This novice would be grateful for any tips you may be able to provide.
We live in Minneapolis and have a 1916 two story home with a basement that, to my inexperienced eye, is either poured concrete or cinder block. Much of it is obscured by two thick layers of waterproofing paint (one white, one blue). That paint is the problem.
In some areas, the paint is very much intact. In other areas, however, it is bubbling and flaking off. This activity seems to be occuring along the two walls that don't have porches above them to divert the external water. Worse, in some of the areas where the paint has flaked off entirely, we can see that the concrete underneath has become very crumbly and will fall apart with even a fingerpoke, resembling light brown sand or dirt.
Despite all of this, I'm very happy to report that we've only had water in the basement on two or three occasions in seven years (after
100-year storms). The rest of the time, the basement is just a little damp, which we address with a dehumidifier. Our major issue with the basement is not that it is wet. It is that the perpetual flaking of paint and small pieces of concrete make it a nasty, dusty, grimy place.My questions: (1) Does the crumbly concrete suggest that a major structural issue with the walls is brewing?
(2) Assuming we don't have a major structural issue, how do I stop the flaking and crumbling? Do I have to strip the entire wall of all the old waterproofing paint, even the stuff that looks pretty good, and then apply some new stuff? Or can I just patch the crumbly spots with quick-setting concrete and paint over it with Drylock or some similar product, leaving the intact painted areas alone?
Thanks in advance for your ideas.