# Parging questions



## young_mason (Sep 9, 2008)

I quoted to parge this wall, should I use mesh? Or is it okay to use just 1 portland 2 bricksand with water and glue? 

And should I scratch coat and then finish coat or will one thick coat seal it?

Thank you, Clinton.


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## eekie34 (Jun 14, 2008)

If i was you, i would use the traditional wire, scratch, and finish coat. one coat with glue wont. cut it.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

There are a couple of issues. First, I assume from the buttresses that that is a retaining wall, and from the size and shape of the units that it is composed of stone. It also has existing moisture issues as well as mineral staining.

What exactly is the goal of the contract? Do they want to make it more attractive or are they trying to preserve the structural integrity of the wall?

p.s. if you already have the job, it is a little late to be asking how to do it.


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

glue wont help to make the parging stick and stay.i appears the wall has been painted.as a rule any time a masonry wall has been painted or waterproofed(ie tar)it needs to have lath applied and scratched.
if you are only making the wall look better,then a scratch coat and finish coat should suffice.that would give you about 1/2 in of material on the wall.


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## young_mason (Sep 9, 2008)

Thanks for your replies they are very much appreciated. 

The wall is made of concrete blocks, the goal of the contract is to make it more attractive and also have the wall last longer , there are some stress cracks and in general the wall looks ugly. 

I live in Toronto, Canada. Is there anything else I should know about this job? so far I understand i'm going to put the metal lathe on and 1 scratch coat then 1 finish coat then put my rubber float on it and texturize it. I'd also be using a bonding agent in my parge as well as washing the wall down with it and water. Are there any tips you pro's can share?


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## wtygart (Aug 24, 2008)

For what it's worth, I use Spider Lath on all of my applications needing lath. It makes for a thicker wall of mortar, is much stronger then the metal lathe, and won't rust down the road causing cracks. I am not sure if they are in your area or not.


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## raskolnikov (Mar 10, 2008)

wtygart,
Spider Lathe??? Fill us in please.

D.


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## artisanstone (Nov 27, 2007)

I checked into this as I'd never come across it. Looks good.


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## wtygart (Aug 24, 2008)

i cannot post urls yet but it is spiderlath dotcom


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

Glass and cementious products do not play well together,.


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## artisanstone (Nov 27, 2007)

Tscarborough said:


> Glass and cementious products do not play well together,.


 I looked this up, and while regular E-glass fibers are deteriorated by the high alkalinity in cement, modern products use alkaline resistant glass which apparently holds up pretty well.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

Nice.


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## young_mason (Sep 9, 2008)

So can someone please tell me the exact method I should use, I have many different options and I have parged many different foundations before, but this is a retaining wall and its huge. I may have under priced this one but i'd still like to do the proper job, can someone help. I don't think theres spider lath in toronto, ontario. Thanks.


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## eekie34 (Jun 14, 2008)

as you will find out, there are many ways to skin a cat and do a good job. Everyone has their way or products they like to use. I hope you have a few more guys to finish that wall if you plan on floating it. It probably will get away from you.


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

eekie34 said:


> as you will find out, there are many ways to skin a cat and do a good job. Everyone has their way or products they like to use. I hope you have a few more guys to finish that wall if you plan on floating it. It probably will get away from you.


not unless he does the whole wall at one time.i can see where he can do several separate panels.he can stop at one a day or as many as he feels he can do.


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## young_mason (Sep 9, 2008)

Awesome guys, I researched a product called duroroc apparently stucco guys use it. But noone has given me a straight answer, I know there are many methods used, but tell one you have found succesful, and that would help me out alot. 

thanks.


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## artisanstone (Nov 27, 2007)

1. Your stucco job will be purely cosmetic. Any structural fault of the existing wall will not be solved.
2. Price these three options and do the cheapest.
a. Sandblast existing wall.
b. Pressure wash existing wall and prime with bonding agent.
c. Mechanically attach lath to wall.
3. Install scratch, brown, and finish coat to clients spec.
4. Get paid.


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

if it were my job,i would.
apply lath
apply scratch coat.
apply brown coat.
apply finish coat.
apply check to my note at the bank:whistling

since the panels are small,there should be no need for expansion joints.
you can more than likely get by with 3/8 or 1/2 of stucco.i would also talk the owner into letting me blow the finish on like sheetrock mud and give it a light trowel.you can blow the whole wall(well from what i see if it)in one day.where troweling on a finish might take 2-3 days.


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## young_mason (Sep 9, 2008)

Thanks for the tips, but i'm not applying stucco, the owner just wants to parge it... i'm beggining to think that it would be a waste of time to parge it, I don't want to parge it then have it crack on her later on. I'd like to do a proper parge job , I guess that include metal mesh, scratch coat, finish coat, float with rubber float. I priced it for 6850. maybe thats a little low. Errr the learning pains are starting to ache.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

As long as it is not painted, just pressure wash it and parge it with a product like Thoroseal.


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## young_mason (Sep 9, 2008)

Thanks Tscarborough, I think thats what i'll do. But my product I guess in toronto will be called duroroc as opposed to thoroseal, same thing different name i'm assuming. 

Do you think 1 coat will do?


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

Google does not know what duroroc is. Do you have a manufacturers name?


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

young_mason said:


> Thanks for the tips, but i'm not applying stucco, the owner just wants to parge it... i'm beggining to think that it would be a waste of time to parge it, I don't want to parge it then have it crack on her later on. I'd like to do a proper parge job , I guess that include metal mesh, scratch coat, finish coat, float with rubber float. I priced it for 6850. maybe thats a little low. Errr the learning pains are starting to ache.


exactly what is the sq footage of the area?
i am finishing,been on it too long,an area 1700 sq foot.21 foot to the top.
scratch coat,brown coat,and finish coat of sto brand synt stucco.my price on that was 8 grand.your wall looks to be half that size.


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## young_mason (Sep 9, 2008)

stacker said:


> exactly what is the sq footage of the area?
> i am finishing,been on it too long,an area 1700 sq foot.21 foot to the top.
> scratch coat,brown coat,and finish coat of sto brand synt stucco.my price on that was 8 grand.your wall looks to be half that size.


 
My wall is 130 feet by 12 feet and then it tapers down to 2.5 feet. Its a retaining wall and theres a road going up a hill on the side its retaining. Your price being 8 grand for that sounds very reasonable, maybe a little low? I don't know how to stucco but i'm a firm believer that if your going to deliver a proper product then you should be paid properly as well. 

But getting back to my wall, it is not painted but it looks as if someone put on a slurry coat many years back, and i'm thinking if I get a good pre-mixed parging product like duroroc ( i'm not sure if that is the exact name I have to double check with the fellow who mentioned that to me) with enough glue in the mix it should stick, also I think a finished parge look will look a lot better than the current look of it now. 

Here is another picture so you can get an idea of the scope of work. Thanks.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

There is some repair, relaying blocks and tuckpointing that needs to happen first.


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## raskolnikov (Mar 10, 2008)

Tscarborough is right and my bet is the repairs take as long as the parging detail.:blink:

D.


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## young_mason (Sep 9, 2008)

Ya I am replacing 58 blocks, and I figure the tuck-pointing need will handle when I parge .


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

young_mason said:


> Ya I am replacing 58 blocks, and I figure the *tuck-pointing need will handle when I parge* .


 
????? Are you saying the parging will take the place of the tucking needed? I ask this because I do not know. Would one of the experienced guys comment on this?


I reread that I guess you were saying you would take care of the tuck pointing when you do the parging?


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

stacker said:


> exactly what is the sq footage of the area?
> i am finishing,been on it too long,an area 1700 sq foot.21 foot to the top.
> scratch coat,brown coat,and finish coat of sto brand synt stucco.my price on that was 8 grand.your wall looks to be half that size.


Its important to remember that stacker is forced to work practically for free in his market.


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## snowDrift (Oct 4, 2010)

*interesting...*

After reading this thread I am interested to find out the result of this job.
Did you end up doing the job? Do you have end result pictures you could share with us? I personally think that you totally under priced this one and am wondering if you did take on the job, was it worth the price? how much did you end up spending total in materials? was the price of $6850 just for labour or did that include materials??


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

wow I know this is an old topic but 6850 for that?!

I hope he "went out of his way" to install the lath lol.


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## Paul B (Mar 10, 2007)

Dang guys I should learn to pay attention. I did not realize thread was so old til the last two posts. I was looking tosee wha the out come was also.


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