green Building Techniques on

Church is 120 years old, there are windows in the walls in the basement that is cover by pictures and dry walls, the space behind the windows are approx 2 ft deep. size is about 2.5x 4 glass still in windows, wood is rotten, we are getting garden snakes and mice. it rains in the one area in the basement. will be adding an elbow to the drain to direct water from area, walls have cracks, birds building nest in the cracks. efflourescence coming into the wall due to window iron bars water leakage.
Now, I have ideals but I hate to not have good information on what to do.
cracks on outside wall, do i use mortar mix tubes? can’t afford to point stone at this time. or do i use
HYDRAULIC CEMENT?
inside plaster wall with efflourescence coming in do I use hydraulic cement, mud or dry wall.

basement:scared. will be doing very little at a time. I don’t know how to mix cement yet, Will to learn.
need mix cement for dummies directions. please.

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Sharon,
    I didn't understand everything you wrote, but here's what I did understand: Your church has rotten wood, garden snakes, and mice. It rains in the basement. The walls have cracks, and birds are nesting in the cracks.

    Here's my advice: ask your pastor or priest to call for a special collection next Sunday for building repairs. I hope your church has a large, generous congregation. Use the special collection to hire an architect and an engineer to come up with a plan to fix your church. Good luck.

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