Typically do not do buildings that are concrete however this one is. I would love some input on all the cracks.
I push pulled bumped kicked prodded everything I can think of everything appears to be solid however there is a lot of cracks in this paint and concrete. This is an older building 1960s. Structural or typical cracks and cosmetic?
That just looks to me like cracking and flaking paint and not concrete cracks as you said.
Looks like water infiltration to me causing the peeling paint and some damage to the parge coat. I’d be looking really closely at that flashing of the parapet wall and the overhang(s) as the likely culprit.
Wrong type of paint used. Masonry absorbs moisture like a sponge. It also needs to release said moisture. When it doesn’t, it stays moist/wet, and in cold climates (winter in Oregon high desert), the parge coat (and paint) cracks allowing even more moisture to infiltrate the masonry and become trapped. A vicious circle causing more damage over time.
(This photo shows the paint being released/flaking from the wet masonry.
Note: many DIY’ers like to paint masonry with Dry-lock or Semi-gloss to help “seal” the masonry walls. Unfortunately, it just increases the problem exponentially!
Bingo. Here in Atlanta, painting brick is the new trend. No one stops to think the house needs to dry out.
Thanks for all the input. I don’t see much brick or concrete buildings.
