drying cinder block wall

[Hack Attack]

Calling @Desk Jockey (its nice to be needed.. I've heard lol)
Got a below ground bedroom with cinder block walls.
Had water toby above leak which took couples days before it started coming through one of the walls.

That wall was at 6% and rest of walls were 1.5-2% (tramex cmex meter) been drying few days and that wall is sitting at 3%

I know you can take wood to within 4% of dry standard and then let it find equilibrium

But I got no idea on concrete cinder blocks?

Any thoughts/suggestions?

cheers

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think each case will be different even in the same neighborhood. What I would do is look for a dry standard. Other unaffected areas of block in the same home.

If you still aren't dry, I suggest minimizing down your dry chamber. Don't dry that level or room but drop some sheeting and dry only the block.

Heat can really help in cases like that

 

[Hack Attack]

Cool, thanks

I'm checking it again tomorrow, might tent bottom half that wall with dehu inside if it hasn't moved

 

[Onfire_02_01]

It has been awhile since I have looked at block, but I believe that is classified as bound water and requires a desiccant dehumidifier, not lgr, to remove.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Energy (heat) will pull it out faster than a desiccant. Desiccants are slow at the size that we buy used for this size job. They use vapor pressure differential to draw the moisture out. It takes time to process the air space to get it super dry for the moisture to jump.

I prefer an LGR and heat to do it fast. We had 65 large Drieaz LGR's and 3 325 cfm desiccants. We only used them a couple of times a year. We would combine the heat from the Phoenix Firebirds and the LGR's to get faster results.

 

[Hack Attack]

This job was part of reason of my other thread of LGR vs dessicants.
Without firsthand experience using the gear you're looking at a spec sheet and speculating.. might have to add a phnx compact to the mix

 

[Hack Attack]

This has been ongoing, the loss adjuster told me to pull my gear out last week without looking at it because the home owner said it was dry...

met him onsite and showed him its still sitting at 4.8% along bottom half of that wall today vs 1.5% rest of the room


and we're drying again..

 

[Desk Jockey]

IR heat lamps?

 

[Hack Attack]

Yeah borrowed a friends, bit nervous using heat checked it couple times today lol

that wall is sitting at 89°F at warmest point off my camera

 

[Desk Jockey]

Just keep an eye on it. They should be fine but I'd monitor it at least twice a day if possible.

 

[Greg Cole]

The easiest and quickest way to dry the cinderblock is to drill weep holes in each block by the floor. Radiant heat dry....

 

[Hack Attack]

Just checked it, got the room at 89°F and 22% RH the wall is sitting at 112°

I was thinking of drilling as they are wanting to line it out at some stage, being a painted surface isn't doing any favours

 

[Desk Jockey]

The easiest and quickest way to dry the cinderblock is to drill weep holes in each block by the floor. Radiant heat dry....

I've heard of people doing that I have never done it. Is there any risk of compromising the construction?

 

[Hack Attack]

Still pulling water out, 15 liters so far...

room is at 93°F and Rh 16% and moisture meter is sitting at 3% on that wall *(113°F surface temp)

spoke to a builder who reckons the bigger problem is the waterproofing has failed on that wall

cos Im a total noob using heat, do you try and balance the heat with the dehu or just crank the heat??

Im running 1 drieaz revolution and a phoenix r200 with the heat bypass removed which is recommended above 90°

 

[Desk Jockey]

What was your target moisture content?

 

[Hack Attack]

rest of room was 1.5-2% couldnt go off anywhere else in the place as that room is only cinder block, the rest is timber and plaster board

 

[Hack Attack]

pulled my gear but I've got access (place is empty) will monitor over next few days to make sure its not ongoing ingress and hopefully stays stable

 

[Greg Cole]

I've heard of people doing that I have never done it. Is there any risk of compromising the construction?

Sorry. Just saw this. Zero risk 1/4-1/2” bit. One hole per void.

 

[Greg Cole]

Still pulling water out, 15 liters so far...

room is at 93°F and Rh 16% and moisture meter is sitting at 3% on that wall *(113°F surface temp)

spoke to a builder who reckons the bigger problem is the waterproofing has failed on that wall

cos Im a total noob using heat, do you try and balance the heat with the dehu or just crank the heat??

Im running 1 drieaz revolution and a phoenix r200 with the heat bypass removed which is recommended above 90°

Delhi???? You are just drawing moisture in from the ground....
Drill it, drain it, heat it...

 

[Hack Attack]

The builder I spoke to said if it's built to current code every void will be filled with cement being an underground structural wall

checked it yesterday it's sitting at 2.5% off my meter, I'm calling it dry

 

[Pioneer Floorcare]

What tool are you using to get moisture content of the concrete?

 

[Hack Attack]

What tool are you using to get moisture content of the concrete?

tramex cmex2