Foundation parging is a thin coat of cement-based mortar troweled over an exposed concrete or block foundation wall to smooth the surface, protect it, and help shed water away from the wall.
Parging isn't structural, the foundation wall underneath does the actual work, but it covers the joints and voids in block, gives the wall a finished look, and helps direct surface water away instead of letting it soak straight into the block. It's often paired with a damp-proofing or waterproofing coating on the below-grade portion of the wall for added protection against moisture reaching the block.
Parging deteriorates over time and can crack, bubble, or fall away in sections, especially once water gets behind it. In a freeze-thaw climate, water trapped behind cracked parging freezes and pops sections off the wall, so repairing parging before winter, rather than after it's already failed, keeps water moving away from the block instead of soaking in and doing damage that's harder to see until it's serious.
More masonry vocabulary from the glossary.
The services where this term comes up.
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