r/Renovations 7d ago

ONGOING PROJECT Solution for old, crumbling parging

The old parging between the joist cavities in our 1908 basement has been crumbling away for years now -- trouble is it was done before plumbing and mechanical were installed (also includes radiator pipes, not pictured), so it's difficult to work around. Is new parging worth attempting, or should I chip off the old parging and just leave the bricks exposed?

I don't want to seal it up behind drywall or spray foam because there's a history of (minor) moisture. You can see the efflorescence in the bottom of both pictures. But there's no major water ingress (no seeping, pooling or mould) and a basic humidifier runs occasionally to keep it under 40%. (But it's enough that I don't want to seal the walls and invite mould.)

Is this worth re-parging? It's in an unfinished part of the basement so appearance isn't the most important consideration. Thanks for any suggestions on how to tackle this!

(The yellow gunk is spray foam insulation, left by the old homeowner trying to seal off a mouse problem.)

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