Parging is a term commonly used when we talk about construction and building. It means to apply a smooth coating of cement on the concrete or brick walls of any building. Parging is very important for smoothing out the surfaces so that waterproofing and paints may be applied on your walls. Parging will also help you from the external environment, either it’s raining, snowing or whatever the weather might be like. Parging is the only way that your blocks and bricks will stay intact and last much longer. Although the surface does not have to be smooth, it can be textured to achieve a different style on your walls.
Is it always necessary?
Parging is not always a requirement for your walls. Not every wall of your house might be in need of parging. So it is important that you hire a professional and a knowledgeable mason to get the job done. We at Tirenio Parging provide our valuable customers with the best Concrete Contractors in Gloucester. We provide parging services on bricks, concrete, EFIS and even stones. Our team of professionals can easily get the job done for you after going through a thorough investigation. Many people believe that it is an easy job but it requires years of practice and skill to have perfection in it.
Parging Procedure:
Parging is usually done on building walls where concrete cracks or brick deterioration seems very visible. The parging is mixture is commonly made up of lime, water and cement. Although, many people might add up pebbles, rocks in order to have a stronger mixture and a different structure on the wall. It is considered to apply steel mesh on the wall surface before the first coating of parging is done, which is known as the scratch coat. Once the scratch coat is properly cured and set up, then you can apply the finishing coat, which gives your wall a smooth textural finish. We at Tirenio Parging give our customers the best Patio Contractor in Gloucester for the completion of parging work.
Re-Parging
Initial parging on a newly built wall is considered a tough task already. But re-parging a damaged wall is a more difficult task as it requires more work and precision. Let us go through a few steps on the process of re-parging:
Wrench off the initial parging coating
Brush away the remaining debris or dust using a wired brush
Clean the surface with pressured water inlet and wash off any excess dirt
Apply an adhesive liquid to improve the surface
Apply the scratch coat using a trowel with a thickness of 3/8
Once the scratch coat is cured, apply the finishing coat with the same thickness
Applying a galvanized steel mesh before the initial coating is optional depending on the conditions
Water should be applied on the parging surface over days in intervals for the pattern to retain its shape and smooth surface
Why Parging Fails:
Parging might seem like a very simple process to perform. Make water and cement mixture, apply it on the walls and that’s it, right? But this is definitely not the case. The parging has failed so often that people think it is common that the parging will wear off in less time. There are numerous reasons to why parging might fail for a lot of people. Let us discuss a few points below about why parging might fail in the first place.
Substandard Material:
If you are using a material that is not of a very good standard. It is likely possible that your parging will wear off easily. The surface of a wall will not be able to hold a low class material for a longer time and it could affect the overall strength of your mixture.
Poorly Prepared Mixture:
This applies to a lot of factors. It could be too much or too less water. Lesser water means less strength and menoeuvarbility. It could be about the quality of the cement and lime being used. If chemical additives are not used, that could also be a result of a poor mixture as some surfaces require a stronger mixture that can hold. Air entrainment is another very important factor that needs to be balanced out within the mixture.
Too Hot or Too Cold:
There is a reason to why parging services are not offered throughout the year. The parging is severely affected by extreme temperatures. It might not be possible to achieve the required smoothness or the finishing if the weather is too hot or too cold. If it is too cold, the surface might have water coming in, which will freeze the freshly applied coat and cause cracks. Sunlight is preferably better for a fresh coat but the temperature should not exceed a certain limit in summers as well.
