Household Repairs Wall weeps. Remove all paint and wash wall thoroughly. Let dry for an hour. Mix cement paint according to manufacturer's directions and scrub it into walls with a scrubbing brush, using a circular motion. After paint has dried for a couple of hours, spray with a fine mist of water. Repeat misting several times during the next 24 hours. Then apply second coat of cement paint in same way and repeat water-misting for 48 hours.

Wall drips in many places. Call in a masonry contractor. Only certain cure is to cover outside of walls with asphalt and cement.

Isolated cracks that leak. Chip out crack as deeply as possible with a cold chisel. Blow out crumbs with a vacuum cleaner and wet edges with water. Cram a stiff mortar of 1 part cement and 2 parts sand into opening. Cover with damp burlap for several days.

If crack leaks continually, ordinary mortar cannot be used successfully. Use quick-setting plugging cement instead. Open up crack and make it wider at the back than in front if possible. Blow out crumbs. Mix with water just enough plugging cement to fill hole, and mold it in vour hand until it feels warm and begins to stiffen. Then cram it into crack and hold in place for several minutes.



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December 4, 2008