Cement birdbath help

[perc-o-prince]

Hi all,

Has anyone had luck repairing cement? The bowl cracked maybe 10 years ago and I was able to repair it with an epoxy, then used a sealant on the crack (that's the crack you see going from about 3:00 - 7:00 in the photo). It's been fine since, until...

I noticed it wasn't holding water like it used to but the original repair is still good. I looked closer and found a few little cracks starting. These allow water to seep at the rate of maybe 2-3 drops per minute. Id like to put a thin layer of something inside the bowl as well as over the bottom, but there are so many products out there!

I saw this one (see link) and like the description because it bonds to the existing material and has structural strength.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Chuck

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rapid-Set-25-lb-Mortar-Mix-04020025/202207958

 

[gansky1]

Rust-Oleum has a 2-part epoxy that I recently used on the floor of our front porch before painting it.  The man at Ace Hardware recommended it highly and said he'd used it on his birdbath and a flower pot.  It worked well on the porch floor and I'm going to use it on our birdbath next.  Was easy to use and can be sanded & painted once it's cured 24 hours.  

 

 

[paulg]

Bottoms to the rescue / Cheap fix

My bowl cracked. In the interim I placed a flower-pot bottom inside.

 

[perc-o-prince]

Thanks Gansky. Is it a rigid final product capable of taking weight? Or flexible? How's the adhesion factor?

Paul-thanks, but trying to save the structure of the original. Cool easy fix though!

Chuck

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">Always amazed. If you need help with just about anything this is the place to ask. Members know something about practically everything.</span>

 

[circlew]

Since birds may drink out of it, you want to use something that won't make them sick.

 

[askolover]

I was going to say Damtite paint but it may harm the birds...don't know.

 

[thomasortega]

I'd go with epoxy. On top of it I'd make a layer of swimming pool plaster (just to make it disappear).

ANd to add more fun to the birds (as birdslove a jacuzzi) Why not add one of those solar fountains? they're somewhat crappy, but inexpensive. It's surprising how they can last average 2-3 years.

https://www.amazon.com/Mademax-Foun...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[retro-man]

How about that stuff you see on tv that you paint over screens and make a boat out of it. lol It comes in black or white. lol don't know if it would work but just tossed it out there.

Jon

 

[perc-o-prince]

Thanks guys, but the idea is for whatever I use to be somewhat structural because this birdbath has been here for 50+ years and somewhat sentimental. If it were just a case of sealing, the clear Flex Seal would have already been done.

And Thomas, no! The little "darlin's" already have fountains enough here to frolic in!! LOL!

Chuck

 

[thomasortega]

so, in this case...
1) flexseal
2) a "weak" cement misture to coat and make it look like cement again (almost like shotcrete)

 

[perc-o-prince]

Thanks, Thomas,

... but as I said, this needs to be a structural repair. Flex seal and a skim coat of plaster will not accomplish the goal.

I bought the Rapid Set mix linked above after consulting with a mason. Gansky- if I wasn't looking for structural for a heavy piece, the Rustoleum was tempting. He said if it was a lighter and/or thinner piece, the Rustoleum would be great.

Fingers crossed- hopefully I can get to it tomorrow or Friday!

Chuck

 

[thomasortega]

The solution suggested would also work structurally (unless your birds are elephants)

 

[gansky1]

This epoxy dries rock-hard and can be sanded after curing if needed.  I sanded mine on the floor and primed/painted it.  It's only been a month or so, but so far it looks good.   I also used it to reattach a small chunk of the porch floor that broke out around the front of one of the iron support pillars when the old concrete steps shifted and pulled the railing.  We've removed the railing completely now so that won't happen again. Since it was a vertical surface, the epoxy wanted to ooze out so I used a sheet of Glad Press & Seal plastic wrap to hold it in place while it set.  Worked like a charm and peeled off completely when it was dry.

 

I can understand the sentimentality, my birdbath was made by my late grandfather around 1986 when he was 80, the last one he made after making numerous for family and friends through the years.  He saw the pattern in the newspaper, cut it out and a few days later, had it standing in his yard, prompting requests for more.   

 

[perc-o-prince]

Thomas, it's not the weight of the birds... it's the weight of the cement! LOL!

Gansky- I never thought of Press & Seal!! I repaired a cousin's one-piece steps and had to fill some vertical areas- I used duct tape. It removed pretty cleanly... well, most of it! I had to take some solvent to some of the adhesive afterwards. Definitely going to keep that in mind as I noticed some new repairs are needed to those steps! Does that epoxy fill gaps well? And does it have a high adhesion factor?

Chuck

 

[circlew]

Surface bonding cement

Chuck, you might want to consider a product like Quikwall, made by Quikrete. It's primarily used for laying up CMU (block) walls without mortar, but also for resurfacing purposes.

 

[thomasortega]

"Thomas, it's not the weight of the birds... it's the weight of the cement! LOL!"

That's considering the weight of the cement.

It's a bird bath, not a bir olypmpic swimming pool. the load is basically the structure itself, water and birds. Epoxy will work beautifully

 

[retro-man]

There is also mason caulking that you can pick up. Used it on my chimney years ago and it is still holding up. Had cracks in the mortar and water was getting in. It was gray in color but you could repaint the whole thing after. Very easy to use in a caulking gun.

Jon