Masons use a parge coat to cover walls made of concrete, brick or block. A parge coat is a smooth coat of mortar applied to the wall. You can apply a parge coat to improve the appearance of an ugly concrete or block wall. The parge coat also waterproofs the surface of the wall. A parge coating mixture contains the same materials as a stucco mix: sand, Portland cement and lime are combined in the mixture. You can mix your own parge coating with just a few basic tools.

  • Masons use a parge coat to cover walls made of concrete, brick or block.
  • You can apply a parge coat to improve the appearance of an ugly concrete or block wall.

Put three shovel fulls of masonry sand into the wheelbarrow. Add two shovel fulls of Portland cement.

Add one shovel full of lime to the parge mixture. Add several gallons of water. Start out with a small amount of water.

Mix the materials together with the shovel. Move the shovel back and forth in the wheelbarrow until the materials are thoroughly blended. You may have to add more water during the mixing process if the materials are too dry.

TIP

Mixing a parge coating is not an exact science. You can experiment with different mixtures to achieve a better mixture for your project. Start out with a small amount of water to prevent your mixture from becoming too wet or "soupy."