Footing to foundation capillary break
Regulajo
| Posted in Green Building Techniques on
Can a regular exterior latex paint we used for the capillary break between the footing and foundation, if one puts on a couple of coats. This is in a very dry climate, and the likelihood of any foundation water is almost non-existent. This is merely an extra added precaution. Footing poured today so we have the weekend to paint 🙂
Thank you!
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Replies
Exterior latex paint is not a capillary break. A latex based waterproofer such as UGL Drylok can work, as do any of a number of asphalt based foundation waterproofers.
EPDM membrane works as well or better than any mop-on goop solution.
Thanks Dana. In a separate thread on this topic, a latex elastomeric concrete or brick paint is suggested as an option. Does that work? We are trying to make it reasonably inexpensive, and not goopy for the concrete crew.
Latex elastomeric concrete waterproofers would work too.
P10 of this document has a pretty good short list of what works:
http://web.ornl.gov/sci/buildingsfoundations/Kohta%20Ueno-Capillarity%20Presentation.pdf
Unlike asphalt based products Drylok isn't really goop, it'll be dry to the touch a day layer. Silane/siloxane wateproofing products are also non-goopy, but not cheap.
Butyl flashing or EPDM products, or even purpose made DELTA®-FOOTING BARRIER all work too, but probably more expensive than UGL Drylok or asphalt based water proofers.
Drylok runs about $110 for a 5 gallon bucket at the big blue or orange box stores, which is good for 500 square feet of coverage. That's probably your best bet if you need to pick it up on a weekend.
Steve,
This topic has come up several times before on our Q&A pages.
For a short thread that includes an answer to your question, see “What are people using for a capillary break between their footer and foundation wall?”
For a longer thread with more discussion, see “Foundation capillary break & waterproofing.”
I picked up some UGL Drylock and will be happily painting in the morning :-)
Thanks again for the help and advice!