Modern Masonry Paint Causing Damp in Old Building

A short video highlighting the importance of masonry care on old solid walls. This video shows how modern masonry paints are not compatible with solid walls which include soft, absorbent materials like old brick & lime mortars.

[@1myfriendjohn]

Great video mate. Had a similar issue with my old place and opted to scrape off a lot of the paint and lowered the soil level around the affected area. Worked a treat.

[@harewoodindependentsurveyo4326]

Thank you & well done 💪!

[@dwall2]

how the heck did you take the paint off?

[@1myfriendjohn]

@@dwall2 Honestly, it was peeling a bit anyway so a scraper for the most part and some paint remover for the rest. The paint remover was the worst as it was proper stuck on.

[@dwall2]

@@1myfriendjohn got any product / tool recommendations?

[@jaberchowdhury1094]

Love the content... Great advice. This channel will soon go far. Keep posting regularly if you can. All the best and see you on the next one ☺️

[@harewoodindependentsurveyo4326]

Thank you! We will be uploading more 😊!

[@budte]

I qualified as a House Painter & Decorator in 1979. This was taught to me by my instructor. All the rain that would have been absorped and then later vented now runs down the walls towards the foundations. That can't help either.

[@alanyoung7532]

Simple but essential advice because applying modern masonry paint to old solid walls is a bit like wrapping them in cling-film or perhaps for people to wear plastic macs - they prevent or restrict evapourative drying. If walls can dry out freely then the chances for so called rising damp is reduced as water always takes the least line of resistance and will therefore evaporate sideways at low level if it is allowed to do so. Want free further advice then obtain a copy of the SPAB technical advice note entitled "The Need for Old Buildings to Breath". It is worth noting that too few builders know about this concept or indeed the importance of lime mortar for old buildings. By the way companies such as Keim produce mineral masonry paints which have similar breathability qualities to lime wash.

[@xt7190]

Good simple informative video all should see, more to come I hope! Cheers

[@LesBrecknell]

Id love to see a video or to hear your tips on how to remove these masonary paints, on my house it just seems to impossible to shift.

[@fucxkxows5416]

I think sand blasting would be the easiest/most effective way of removing the paint.

[@harewoodindependentsurveyo4326]

Hi Les, soon I’ll be uploading a video on paint removal 👍

[@markhardman-haworth6583]

Even a blowtorch & wire brush hardly has an effect at removal... there are removal options, but none that are easy/cheap to do.

[@larsfars2070]

Great advice. Very insightful video

[@harewoodindependentsurveyo4326]

Thank you!

[@spatel3783]

appreciate you sharing your knowledge

[@jaberchowdhury1094]

Need your advice, by Victorian house basement gets paddle of water 💦 coming in when it rains. I had Thames water have a look and they said I had nothing to do with them. They said it's ground water penetrating through. But this only happens when it's rains. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[@db7610]

Most effective is a cavity drain / sump pump and membrane system OR a Sika cement tanking system for basement if you are on a budget. It's normal for flooding during rain because the water table rises and your room is below ground.

[@justinrowe3346]

Move

[@jaberchowdhury1094]

@@justinrowe3346 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@justinrowe3346]

@@jaberchowdhury1094🤭

[@alanyoung7532]

The first thing to do is check that surface water and rainwater drains are all working and take the water at least 5m from your building. Many damp and flooding issues are the result of drainage faults or efficiencies. Have a look at Ross Charters (Complete Preservation) videos as he knows a thing or two about ineffective drains.

[@Littlelamb2023]

as a painter i can only agree ive been saying this for years. nobody seems to care. its sad

[@Pavlo_S.V.]

Hello Great video, well explained Wanted to ask, in your opinion is possible to use cement (for better setting) with hydrated lime and sand (0,5:1:5 ratio) for rendering a brick wall layed with lime mortar, as it is quite difficult to find hydraulic lime in our region? Or even small amounts of cement will trap moisture, make wall unbreathable and ruin the bricks? Thank you

[@robtatum5277]

Hi i can answer your question NEVER use cement with lime . Try TY MAWR in wales they are the experts ,i repointed my whole 200yr old house ,rendered walls inside & repointed a long garden wall . Im no expert but with the advice i was given i am more than pleased

[@brendanoneil3489]

@@robtatum5277 got a victorian terrace rendered 1980's with a sand cement lime render. 40 years plus later it has lasted rather well. South Wales very rainy.Apparently adding lime helps the breathability a lot,

[@johnskip2694]

I have a question about a red brick home that is not older then 70 years of age and is in the middle of a city.. A few days ago we had part of a wall "renovated (The wall is about five meters from the ground and is right next to a horizontal roof). The wall kept on getting wet and the masonry had to be changed because of the damage created by the water. We finally found a solution for the water problem. For the masonry, Instead of changing the masonry we added a waterproof cement (about 1-2 centimeters thick.). Was it a good idea to add a coat of waterproof cement on that wall or not? It's only a part of a wall (Imagine about 3 meters in length and 2 meters in width and the wall is way higher and wider then that.)

[@db7610]

So basically you rendered it?

[@johnskip2694]

@@db7610 Yeah, kind of. But i'm wondering now if it was stupid of me or not.

[@alanyoung7532]

In all honesty strong cement render is not a good idea as water will find its way in but cannot escape and becomes trapped. Also cement render is incompatible with soft bricks bedded in lime mortar as it is too brittle and prone to cracking over time. See the Building Research Establishment "Good Building Guide 18 Choosing External Render." Personally I would suggest a a rain-screen cladding of tiles or weatherboarding as this would protect the wall and is both flexible and breathable.

[@MrBulky992]

Does this apply to all modern masonry paints, including the ones advertised as "breathable" (e.g. Sandtex, Emperor)? Emperor claims to allow 94-96% of any trapped rainwater to evaporate.

[@joshb9657]

Rumour has it hes still trying to remove the paint

[@Englandsbestlover]

Now I know what Micheal Owen is up to these days

[@harrybrown3657]

My house is rendered and I've always used Crown Sandtex smooth masonry paint. It has breathability and lasts many years. I like to apply a fresh coat of the same colour every 5 years or so, but it can last up to ten.

[@harewoodindependentsurveyo4326]

If you’re going to use a modern paint then this is certainly the right thing to do, keep on top of maintenance. Things start to go wrong when the paint fails 👍

[@alanyoung7532]

Beware of modern masonry paints such as Sandex because they are a petro-chemical product and although marketed as breathable they are no where near as breathable as lime wash or mineral paint - that is precisely what this video has demonstrated. This is exacerbated by the accumulation of multiple layers over the years until it becomes impermeable and similar to cling-film. Kein manufacture natural mineral paints which are as breathable as lime-wash so well worth referring to their Technical-Digest. Do also read the SPAB leaflet "The Need for Old Buildings To Breath".

[@brendanoneil3489]

@@alanyoung7532 I used Sandtex last year on old unpainted concrete/lime render. Some visible staining a year later in places where the walls are sweeating so a good sign, lime with cement render is quite permeable I think.

[@jackwardley3626]

masonry paints are not breathable they say they are but they are not the bar to be classed as a breathable paint is to low water based masonry paints have a SD value of 1 upwards which isn't very breathable at all a proper breathable paint should have a SD rating of 0.01-0.05 which is what lime washes and linseed paints etc are based in standard modern paints are not breathable and will always crack and peel no matter what you do been a decorator 20 years

[@harrybrown3657]

@jackwardley3626 Fair comment, but I can only report on our own house, which has been protected by Sandtex for over 40 years. It's had a few fresh coats, and it's never cracked to my knowledge.

[@opless]

How would you remove that paint?

[@CaskMusic1]

I've heard either high powered jetwash, or an industrial chemical type job.

[@user-ns7vj4tz5h]

My external wall is damped and its also affecting internal wall. The internal wall was plastered in summer and Damp proof cream was also injected. As soon the winter came both external and internal walls were affected by Damp. There is no water pipe or such thing underneath leaking. It's all causing because of the moisture going until the bricks from external wall. Is there any damp proof paint i can do on the whole wall below the window and any bitumen paint on the bottom line of bricks. Would it help ? My landlord won't spend any money. Could you please advise on this issue so I can try resolve this issue myself ??

[@michaelallcock9363]

Have job getting that out if hole house but ever remove paint just small section brick use brick stripper prevent,s damage takes up 3 to 5 year,s most time before see blisters,s if don't do anything get,s worse if unattended eventually lead to collapse water build,s up but paint gel stripper is best way sandblasting destroy,s brick,s only thing do scraper after paint strip just got he careful scraper drill as can chip layer off brick