Resealing a concrete cistern

[mridgeelk]

I hope someone in this group can help me with my predicament:

I just returned from Jamaica after cleaning our rain catchment cistern. When I brushed the walls it opened several hairline cracks that had been plugged with silt creating several seeps. I have heard that a lime-paste or a sand/cement paste may work. Drying and curing time comes into play as the tank can be empty for three days. Any suggestions other than coming to Jamaica and assisting in the project?

[hausdok]

CWM - crystalline water proofing material (http://www.xypex.com/)

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[mridgeelk]

Thanks, Mike, unfortunately it is not available in Jamaica. I may be able to ship it in but the tariffs are extreme.

[kurt]

Many years ago, I was doing a job on St. Johns with a similar problem. We used Xypex; it worked.

It'd probably be worth the tariffs.

Some form of lime paste or patch might suffice, but I doubt that stuff is available either. If you go lime, plain old Type S hydrated lime isn't sufficient; not pure enough. You have to go pure Natural Hydraulic Lime, like that available from LimeWorks.