1953 slab on grade

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jessesandy

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I need to better seal my house from moisture that is causing mold on the walls inside the house.

Here's some pictures. I'm thinking you folks will know the answers before I know what the questions are !

I'm just getting a grasp of what I have, next is what can/should/must be done.

I've dug a trench around the house.
back wall.JPG

Unlike modern walls, the stucco is joined right to the foundation (?)
The line is floor level in the house.
deep noted.JPG
outside close.JPG

Looking inside the walls (from the inside of the house), it looks the walls have no sheathing. Just tar paper, chicken wire (I assume) and the stucco is spread against the tar paper (!)
inside wall.jpg

This was common for the time (I guess). Is there a common upgrade done to houses built this way ?

Is this type of wall meant to have dirt against the stucco. The stucco varies from a few inches to a foot below floor level. Does the grade need to be below the lowest point ? Should the stucco be cut off at a certain level below the floor and the excess chipped away.

In some places, the stucco has broken away from the foundation leaving a direct path inside the house.

French drain ?
Pour concrete "gutter" all around foundation ?
Liquid rubber sealant ?
All or none of the above ?
:beer::beer::beer::beer:
 
Newer houses would have a flashing that had drip holes at the bottom of the wall for any water that gets thru the stucco to drain out.
Not sure what can be or should be done now. Having a drain around the house would be better. I would run two. One perforated to to pick up water and move it away and one solid to move downspout water.
Then the landscape should be at least 6" below the floor level.
 
French drain, and tie in the down spouts to it.
Finish grade must run away from the house!
Water proof anything below grade level.
I own and rent out a cement block home (that has since been vinyl sided) that the slab was poured below the finished grade and water would come in every time it rained.
The lot is so level there was no run off, so I added a french drain that runs into a sump pit with a sump pump that runs out to the ditch by the street and waterproofed the walls.
House has been dry ever since.
This is out in the country so there is no issue with draining into the ditch.
 
Thanks.
I suppose at at some point I need to look into local building codes, etc.
But until then...
The bottom of the existing stucco in some places is only a few inches below floor level. Should those spots be built up with mortar/stucco ?
outside close.JPG

Is using a stiff wire brush and broom and hose to clean/prep the exposed foundation and stucco the normal process. How about a pressure washer ?

On a side note, I found a wall systems guide book on the National Institute of Building Science website.
http://www.wbdg.org/systems-specifications/building-envelope-design-guide/wall-systems

Thanks :beer:
 
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