Glue / Sealant on stem wall & pier blocks

I’m working on a narrative and wondering if anyone has a guess as to what this sealant/glue-looking material is and why it was applied (sloppily) in this manner? It was on most (if not all) of the stem wall and pier blocks. It made no sense to me. 1962 build, single-family



Edit: This one looks like possibly a past repair (or cover-up).

3 Likes

Do you think that at one time their was a plastic vapor barrier adhered to the block wall and around the support posts?

14 Likes

That was my guess.

4 Likes

Possibly, and that would make sense since this home had a sump pump and lots of past water intrusion as you can see in the pics. I rarely see sump pumps, at least in this area.

2 Likes

Good call…. that post in the first pic sure looks like it could have spent some time on the wet side of a vapor barrier

5 Likes

8 Likes

That was my first thought as well.

The stains are evidence of a previous (or current) moisture problem.

5 Likes

Some of the photos show evidence of something like a vapor barrier that was once stuck in the sealant.

3 Likes

Narrative: Incomplete encapsulation.

1 Like