Parging is a thin coat of cement-based mortar applied over the exposed part of a foundation wall. It seals the surface against water, frost and salt, hides block or rubble joints, and gives the base of the house a clean, finished look. It is protective as well as cosmetic — once it fails, water reaches the concrete underneath.

How much does parging cost in Ottawa?

Cost depends on the height and length of exposed foundation, how much of the old coat has to come off, and how much repair the wall underneath needs. Every job is quoted after an on-site visit and you get a written estimate before any work starts — no hidden fees and no surprises on the invoice. Estimates are free.

Why does parging crack and fall off?

Almost always water combined with Ottawa's freeze-thaw cycle. Water gets behind the coat through a crack or a poor bond, freezes, expands and pushes the parging off the wall. Poor surface preparation, the wrong mix, or applying it in the wrong weather all make it happen faster. Repairing it properly means removing everything that is loose and bonding to sound concrete, not skimming over the problem.

Can you parge over the old parging?

Only where the existing coat is still sound and well bonded. Anything hollow, cracked or lifting has to come off first — new material applied over failing parging will fail with it, usually within a season or two. We sound the wall before quoting so you know exactly how much removal your job needs.

What time of year can parging be done in Ottawa?

Roughly spring through late fall, while temperatures stay reliably above freezing long enough for the mortar to cure. Cement that freezes before it cures is permanently weakened. We book the season early and will tell you honestly if it is too late in the year to do the job properly.

How long does parging last?

Correctly prepared and applied parging on a sound foundation typically lasts well over a decade. The variables that shorten it are drainage, grading and downspouts dumping water against the wall — all things we look at during the estimate, because fixing the parging without fixing the water is money wasted.

Parging in Ottawa | Foundation Parging & Wall Repair

Have you noticed cracks along the exposed concrete at the base of your house, chunks of the coating breaking away, or a chalky grey surface that flakes off when you touch it? That is failing parging, and in Ottawa it is one of the most common problems we are called out for.

Parging is the cement coat over the exposed part of your foundation. It is not just cosmetic. It is the layer keeping water, frost and road salt away from the structural concrete underneath. Once it cracks, water gets behind it, freezes, and forces more of it off the wall — which is why a small patch left alone rarely stays a small patch through an Ottawa winter.

How we repair parging properly

We sound the wall first and remove everything that is hollow, loose or lifting — skimming fresh mortar over failing parging simply buys you one more season. The exposed concrete is cleaned and prepared so the new coat actually bonds, repairs are made to the wall itself where needed, and the finish coat is applied and worked to an even texture and colour across the whole elevation.

We also look at why it failed. If a downspout is discharging against the wall or the grade slopes back toward the house, we will tell you — because repairing the parging without addressing the water means doing it again.

What we work on

Small repairs and full around-the-house parging. Interior and exterior. New and old foundations, ICF, cement board and rubble foundations. Garages, basements, porches and steps. Residential and commercial buildings across Ottawa and the surrounding region.