Ask Mike Holmes: Cracked Parging–What Are My Next Steps?

Is the parging around your house cracking or in need of repair? Mike Holmes helps answer this home dilemma question facing many homeowners.

HGTV Canada Twitter fan, @joanneturnbull asked, “I have a crack in the parging on the front of my house. What are my next steps?”

Mike Holmes answered, “parging can be DIY, as long as you do it right. Start by chipping away at the cracked/loose concrete with a concrete chisel. Then brush the area with a wire brush—that will get rid of any loose bits, dust and debris. Then hose off the entire area with water. You can also add a little dish soap—parging sticks better to a clean surface. After it’s completely dry add a bonding agent to the concrete so the new parge sticks. It’s usually applied like paint. Then trowel on your parging mix to the concrete. You can buy parging mix—you just add water and mix it together. Remember to follow the instructions on the package.

When you apply it to the area it shouldn’t be more than ⅜ of an inch thick. You can smooth it out or give it a bit of texture using a plasterer’s rake or broom. If you’re happy with it, you’re done. Or you can wait 24 hours and add another layer of parging. Spraying it with a bit of water over the next few days. That will help the new parging dry slower, which decreases the chances of it cracking or flaking.

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