brick waterproofing, water running of bricks

Our team at Damp Hero waterproofs your walls & improves their thermal performance as well as enhancing the liveability standards within your home. With better thermal performance, your internal house warming requirements are much less, which may lower your energy bills.

However, brick waterproofing is more than just finding any substance to cushion your property from dampness. Dive in to determine suitable materials for brickwork waterproofing, how to prepare and waterproof your house walls, and more.

Can You Make Exterior Brick Walls Waterproof?

While bricks themselves aren't waterproof, you can apply quality water repellents with chemicals like siloxanes and silanes to prevent damp surfaces. With careful preparation and proper sealer application, you can avoid brickwork from leaking.

What Is the Best Product for Waterproofing Brickwork?

The best product for waterproofing brickwork depends on various factors. You have to determine which property in your home needs waterproofing. Is it a chimney, pavement, or house wall?

Does the brick sealer control damp conditions while still allowing the bricks to breathe? How effective is it in moisture and heat loss control?

The times it takes to dry, the number of coats required for effective functioning, and pricing are some other factors.

Look for a sealer that works well, has long-lasting performance, dries fast, and one you can use on various surfaces.

brick waterproofing, water running of bricks

Should You Waterproof Damp External Walls?

No matter how articulate the brick and mortar joints got completed, Masonry walls are never wholly waterproof. Even the latest modern homes with cavity walls and impermeable materials may still end up wet (water penetration from the outside). Damp issues and excessive moisture in brick walls, concrete walls, and stone walls can result in black mould, among other wall damaging conditions.

While various entities are taking the initiative to be eco-friendly, air pollution and the resultant acidic rain are still issues homeowners should consider. Water coming inside your house can cause corrosion, algae bloom, and lichens on your masonry walls.

Damp problems can also result in most walls losing their structural integrity, with timber elements rotting in the process. The damage caused needs immediate house repair to protect your building.

You also need to protect yourself from accidental falling of cracked walls or ceiling. Therefore, waterproofing brickwork is important in minimizing potential accidents and repair to houses.

By repelling rain penetration, you minimize heat loss which may help you lower your energy bill.

How Do I Prevent Water Seeping Through My Brick Wall?

The best way to perform brick waterproofing and avoid penetrating damp is to attend to what leads to the damp walls. Before commencing with waterproofing brickwork, you should repair any faults, including small cracks and faulty mortar on older buildings.

Once sure of the structural integrity of a wall, you can apply a brick water proofer, for example, façade cream. The cream creates a water repellent barrier on the wall surface against external moisture conditions. Your property is safe against rain penetration, pollutants, frost damage, and any other form of penetrating damp with a brick water proofer.

And this method of waterproofing brickwork doesn't only combat rising dampness in bricks but also other masonry walls, including stone and concrete walls.

However, not all brick sealers are suitable for all types of masonry. Some substrates, if impermeable, may partially absorb active components. Apply a small portion of the brick waterproofer to a wall cavity to confirm whether it can cushion you from penetrating damp.

Depending on how your masonry bricks are, there are various sealers you can use to treat penetrating damp.

Water Repellent Sealants and Creams for Un-Painted Masonry Bricks

If you want a waterproofing solution for unpainted plaster or brickwork, you can apply a facade cream to deter rain and moisture entry into your building for some years.

How Do Moisture-Proof Façade Creams Function?

The cream sips past the masonry surface applied to, for example, bricks or a stone wall. Typically, the form and consistency of the solution ensure it properly penetrates the wall without dripping to the ground.

The active components align into the pores of the masonry deterring moisture absorption and the wall from getting wet. With the right damp-protection solution, you can prevent masonry bricks from getting wet for a long-lasting period.

An added benefit of applying the water repellent solution to the affected area is it allows brickwork to breathe. If masonry is already damp and you apply a substance that does not permit the pre-existing moisture to evaporate, it continues to degrade your building.

Given the clear drying nature of water repellent creams, any exposed brickwork maintains its appearance. So, you can retain your property aesthetics while ridding the external walls from damp conditions.

Tip- The masonry wall should have a good condition and unpainted if you want to apply water repellent paint. Any structural defects like cracks, broken joints, hygroscopic salts, rising damp, and defective connections need prompt remedies before waterproofing the brickwork surface.

Applying Water Repellent Masonry Creams

To layer the wall surface with water repellent masonry creams, apply just the first course of the cream to untreated brickwork with a roller or paintbrush.

Waterproofing Treated and Cracked Brickwork

In cases where traditional penetrating damp treatments don't apply like treated, cracked, or painted, brickwork, search for a worthwhile water repellent coating.

Your water repellent paint should give you an easy time smearing it on your walls. It should also have high water resistance and good crack-bridging ability. With such qualities, you can waterproof your walls without dealing with the costly removal of old paints.

Waterproofing Bricks: Step by Step

Having seen the different ways for waterproofing brickwork, here is a simple guide through the process.

  • Dust, sweep, or even sand bricks thoroughly before waterproofing. Clear all particles from corners and mortar joints where grime tends to collect.
  • Scrub the wall using a rag and soapy water. Dampen a dry towel after cleaning to rid it of excess moisture. Allow the damp walls to dry completely overnight before working on them.
  • Put a brick sealer solution onto your paint tray. A basic masonry sealer works on most brickwork. However, some areas like the chimney may require you to search for a solution specific to this task. Chimney sealers enable moisture to exit your chimney's interior while still waterproofing its external surfaces.
  • Spread the sealer onto your walls with a paint roller. Have an angled brush allowing you to smear the sealer onto the mortar lines better. Let your sealer dry properly. This should take about eight hours.
  • Add another coat over the first course and let it dry for a day before touching or walking on the brick surface.

Old Building Brick Waterproofing

You can use masonry waterproofing creams on older buildings to prevent dampness. These creams prevent rain from penetrating yet permit water vapor to escape from the brickwork, allowing your building to breathe as it should.

This way, your house's interior is secure from penetrating damp and harsh weather while still allowing any remaining moisture to exit freely.

Another benefit of applying these creams is your building gets to maintain its authentic retro appearance. If you have an old natural stone house, a masonry brick waterproofing paint ensures you retain the textural properties without a physical change.

What Differentiates Damp-Proof Paint from Masonry Waterproofing Paint?

While you use masonry waterproofing paint outdoors, damp-proof paint is not suitable for exterior use. Damp-proof paint works best in indoor damp-prevention applications.

While waterproof masonry creams appear white once dry, damp-proof paint comes in colors. You can get damp-proof paint in either black, white, or grey.

Finally, damp-proof paint doesn't allow walls to breathe, given its impermeability.

Short Video: Waterproof & Damp Proof Brick Walls with Masonry Cream and Sealer

Closing Remarks

Unsealed bricks absorb water that may weaken them and put your property in danger. Waterproofing brickwork enhances your home's worth by beauty preservation and extending property life.

Proper sealing also minimizes grittiness on indoor floors and external paved ground. Not all sealers are waterproof. So, as you search for a solution, read labels carefully to make sure they are ideal for external use.

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