coating a concretre block wiall?

It will soak up paint on the first coat like a sponge, so for economy, check with your local landfill, many of them have paint recycling programs where you can get recycled paint free or very cheap.( If not, check with your local paint or big-box store for returns and mismatches. Don't mix latex and oil-based, they are incompatible.) If the color of the blended paint is acceptable, great. If not, paint the desired color on top the first coat, you will still save a bundle. Save a little for the new owner for touch-ups and graffitti recoat. Best wishes for your project.-Jitney

Reply to
jtnospam
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I just built a long concrete block retaining wall and want to make it look better. I am selling the house so would perfcer an economical solution. I had thought I could just thin coat it with morter mix then paint but getting the morter to stick to a vertical serface is turning into a real no go. Any suggestions?

Reply to
Anonymous

Forget the mesh, mortar, and adding anything. Apply "dash". It's the colored final coat in a traditional stucco job. You can spray it on using a hand hopper or apply it by trowel. Check with a plaster supply. They may recommend you roll the block first with Weldcrete or similar.

Reply to
G Henslee

I just tried to trowell it on using various consisties. Had thought I would next try cement rather than morter mix. I know nothing about stucco. Would this involve wire mesh etc? I am looking for suggestions and would be grateful to hear any you can give. I will do a net search on stucco but would also like to get advice from someone who knows the ins and outs of hands on. Stan

Reply to
Anonymous

Stucco is a trick. It looks easy but it does take a touch. Use real stucco mix, not just mortar. There is a subtle difference. You can also get "link" that you paint on first to make the wall a bit stickier (a latex compound). You start at the top and work down. You want the mix a bit wetter than you would first think. More like cake icing than peanut butter. You are still going to waste a lot getting the touch. It might be best if you just hire a guy. When he does it you will say that looks easy, but he knows the trick ;-)

Reply to
gfretwell

How have you tried to do this? Would you like some suggestions on how to do this?

If it were my wall I would stucco coat it and never paint it. If you have to have a color you could add it to the mix but that is slightly more complicated and expensive.

Reply to
Colbyt

Buy a hawk. That is the flat tray doodad with the handle in the center. You use it to transfer mortar from the tub to the wall and to catch the stuff you drop. It makes things go smoother and you don't waste as much

Reply to
gfretwell

Henslee most likely knows more about this than I do as I have only done it a few times. All of these projects have held up well. So even if I am doing it wrong it works.

I used the term stucco very loosely. I normally just use the premixed mortar mix and add Portland cement to enrich it. Quite a bit of cement actually. More about that later. You can add a small amount of lime to make it more sticky but that also causes it to set faster. For a first timer I would leave out the lime. I would also suggest that you establish a definite quantity of cement that you add by weight because if you don't your wall will dry different colors. Eventually it will all be almost the same but that takes a few years.

Since you are dealing with a CB wall I am assuming you have no voids or honey combs to fill. I would apply that with a stiff brush and skip the trowel.

I worked with an older mason for one day to learn this. He taught me to mix it by color and consistency which is hard to communicate. Normal wet mortar mix has a grayish color and a sandy texture. You need to add enough Portland to change the texture to a thick, smooth batter and the color to olive green (think army truck color). Get it all mixed, let is rest 5 minutes and then add water and mix to achieve the final consistency. You can only add the extra water one time. If the mix gets too stiff to use you must discard it. The final consistency is that of pancake batter or a very thick latex paint. The texture does not have a gritty look.

On the average day you will have 45-60 minutes of working time per batch.

You need the following ready to use: Hose and sprayer set mist Your stiff application brush A softer finish brush. bucket of water to keep the finish brush wet and to rinse it in

Get your wall wet and keep it damp by misting as you work. Start at the top and work down the wall doing a 2-3 foot section at a time. Slather it on and spread it as smooth as you can. Move to the next section, by the time you do this the first section will be should ready for the finish brush. Brush over it with a very damp, but not dripping brush to smooth and finish. The time will vary with temperature. You must let the first application almost set before you finish brush it. The concept is the same as broom finish on concrete.Your soft brush should remove only a little bit of mortar. Rinse brush frequently

If you get color variations you can always repeat the process with a single thinner final coat that runs the length of the entire wall.

I suggest you make a small test batch and practice on a couple of spare blocks to get a feel for what you are doing.

I don't have any pictures of the process but I do have some before and after pics that I could most.

Reply to
Colbyt

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