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Parging: What Is It?

By: Tonya Bruin

If you’ve been watching the home shows, then you’ve probably heard the term ‘parging’ a lot. What in the world does that mean, and why does it matter so much in terms of keeping your home in great shape? Surely there are other methods of home maintenance that you’re more familiar with that can make a bigger difference, right?

Well, not quite. Parging is essential in many ways. Regardless, you may be finding yourself asking what is it and why it’s important to maintain. Let’s help you get a better understanding of what parging is and how it can improve your home.

What is Parging?

Parging is a technique used by masons to cover the surface of a masonry wall. It’s similar to stucco, utilizing a specialized mortar to cover exterior and interior masonry block and stone walls. A fresh coat of parging works to protect and shield your home’s foundation from all of nature’s elements. Sure, you could leave your walls bare, but it won’t look as nice and won’t help to protect your home from the rain and snow that can cause damage and deterioration. And conveniently you can apply parging to any surface, but you will find it most commonly on inside of basement walls and exterior above-ground basement walls.

What is Parging?How is It Made?

Parging is made from a blend of lime, water, and cement. Adding the proper types and amounts for blending can be challenging, as it is a very tricky mixture to master. Ifnot done right, bad blends can cause cracked parging and problems with the parging sticking to the wall, which can lead to all sorts of structural issues when the bad weather hits. That’s why we recommend working with an experienced professional instead of trying to mix the solution yourself.

How is It Applied?

Once the right mixture is ready, the parging mortar is applied to a wet wall with a masonry trowel. Depending on how you would like the surface to look, the mortar can be applied to create a smooth wall or to have a more textured wall. There are all sorts of designs and styles possible, making it a handy way to spruce up your basement, rec room, living room or other spaces! Once applied, you can easily paint it to match the décor of your home.

parging

Why is It so Important to Maintain?

Without parging, you won’t have the protection from water getting into your house. Parging creates a water-resistant barrier to keep your home dry and free from damage. And if you don’t maintain the parging, water can become trapped in between the wall and the coating, easily causing even more damage like spalling where the concrete becomes flaked, pitted or broken up. This can be expensive, stressful and time-consuming to repair, if at all. If you live in a flood-prone area such as along the Ottawa River, be certain to work with a professional to install and maintain your parging. Take no chances with mother nature!

The parging also helps to improve the energy efficiency of your home by sealing holes and leaks in your concrete walls. With a little maintenance and care for your parging, you won’t have to worry about any unnecessary, costly repairs to your home.

If you’d rather enjoy your Sunday than tackling your home repairs, To Do-Done is here to help. In addition to drywall and plastering, we also handle a wide range of exterior and interior renovations in addition to handyman services such as door and window repairs. In short, we cover all the angles, so don’t be afraid to call us! Our handymen can take care of everything.