Can I patch this concrete wall or should I replace it?

October 3, 2021 6:01 AM

There's an old crappy retaining wall made of concrete blocks leading to my basement. I need to do something about it but not sure what. Anyone have experience with this sort of minor construction that can help me?

(Assume that repairing/building or even working with concrete walls is waaaaay outside my wheelhouse in general).

You can see the situation in these two images, one showing the whole wall and then a closeup.

A.) Is there some sort of patching material I can use for everything? Or..
B.) Should I not even bother and just replace it? And if I do have to replace it, can I just do the first couple rows?

If replacing is in order, what does one do? Take a sledgehammer and smash it?

As you can see my experience in repairing walls is woefully inadequate.

posted by jeremias to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

You could patch or replace the top couple of rows, but you will have the same problem down the road with the rest of it. Because in the picture, the mortar in the bottom two rows doesn't look great. Probably, water is eating up this wall from the back side under the soil. (And that door frame doesn't look so good either, but that's a separate problem.) Sledgehammer at will, remove everything including whatever footing is underneath, and rebuild, not with cement blocks but with a cast-in-place concrete wall. DIY is certainly possible but if I were you I'd hire somebody for the entire job and have it done right.
posted by beagle at 6:34 AM on October 3, 2021 [2 favorites]

The professional for you to consult with, and potentially hire, is a mason, also called a stonemason. This person will know not only how or repair or rebuild this, but can help solve the drainage issues that have undermined your wall in the first place. Without substantial advice I would not advise diy. Personal experience in this area convinced me of this - Water will always win if you are not skilled in working with it.
posted by citygirl at 12:35 PM on October 3, 2021 [2 favorites]