Vapour Permeability & The Truth About Stormdry

Roger carries out some tests to see if the claims made by Safeguard Stormdry are watertight.
MORE ON STORMDRY
Stormdry has been tested to EN ISO15148:2002 (E), demonstrating its effectiveness on concrete, mortar, brick, and sandstone.
Stormdry masonry protection cream is applied to masonry in a single coat by means of brush, roller, or spray. Once applied, it penetrates deeply into the masonry before curing to form a colourless, breathable water repellent barrier.
WHAT IS PENETRATING DAMP?
Rain penetration through masonry (known as penetrating damp) is a common problem in buildings - particularly in the case of those of solid wall construction.
The problem is also increasingly common in buildings of cavity wall construction where cavity wall insulation has been poorly installed or used in walls that are not suitable for cavity wall insulation.
Other paths through which rain can cross through a cavity wall include incorrectly positioned wall ties and mortar obstructions in the cavity.
Penetrating damp is caused by water permeating through walls from the outside. It can occur at all levels of a building but is more prevalent higher up.
It is possible for damp to move within walls but this horizontal movement differs from the vertical movement of rising damp. Penetrating damp is usually caused by the following:
Porous Walls - Aging bricks lose the ability to keep out rain penetration.
Spalled Bricks & Degraded Mortar - Damage to brickwork allows water to penetrate.
Building Defects - Defective guttering and downpipes, roof damage, dilapidated or poorly installed windows. In this case, fix the root of the problem before applying Stormdry to boost your protection.
#Stormdry #VapourPermeability #Safeguard
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Out of respect to our channel sponsors and the wide variety of people who watch our videos, we will remove comments that do not follow common standards of politeness and decency.

[@markhaynes6410]

Thanks for a great demonstration and the honesty to mention the "negligable" results from the independent test data. But mostly, thank you for bothering to take that extra step to re-assure not only the viewers but also yourselves in the face of questions. Open minds all round and always be prepared to change a viewpoint based on new info. Thank you.

[@SkillBuilder]

Mark The reference to 'negligible' is simply that the amount of moisture not escaping from the brick through evaporation is too small to make a significant difference.

[@GavinLawrence747]

The integrity of this channel is/was never in doubt. I think everybody agrees you are an honest and trustworthy channel. You gave me hope that there are still good tradesmen about. On the product, I certainly think there will be applications where this product is suitable. The problem is when people start using the wrong product to solve the problem. I think it probably works well on brick, but I do still have doubts as to anybody painting this on sandstone, especially in coastal areas!

[@borodinskyful]

Except the dot and dab tiling that didn't get addressed

[@SkillBuilder]

It did get addressed. You missed it. You can dot and dab and still meet the British Standard. No problem. The tiles are still there, no cracking or missing grout.

[@stephencollins9062]

I am wanting to use it on a hard sandstone at the coast:/

[@m4inline]

This channel is just bloody next level. Amazed at this stuff. Who needs school when you get content like this? Think i will just binge watch the whole channel history then print my own degree.

[@SkillBuilder]

That is very funny. We could issue diplomas.

[@m4inline]

@@SkillBuilder and t shirts. "I watched everything on Skill Builder"

[@ansaarscouts9644]

Have you done the same with a control sample? Without treatment showing water going trough? Would be good to see what head of water could be with held by a treated sample (without a positive pressure from in side). Other control I would like to see is two bricks saturated with water, then one treated one left untreated, and then left to air dry to see how long one takes to dry to the other. (Weight of brick dry and wet should measure how much water is locked in to the brick)

[@SavvasPapasavva]

Lol - If you don't believe it, well you're never going to believe it... great final words of wisdom.

[@end-game2030]

High quality way of silencing the keyboard warriors. Big up Skill Builder.

[@SkillBuilder]

We will never silence those people who have closed minds. We know it works and does zero damage.

[@davezeraschi7936]

Skill Builder well proved mate I’m satisfied with that proof 👍🤘

[@chrislyon8677]

@@SkillBuilder A mind is like a parachute: it works best when it is open

[@corindoyle]

Keyboard warrior here, sorry I mean a time served fixing mason who practically repairs old houses and actually understand the fundamentals of what is happening because of education, training and experience. Your house needs to get wet and then dry out as it needs the water to repair the micro fractures caused by thermal expansion through calcification. It also needs to breathe in both directions because of condensation forming in the walls. The rate of permeability is also important for different stone/brick types to prevent the formation of gypsum or effloressence on the facade, among many other things that can rapidly deteriorate the fabric and affect its look. Permeability of lime mortar for those interested is roughly, complete saturation in 15 mins for hot lime, 30-35 mins for putty and 60-80 mins for NHL. I'd be surpised if this ever gets fully saturated, meaning the mortar will dry out and crumble instead of turning to mush.

[@FromePublishing]

@Horatio Nelson who talks sense

[@stinser]

I used storm dry about 6 months ago on our house to treat penetrating damp. I've been monitoring the moisture content of our walls internally and externally since then, and it has been dropping to the point where I no longer have a problem. Prior to that, there was year round damp (somewhat variable with the weather, but always higher than satisfactory). It's great stuff if used for the correct application, if a little pricey.

[@TurinTuramber]

Where was the damp coming from?

[@stinser]

@@TurinTuramber Rain. We're in a fairly exposed spot. The house is from the 30's. It's lovely, but the bricks are very porous and there is no cavity. I spent a long time confirming the problem and researching solutions.

[@stinser]

I should also add that there are loads of products out there which absolutely would lock moisture in. They have other uses. It's all about doing your homework and finding the right solution for the right problem. To echo what Roger says in the video, the independent analysis is available and my personal experience backs it up.

[@alanbentham3784]

Our house is victorian with a gable end wall. Every time it rained we had huge damp patches showing at the gable with three distinct areas showing wet. Tried other products and no better. Finally used Stormdry and it cured the problem straight away. I cannot recommend highly enough.

[@johnf3326]

A lot pricey! £120 for 5L.

[@frankklein4872]

I've just used StormDry on old granite/slate chase. Mortar was lime mix two weeks before. I'll go extra on the flashing, top cap, drip edge, shale rock and joints. Great video Wodgey Rodge, although on a chase the ability to expel trapped water is negligible. I shall report back....

[@XRah-vr5sx]

Report back then

[@mrsc3120]

One of the best products I've ever used. It worked wonders on the old stone chapel that I live in. Can't recommend it highly enough.

[@mpsymonds1]

I use Storm dry and swear by it. The best product that I have been introduced too. I remember seeing how much it cost for the first time and thought it was an error. 😂 I took the plunge and its worth every shackle. I think even brick manufacturers rate it, and they normally hate anything being coated onto their precious brick. Looking forward to your new Damp videos. I get the odd call to look at problems caused by potentially penetrating damp, normally it's straight forward like a faulty Gutter or Drainage but it's an interesting subject especially if it's rising damp etc. 👍

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks Mark. Nice to have your comment based on experience. As you say most of it can be fixed easily by sorting out gutters and pipes etc. This product is good for chimneys with no dpc.

[@TYLERCONSTRUCTION]

Proof positive, stoomdry is breathable. Excellent video Rodger👍

[@stuart.barkley]

Roger’s done enough. He did the original video and there were doubters. Fair enough. He’s now done a fine job by going to the manufacturer and building an experiment to try and show the doubters that it does actually work. If this is not good enough then do the right thing instead of whingeing. Go out, buy the product yourself and demonstrate that it doesn’t work!

[@glynbritton9792]

Fantastic clear video, thank you Roger. I’ve only just discovered your videos on KZbin this week and absolutely hooked and picked up so much useful information. Stormdry is on my list of projects to apply to my 1930’s house, just had the pointing done now for stormdry. Keep them coming please 🙌.

[@SkillBuilder]

Welcome aboard!

[@tomlisi1561]

I’ll be applying Stormdry to my house now … thanks for the great video

[@Lord-Brett-Sinclair]

We had a house that seeped in water in via porous brick, this treatment worked a treat

[@classic1989mini]

Does it feel any warmer, as claimed?

[@Lord-Brett-Sinclair]

Difficult to say, but it stopped the water which was a big relief.

[@classic1989mini]

@@Lord-Brett-Sinclair that's all we need, cheers

[@tomlee812]

Really interesting. We have damp penetration through our brickwork and I've ordered some Stormdry. Thanks for doing this to show me how it works.

[@sebastians_]

And? Satisfied?

[@daves4026]

Brill wanted to see this for years We used this on 3 properties. Great stuff

[@manishpatel5236]

Another Mic drop moment! Great video Roger! Well done and thank you for your video! What would be great is to see a video whereby there is damp whether that’s rising or penetrating and fixing the cause of it rather than masking the symptom... if you know what I mean. Thanks again! 🙌🏼👏

[@alanyoung7532]

Thumbs up - Good to see you are open minded about these things as it is indeed necessary to verify the claims of manufactures. This demonstration was very interesting and does appear to support the claim that the coating is breathable. Strictly speaking however this demonstrated that air - rather than water escaping as water vapour - will readily passes through the sample under slight pressure. Would be illuminating therefore to seal water in the base of the container, place it in a dry place, and see how long the container takes to fully empty by simpler evaporation - maybe this has already been done?.

[@SkillBuilder]

Yes all those tests have been done but they are hard to film. There is no doubt at all that this coating is vapour permeable. If water turns to vapour the molecules are very fine and aren't trapped.

[@alanyoung7532]

Roger - just checked the Stormdry website and indeed they have done the water vapour test and found that the sample was, as you say, only slightly (10%) less breathable than the untreated sample and in many if not most cases this would be an acceptable reduction. If however the wall was damp due to internally generated moisture (eg condensation) a 10% reduction might be undesirable. Definitely learned something useful here, not least that it is necessary to track down the actual source of any excess moisturer before deciding upon a treatment method.

[@alanyoung7532]

@@SkillBuilder Roger - yep all accepted and an interesting demo.

[@adamflint2060]

Great video, and fair play for testing the products you've promoted and putting them under scrutiny. It takes balls as it may put future sponsors off but if everyone done this then hopefully, in the long run, lead to a higher standard of products across the board. I like the look of this product and I'm definitely going to try it, however, when the water was poured in you could see air bubble rising from the brick. That suggests that the water is penetrating the brick and forcing the air out? So maybe the brick is breathable because it isn't sealed by the product???

[@bisthebuilder8935]

Good video Roger, Forget all the doubters. Tell them to go and use it. I have used this product for years on chimneys, single skin garage walls etc and never had a come back. There is the proof.

[@gpo746]

Thank you Roger. Your other stormdry video and this one is very informative and it will be a product I will use on our house .

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Well I’m convinced Roger ! Great little demonstration 🧱👍🏽👌🏼

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks 👍guys. This gets used on damp chimneys all the time.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Skill Builder 🧱👍🏽

[@kieronmorton8447]

Good vlog I,m a brickie and I,m always sceptical about these chemical products but this was a great test to show the product at work

[@wade5941]

Excellent sir. I have an occasional problem with efflorescence on segmented retaining walls I construct. You gave some ideas for consideration.

[@shanehorton2047]

This is brillant. I have a solid damp wall and when I watched your previous video this was my first concern but it's just confirmed its probably the right fix.

[@SkillBuilder]

It will do no harm which is reassuring.

[@thecuttingsark5094]

This is like the rain jacket breath ability debate. It’s basically plastic with holes (goretex etc.) the holes are too small for water but big enough for air and water vapour. The same as Tyvek.

[@dreadlysmellybum]

Exactly, some people do not understand this though...

[@SkillBuilder]

Dave 101. Spot on, it shouldn't be that hard to understand

[@michaelballinger6419]

I wonder how well it performs after a number of years with a build up of dust etc from the environment. That's where water proofing on breathable substrates are less effective, but here I'm thinking of gortex which is undoubtedly completely different to brick. That was a fantastic display of the product in action, well done skill builder team!

[@bitTorrenter]

What a simple and great demonstration of the product.

[@paulwalsh3848]

Quality product. Just applied some at high level and can see this being utilised much more frequently because of the Government's 2050 building regs.

[@martinbowker5920]

Brilliant! ive just used this product on one of my Builds. It was astone property , with penatrating damp!

[@neilphilip2320]

A very convincing test to my eyes, thanks Roger!

[@shaunglendinning]

Great video Roger! Explained everything down to the tee! Cheers.

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks 👍Shaun

[@thehigman]

Hi Rodger thanks for the experiment. Scientifically though, you would need a control brick which hasn’t been treated with the storm dry. That should show water ingress. That said, clearly breathable. Cheers..

[@SkillBuilder]

We will do more on this with a control sample but the test results are all there for public consumption.

[@KyleBevis-u7j]

People who question this don’t understand primary school science. Water = big droplets. Steam = tiny droplets. Tiny can leave through tiny pores. Big can’t enter through the same tiny pores. It’s literally some of the most basic stuff we teach children about water.

[@lazylad9064]

I like Rodger the scientists more than Rodger the skill builder😀.

[@michaelhall5948]

Really interesting video, thanks for taking the time to do it. 👍🏻

[@enquire422]

Back in the early 80's they gave us an option, play rugby(in the freezing cold) or learn a skill. I chose the skill route and didn't look back but it was a shame we didn't have the Skill Builder channel in those days!

[@ttfweb1]

Great video. My dad was a mason for 50 years, and maintains you should never paint anything on brickwork. And with the technology he lived with - good idea. New tech can change things - this looks great.

[@SkillBuilder]

Respect for your Dad but there are plenty of products that can help to prevent rain penetration. Chimney stacks are particularly prone to damp being wicked down into the bedrooms. They used to use linseed oil to try and reduce this. The only trouble it that the starlings love it and peck away at the mortar.

[@user-cn1em2qx6f]

can you do some tests with acrylic masonry paints that claim to be breathable? and upload a vid would be good

[@JakeBM4]

Interesting would have liked to see a control. Since the cavity was under pressure I don't think the water would have gone down either way.

[@BAYUMBE]

you are right.

[@Heaveho120]

It would have when there was no pressure, at the beginning. The pressure is not contained as we saw, so particles are free to move, hence the bubbles. Air will escape anyway it can so as soon as pressure is applied its instantly released through the brickwork. Water is denser than air and will sink due to gravity. It didn't sink all the way thru into the cavity in this case. But a control is always handy.

[@SkillBuilder]

OK Jake that is an easy demonstration to make. It works in the same way that Gortex works. Vapour passes through. If the water wanted to get in it would simply by displacing the air. Think about it and you will appreciate that it is not possible for the air to keep the water out if the air passes through the brick which it clearly does.

[@SkillBuilder]

Spot on HunGrLow you have a brain which puts you in a minority here.

[@JakeBM4]

@@SkillBuilder perhaps you are right, I'm no expert. Clearly don't have a brain either! But you should have had a control to illustrate your point.

[@johnf3326]

Now try the experiment with brick treated with 'ordinary' silicon liquid. You are applying air pressure to one side that would not normally occur in real life situations. It would be interesting! Storm dry is about £120 for 5L so how much would be needed to treat a house? The savings in heat loss would have to be very significant to justify the cost, though if you have a damp problem, obviously the dual benefits of stopping that AND heat loss would make it worth the cost

[@jaredlogan1676]

Well dude it’s obvious the haters don’t know what they’re talking about. You don’t want to lock in moisture but that’s why you didn’t put it on the inside of the house lol. You did exactly what you want to do!

[@vasvlogs8667]

Can I use this on brickwork that is painted ? The paint is quite old and is discoloured from damp..

[@grotekleum]

Well, if you don't believe it now you don't want to believe it. Thanks for taking the trouble to show this stuff in action, as they say a picture (or video) says a thousand words.

[@paulramos5373]

Thanks for this and all your other content Roger. I'll certainly be giving it a go.

[@TheSD2289]

Very clear to anyone with half a brain that it works!! Well done, really good quick video !!

[@Skleponline]

There is pressure in the bottom chamber hence there is no chance of water getting down. But yes, looks like it allow air to pass through

[@SkillBuilder]

Water is heavier than air. It is very simple science.....for some people.

[@Skleponline]

When pressure is built up - then weight do not matter at all.

[@matthumphries4208]

Nice to see now i will use it on any cement mortar wall. Thanks for the info.

[@ianhenson724]

This is another great video, i purchsed this and will do again it is super stuff, you can feel the difference when inside it is like having new windows for the first time.

[@SteveHit1]

A very interesting video. I think I see a model on the bench of a trimethoxysilane, which, assuming this is the main ingredient, indicates how the coating would work, without affecting permeability significantly: I think the idea would be that the silane would form an extremely thin layer that would not block the pores in the brick, but would form a water repellant surface.

[@CP-du3ci]

Good demo but what happens when the pressure in the bottom of the flask is lower than the pressure above the brick, i.e instead of pumping air in, suck it out. At what differential pressure will the water above the brick seep through? As a scientist Roger you should test all possible scenarios:-) Great chanel you and Robin do a great job both as tradesmen and KZbinrs.

[@SkillBuilder]

I am not a scientist and there is nothing to be gained by sucking water through the coating. The suggestion was that the coating is impervious and this experiment, suck or blow proves it will allow vapour through. How will you see the vapour if it is being sucked through water to end up in the bottom. We all know that a vacuum will draw the moisture through the brick. That tells us nothing.

[@CP-du3ci]

@@SkillBuilder I know your not a scientist Roger, however it would have been interesting to see the pressure differential at which the coating failed to keep water from penetrating the brick from the outside, you know the job it is sold to do. And that is the point of sucking water through the coating. I am sure the detail is in the technical specs but your demos are so effective at letting us know the effectiveness of a product in real life I am just sceptical about this one. For example if you buy a tent they will give a measurement by which the fabric will resist water ingress, pointless for anything other than direct comparison between products, it would just have been interesting to see the same for this product. Also while your demo showed the product let air through the coating, in real life the pressure differential inside and outside a building is negligible as I understand it and so the test is not indicative of the product in use. If, as I suspect, water will penetrate the product equally well in both directions then there needs to be a different mechanism than just pressure as you demonstrated. You do a great job as I said and I am certain the product is worthy of use but be careful about the demos you put your name too, they may prove misleading.

[@josepeixoto3384]

@@CP-du3ci if the pressure dif.is nill, does it still matter ?

[@samuelfulbrook6776]

The product is supposed to be reapplied after so many years from my understanding. Also that level of pressurised water saturation of an external wall isn’t likely, unless you think you’re going to use storm dry to waterproof a swimming pool.

[@metal_loz]

I'm so glad I found your channel this week. I bought Thompsons waterproof sealer as I have a small patch of penetrating damp from rain coming through 1920's brickwork. I was waiting for a dry weekend to apply it but have now gone out and bought stormdry understanding that Thompsons can lock in moisture. Wondering what I should do with a full 5L of Thompsons now...any suggestions for applicable uses?

[@completepreservation]

Well done Roger👍 Stormdry is a fantastic product which is proven over time, and has a BBA certificate. It isn’t like Thompson’s water seal either that isn’t uv resistant 👍

[@SkillBuilder]

Thank you Ross. At last someone who knows something about the product. So many people condemn it without every using it.

[@completepreservation]

Skill Builder keep up the good work Rodger 👌👌👌

[@jimmy4952005]

well done and thank you on with a renovation at the moment the house is 1800 if not before all old sand stone with some damp going to paint the sand stone with this

[@namenotavailable11]

The theory is sound. Water vapour is a much smaller molecule than a liquid water molecule. You can make products that allow water vapour (a gas) pass through but a water molecule (liquid) can't pass because of it's larger size. Gortex fabric does the same thing. You can stand in a shower with a Gortex jacket on and not get wet, but it allows your body to breathe (pass water vapour) so you don't feel clammy.

[@liammullan2197]

This was really useful, thanks Roger

[@robmaule4951]

Excellent Rog. Two fingers up to the keyboard warriors

[@callumjohnson9433]

Love the channel been watching a while now. Always interesting. I have never used this product nor am I a builder but I do believe a better test needs to be done. In no situation would this stormdry be under pressure. When the little chamber was pressurised higher than the atmospheric pressure air is very likely to find its way through. In order for it to be a true and honest result the pressure both sides if the brick need to be equal as it would be in a real world building brick.

[@SkillBuilder]

Callum This was not a test, it was a demonstration to show that air and vapour can pass through the Stormdry and it can therefore not trap moisture. We know that because the tests on this product have been carried out by several reputable labs across the world and they are published for public consumption. As for pressure in buildings if you assume that water vapour is passing through the building and there is sunshine on the wall which, even in the winter, will warm the wall up any moisture locked in that wall would certainly be under pressure but it is not necessary to apply pressure for the moisture to escape. Things dry out in the sun very easily so if there is a pathway through for air there will be one for water vapour. There is a lot to discuss when you start looking at the way vapour travels through a building and if you are interested in knowing more I will find you some good bedtime reading.

[@callumjohnson9433]

@@SkillBuilder thankyou for the reply. Every episode I watch is lesson that I enjoy keep them coming :)

[@lonniei1606]

Wow! Great demonstration Roger. 🤓

[@martinkiely3147]

Great video thanks for making it as I am about to use this on a customers house and will also show them this video 👍

[@Samfarrelly]

Nice one Roger!

[@Benchandbeyond]

I am not dispiting that Stormdry works but the test presented seemed floored because air was pumped into the bottom chamber so the air pressure would pressure would of prevented the water seeping in. Would be good to see the test done again but with the pumps tube removed.

[@SkillBuilder]

The test had nothing to do with whether Stormdry repels water, there is no argument about that. The point of the test was to show that even though it is waterproof it still allows air (and therefore water vapour) to pass through. This means it can't trap moisture in the wall.

[@johnbell7552]

A great demonstration & a conclusive result 👍 but I bet you’ll still get a few sceptics 😉

[@dougal8812]

Air (predominantly O2 and N2) are smaller molecules than water (H2O) so this doesn't necessarily show us that it will let the water out of the wall. A better test would be to have a brick with stormdry only on one side, then put the water on the side *without the stormdry* and see if the side with the stormdry gets damp/is more humid. If it is damp/humid on the stormdry side then it is letting the water though the brick and vice versa. I would note that breathability has multiple meanings, in the case of letting old buildings breath people obviously mean allowing water to pass while I suspect the breathability stormdry are talking about, and what you have shown with that experiment, is air breathability which is kind of beside the point.

[@ricos1497]

That's a very good point. I'd be interested to hear Roger's thoughts on it. I'm guessing if water can't come in, it likely can't go out either. But if there was never water in the cavity, then wouldn't the breathable air flow be enough to prevent condensation?

[@tobsco2]

Water is actually smaller than oxygen (O2), the hydrogen atoms are tiny so even though there are more atoms, the molecule is smaller. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_diameter

[@dougal8812]

@@tobsco2 Ooooooh, that's interesting! I haven't heard of that before! Though, I think it would be worth doing the experiment as I've described to see what would happen because it's a more realistic simulation then pushing air through a brick.

[@SkillBuilder]

Edward you are not seriously suggesting that water vapour is unable to pass through the same space as air. Water vapour, is way finer than droplets and will pass through almost every kind of building material. That is the whole reason we end up with interstitial condensation and the reason that vaoour barriers are installed.

[@dougal8812]

​@@SkillBuilder Well obviously! 😭😭😭 Of course water can pass through almost every building material, if it didn't then dpcs and things like stormdry wouldn't be needed. That's obviously not what I am saying. All I'm saying is we want the product to allow the water in the building to escape, and the better way to asses that is to do the experiment as I described above. i.e. wet/damp brick with stormdry on one side, check if the brick is releasing water from he stormdry side (which is the way I was thinking when I was talking about humidity on the stormdry side of the brick in the original comment)

[@pamvarnsverry2444]

Thanks for the clarity

[@Investor_2000]

Utopia, excellent presentation! Well done that man 👍👏

[@jamesjm1987]

I'm a BCO and we can accept this instead of a cavity tray if theres a good reason one can't be installed.

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi James I must admit if I have seen that kind of penetration over an opening that has no tray I have recommended a coating of Stormdry but, obviouly, if a tray can be fitted it should be.

[@Southpoint2019]

I have been using this stuff for years and it is incredible

[@ajr3553]

Thanks Roger, That has convinced me it works.

[@lksf9820]

Most, if not all masonry is 'breathable' so (as per some of the below comments) a test without Stormdry would have been pointless as it would have just shown the same result. What would have been interesting would be to coat the brick in other masonry waterproofers (Thompsons WS (which I believe is Silicone), Masonry paint etc) and see what happened to them. Although walls are not exposed to that amount of air pressure so it wouldn't have proved a lot perhaps. We own an old solid walled house which is built from porous stone and it sits in a very exposed wet location so gets lashed with extreme wind and rain (WDR). Since the day it was built it's had a damp problem cause by this and builders bodges. As soon as we bought it all the incorrect cement pointing was removed and re-done with Lime, it was also blasted clean and coated in Stormdry. Now any damp can get out and Stormdry prevents excessive rainwater getting in. Attached to the house is a modern cavity stone walled extension which was not given any treatment, after a period of WDR the stone is dark and thoroughly soaked, the Stormdry treated house is not. The extension takes ages to dry out. It is dependent on how extreme the wind and rain are and for how long. It does actually get through and dampen the outer face of wall a little when it's really prolonged and severe, but it dries out quite quickly thus proving that SD does work in conjunction with the lime to allow moisture out. The inside remains dry. I was dubious and researched the hell out of it before using it, but am very happy with the results. I believe it's silane/siloxane, the same as damp proof injection cream. The added bonus is it helps keep the stonework clean, someone recently asked if it was a new build it looks so crisp. It was built in 1908......

[@johnmorrissey1675]

This would be ideal for houses in flood area's to keep the foul water from penetrating deep into the walls , maybe ? good video 👍🇮🇪🍀

[@SkillBuilder]

Check out their website where they show that very application with a cavity pump.

[@kevinthepilgrim5441]

You could also conduct a Karsten tube test.

[@NickBhat12]

Another great job chap! Wish my beer would retain co2 like that.

[@ranxxerox6407]

Roger Bisby is…. The Science Guy!

[@rikardsaje]

Fantastic! I need to coat my chimney.

[@ultravern]

I used Stormdry on my solid walled house as I was getting serious penetrating damp issues despite having it repointed. Since then I have had no more damp at all. My next door neighbour is now getting her house done too.

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks for sharing your first hand experience of the product. It helps people get a balanced view.

[@chrissyjames7711]

ok the big question for me is why they sell the repointing additive doesnt the cream do the whole job ? videos of product in action show just brick not brick and cement , found one video showing additive used in conjunction with cream , result seemed to show positive results , but the grey area for me is ................ why the pointing additive for extra protection doesnt help with lime though ? Roger the adverts use the words " storm dry " but all their products are called storm dry ... so in theory they dont have to say use storm dry pointing additive and use cream ...100% the key is inspection of the pointing as it will leak through there.

[@alanmorgan1389]

Interesting - well Roger, you have clearely demonstratd that air molecules under pressure can be pushed up through the brick sample but surely, that is not the same as water vapour (so larger molecular sizes?) under just atmospheric pressure being able to do the same? PS I'm not a chemist or physicist, just a curious bod. And I've only just started to watch your channel and I love the stuff you're doing so please don't take my comments as a criticism.

[@davidreece1642]

How about applying negative pressure ie a vacuum rather than positive pressure via the hand pump. If the water is sucked thru' the brick slice ie downwards then that would show porosity. The positive pressure prevents any water from flowing downwards into the lower chamber.

[@christopherhughes2848]

Can ‘Stormdry’ be used to ‘tank’ garage wall from the inside?. To stop water penatration.

[@tam2083]

Try it with no ayr in the bottom chamber and water in the top chamber and see what happens ayr pressure keeping the water from penetrating

[@lameduck3630]

But most people have air pressure inside their house

[@SkillBuilder]

@@lameduck3630 In Scotland they have Ayr pressure

[@stephenrichards5386]

Roger That would be interesting if you applied a light vacuum in the bottom chamber instead of air pressure

[@GedandMichele]

Hi Roger.Reference your comment on more videos on damp, I've got a damp wall I need to sort out if you want to use it for demo purposes.I'm just up the road from Robin if that works for you?

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Gerard I would be interested in looking at it and seeing if there is something we might do.

[@GedandMichele]

@@SkillBuilder Great. My email address is [e-mail] and I'll share my phone number with you

[@RB-qg1qx]

Great demo thanks!

[@george-1961]

I wanted to use this in a job but the customer was not prepared to pay the price of that product

[@alpachino468]

I need some advice please to anyone who is kind enough to help. We have a (196sq m) detached house built around 2005 with a 100m cavity and fibre insulation. Our house is always cold and never retains any heat at all. Today, we had an insulation company visit to do a brief inspection and to provide a quote for replacement insulation, but the removal/adding in of new polystyrene ball insulation is very pricey at around £16k. Their other solution was to spray the walls with Stormdry, which is a 3rd of the cost and they say will allow the existing fibre insulation to dry out - as they suspect it might have gotten wet and isn't working effectively any more. They reckon we can get up to around 80% efficiency with the existing insulation and the Stormdry working in tandem together. I'm really not sure if what we've been told will work for us and need some advice please.

[@michaelinkster4977]

Would you apply Storm Dry to a Sandstone building?

[@indianatone218]

Thanks for showing us roger question tho ? can yo put masonry paint over the coating ?

[@Youtubeuser1_me]

Thank you Rodger

[@alan36753]

Great channel, great product and I need to waterproof a wall but the price...!!! Wow

[@billyarnold1578]

Thank you Roger I have a cavity extension and room is cold so I will definitely try this to see would it help keep cold out Slso I will be doing in side plaster walls on termalite water coat paint Regards Billy Arnold Ireland

[@falfield]

Very inventive demonstration. Belzona make something similar - also very expensive. But sprayed on, so much quicker application and greater reach from single position. Less easy to see the bit you've already done than with Stormdry. but this only a drawback if you are haphazard.

[@lksf9820]

You can spray Stormdry on too.

[@djgoody1210]

Quick question…… can this be applied onto brickwork after it’s been cleaned using Disclean or similar?

[@stevendouglas3860]

Looks good, Roger .

[@G_Grip]

Difference between storm dry and storm dry max? Does the max still dry without changing the color of the brick?

[@peteh1942]

Just had my roofer endorse the product 100%

[@SkillBuilder]

people who have used it tend to like it a lot, people who haven't seem to know all about it.

[@eelm2079]

awesome, thanks very much this is perfect

[@AlexSavage]

No disrespect. I don't know why this video was made, I haven't seen the previous comment. But from what I can see this is inconclusive if you have a higher pressure at the bottom. If you would've created a bit of negative presure or vacuum would've the result be the same? I'm not saying that the product doesn't do what the manufacturer say it does. This comment is in regards to your video and the test done.

[@AlexSavage]

What you say makes sense. In my opinion, it wasn't to clear if there was or wasn't any pressure at the bottom at certain times in the video. Thanks Ian

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Alex It is perfectly valid because the migration of vapour through buildings is assisted by differentials in heat, humidity, air pressure and evaporation. If the product seals the surface in the way some people claim then the vapour is impeded. This test demonstates something which is taking place over hours or days and is difficult to see. This is an exagerated example but no less valid.

[@AlexSavage]

@@SkillBuilder Thanks for letting me know. Like I said before. I haven't challenged the suitability of the product. My comment was to do with the test itself.

[@twmd]

this is an old stormdry demo. Brick tie has some other demos. It's a bit like silicate paint. You can demonstrate high vapour permeability in a lab but it's not the same as showing that it's safe for all walls. The precationary principle would say keep it away from old buildings. As per the technical spec it's not licenced for lime stone masonary and given that lime mortar over time carbonises to lime stone I imagine it would be wise to avoid. Especially given the most recent research into historic lime mortar highlights the importance of capillary size in drawing liquid moisture (rather than vapor) from the masonry to the surface of the mortar for rapid evaporation. This process was not designed at the molecular level but evolved with the craft during centuries of use. I'm sure this product has its uses but i'd like to see longitudinal reasearch for pre 1909 buildings as this is not a product that can be removed if problems are found years after application.

[@SkillBuilder]

twmd The Siloxane lines the capillary pores of the bricks to reduce the surface tension and prevent water droplets trickling in without actually blocking them. This is well documented and you can read many test reports from all kinds of people saying that it has a very negligible blocking effect. The fact that it stops rainwater entering the structure means that the bricks will be drier and warmer so the amount of water evaporating from the bricks is greatly reduced. There are many naysayers in these comments but not one of them has a good suggestion of how to stop rain penetrating solid walls and causing structural damp. The message is that "If you live in an old house you must simply suffer the damp in silence" . It smacks of elitism but fortunately not everyone holds this view and some people even hold the opinion that houses are first and foremost dwellings and should be fit for purpose. Of course we don't want to do damage to buildings but ignoring damp and leaving it to take its course is also a form of vandalism.

[@twmd]

​@@SkillBuilder But even stormdry say not for use one limestone. It's a bit inconsistent. The science explanation sounds plausable but far too often i've found that the actual evidence or methodology is very poor. I will see what's available on storm dry. I can really recommend you read 'hot mixed lime and traditional mortars' by Nigel Copsey which is helpful for understanding how moisture moves in traditional buildings. 'suffer damp in silence' - who says this?. I agree that homes are primary a place for comfort and as a dwelling there's no use looking pretty if it's a struggle to live there. There is a difference in view point. Older buildings go through wetting and drying cycles and the lime mortar worked very well in not only preserving the brick work but presenting moisture to the surface for more rapid evaporation. We probably don't fully understand how this works but Copsey's book has up to date understanding which goes beyond the 'breathable/vapour permeability' concept. What emerges is that all walls are different and many cope fine with 1000s of wet/dry cycles without damp or damage to the masonry until they are subjected to cement pointing and render which has interrupted that process and contributed to the unbalancing the moisture and damp. It's not elitist - Farmers used to slap inexpensive lime render on their buildings and barn and white wash it every few years as part of the maintenance and protection against driven rain and the evaporating /drying rate is much faster than a bare masonary wall - which is to do with the functional performance of this material not 'breathability'. There must be some crap buildings that just happen to be old but in the most part we have changed the way moisture moves through buildings and many seemingly well meaning fixes has pushed the equilibrium towards dampness. There are now methodologies for improving thermal performance of older houses and I believe

[@twmd]

@@SkillBuilder I believe SPAB are planning sponsor studies into masonry creams in older buildings which may give us some more information about the suitability of products like this in pre 1909 buildings.

[@DonovanLee]

Quality work here