Household Repairs Leaking cracks. Scratch small cracks open with a nail or cold chisel, sprinkle with water and brush in two coats of a soupy grout made of equal parts of cement and fine sand. If cracks are large, chip them out at least W deep. Blow out crumbs with a vacuum cleaner. Wet edges with water. Fill with a stiff mixture of 1 part cement and 2 parts sand.

If water comes through crack more or less continuously, ordinary cement mortar will not hold. Use quick-setting plugging cement. Chip out crack deeply and make it wider at the back than on the surface. Mix with water just enough plugging cement to fill the hole, and mold it in your hands until it begins to feel warm and starts to stiffen. Immediately cram it into hole and hold in place for several minutes.

Wall weeps over large areas. If wall is damp in prolonged wet weather, remove paint and clean thoroughly. Rinse with water. Before wall dries, mix cement paint with water according to manufacturer's directions and apply it to a small test area with a scrubbing brush. Use a circular motion. If test area becomes damp during the next rain, repeat application of paint. If this still doesn't do the trick, call in a masonry contractor. However, if first or second application of paint stops the leaking, go ahead and paint the entire wall. To cure paint properly, let it set up for an hour after you apply it. Then mist it with water several times during the next 24 hours.




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November 20, 2008