I think water is coming in through an old (150 year) brick wall, which looks very pitted. (The rain only comes through when there is also a strong wind.
Can I get a spray which will seal the wall? Or should I apply something with a brush? And if so what?
Any suggestions or advice gratefully received.
Liquid Plastics do a lot of different stuff but I think it's the K501 that you need to waterproof brickwork
I've never found anything that really works. I've totally flooded walls with Thomsons Waterseal and it's made virtually no difference. A bit like trying to seal a loaf of bread I suppose. Re-pointing helps a lot but, if the bricks themselves are porous, it's not a total solution.
Actually I've used it in these circs pretty successfully. After it was applied, when it rained you could easily see the area of outside wall where I'd applied it, as the brickwork stayed pale-coloured and moisture-free whereas elsewhere it went dark as water soaked in.
I'm never quite sure whether it's a good idea to use it though, ie, you're sealing a wall which is meant to be able to breathe.
David
There has been a few threads on this in the past, something siloxane based should be best, as long as the brick isn't tooo porous:
Better to get something from a specialist company dealing with stone facades and get their advice rather than something cheap from the local shed.
cheers, Pete.
Tim, I have sealed porus pots and a toilet bowl, with an invisible hairline crack, using PVA glue diluted to a milky consistency. With the pot I just swilled it around for a few minutes, left it to stand for ten minutes and then threw the excess away. With the toilet I just left it in the bowl overnight and flushed it away in the morning. That was 24 years ago and we're still sitting on the same one.
If your wall isn't too big you could apply it with a plant spreyer.
Chris. PS - (Played Cricket on the grounds of Trinity when it celebrated 400 years.)
Mistake mistake. I'm not going to sit and type the full story of why yet again. Short answer is repoint if the pointings bad, and fix any other sources of water such as overflowing gutters etc. Rain does not blow thru bricks, though it can blow through bad pointing.
NT
Thanks for all the responses.
I guess the problem could just be the pointing, as some suggested. The brick is badly eroded, but the pointing is worse. So I'll try re-pointing first (actually, I think I will get a professional to do it) and see if that solves the problem.
Since your wall is old soft porous brick, you should use lime mortar (3:1). Cement is the main cause of soft brick deterioration, and would only make it signficantly worse in time.
If the bricks are disintegrating badly, a coat of lime render should stabilise them. But dont use cement, cement render is about the worst option for soft brick walls.
NT
Make sure he uses lime mortar, not Portland cement.
The walls I've used it on could certainly breathe (and drink) quite freely
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