Clay
blocks were not fired long enough to have a hardened surface like
brick, so they are vulnerable to the destructive effects of weather
exposure. If the outside foundation walls become open to the
elements, the blocks can become soft and porous, and will spall
or deteriorate in a fairly short period of time. This can lead to
voids in your foundation and water seeping into your basement. It’s
important that you fill any voids where the block face may have
broken away. Use some old bricks and mortar to fill the opening.
You can use the same method to make a repair on the interior surface
of the wall.
If
your lawn has settled over the years, exposing the clay blocks, it is
to your advantage to get it covered back up again as soon as
possible. There are several ways to go about this. The easiest
approach is to ‘ramp’ soil around the house so that the exposed
blocks of your foundation are covered, sloping away from the house to
the level of the rest of the lawn. The ramped soil will also direct
surface water away from the foundation preventing water seepage into
the wall. Another way would be to bring in a couple of loads of
topsoil to raise the level of the lawn around the house to cover the
clay tile. Then, you would have to plant new grass seed. This
method involves a lot of labor—your own or paid help—and patience
in tending the new grass. A third method would be to take some
railroad ties or treated landscape timbers and enclose an area
surrounding the foundation. The enclosed area, when filled with dirt
high enough to cover the exposed blocks, will give you a raised bed
perfect for planting shrubs or flowers. Keep shrubs a couple of
feet or more away from the house.
There
are some other simple ways of doing all this—but, however you do
it, the object is to get the tile covered and protected from the
weather. Like many smaller repairs, this situation has a way of
turning into a bigger problem, if care is not taken. So, take a look
around your home, see what is your situation, and plan your course of
action.