Anyone used paint on damp wall?

[MrKnifey]

As per thread title, the house we just bought has a double garage and the one wall is against say 3ft of soil/patio. I'm having ever so slight bits of damp coming through.. eventually I want to plaster board the garage so want something to fix this. I understand damp proof and bring the boards away from the wall would help. But for the moment would damp proof paint keep me in the right line for the next year?

 

[robj20]

You should never seem the damp in.
Can you not move the soil away from the wall.

I'd not the correct way of doing it is to tank the wall.
Basically leave a gap for the moisture to collect on a drain that then gets pumped away.

 

[MrKnifey]

To be honest it's not as bad as am making out. I can't move the soil as there is a path on it and it's in-between the house and garden..I'll get some pics..I'm only asking because I want to paint the walls and don't want it to just flake off in the smaller areas

 

[b0rn2sk8]

This should really be sorted from the outside, but as you say, that could be problematic.

 

[Quartz]

I can't move the soil as there is a path on it and it's in-between the house and garden..

Unless you want dry rot, make removing the soil a priority. There should be no soil or stone above the damp-proof course. Indeed you should leave space below the DPC.

 

[SeatIbiza]

Unless you want dry rot, make removing the soil a priority. There should be no soil or stone above the damp-proof course. Indeed you should leave space below the DPC.

Yes - 150mm clear below the DPC (if it has one)...this is a common reason for damp, people mess with the height of the ground and breach the DPC.

 

[glenimp617]

Can't you tank the area with something like aquaseal before plasterboarding?

I think bostik also do something to waterproof brickwork, might be worth a look

You need to ensure the plasterboard remains dry. Doesn't matter what paint you use, if the board becomes a soggy mess the paint will flake off.

 

[fastwunz]

Never in a million years would the construction of a garage AGAINST a wall of soil be permitted.

did you get a survey done on the house before you bought it?

who owns the path? Either that came first or the garage did but someone has done something very stupid or at worse negligent.

You have four options:

1) knock down the garage
2) tank the garage and pump the moisture away
3) create a gap between the earth and the garage wall and drain the associated water away
4) remove the path

Sounds mega dodgy - hope you can get it sorted - keep us posted

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Can't you tank the area with something like aquaseal before plasterboarding?

I doubt it, that is for tanking the inside of showers etc to stop water getting onto the building fabric (as a second layer of defence) not the other way round. The water needs to go somewhere at the end of the day.

I’d expect anything painted onto damp bricks to just peel over time.

My and our neighbours garages floor levels are below the ground level on one side due to being built on a slope and they have specific measures to stop ingress on the outside of that side to stop exactly this. I don’t know exactly how they are built but they have a second course of bricks to above ground level to hold the dirt back and what I assume is a small cavity and damp proofing between.

 

[MrKnifey]

Ill grab some pictures this eve once I have moved all of the rubbish out of the way. Thanks all

 

[Electroshadow]

i had similar, but just due to a 2 brick solid brick wall getting damp in winter just one 4m wall in the utility crazy builders ??? i got fed up with washing the wall twice every winter an repainting in spring.

basically just covered the wall with water and rot proof tile backing board and tiled the wall, you could plaster board over the tile backing board instead. Some tile backing boards (same stuff) can be used for covering the outside of basement builds. Maybe you could use it on the outside of the wall if you remove the soil in order to carry out the work. i would have done but didnt wand to re render the outside of the building.

 

[uncle_rufus]

I painted the walls inside my garage last year and the paint is flaking or kind of going furry (almost looks like mold/ice but I think it's just the paint coming off)... along the bottom edge below where I can see the DPC is...

Initially I figured it must be because when I had flowerbeds put in around the edge of the garden and dumped a bit of topsoil + mulch onto the top I must have allowed the level to poke just above the DPC, but I've been all around the outer wall with a shovel to check and corrected a couple of spots that looked iffy but its made no difference at all. So at a bit of a loss what to try now

 

[Matt-Page]

I painted the walls inside my garage last year and the paint is flaking or kind of going furry (almost looks like mold/ice but I think it's just the paint coming off)... along the bottom edge below where I can see the DPC is...

Initially I figured it must be because when I had flowerbeds put in around the edge of the garden and dumped a bit of topsoil + mulch onto the top I must have allowed the level to poke just above the DPC, but I've been all around the outer wall with a shovel to check and corrected a couple of spots that looked iffy but its made no difference at all. So at a bit of a loss what to try now

Do you have guttering around it? Is it clear (including the down pipes). Are they draining into the surrounding ground or a soak away?

 

[Kamakazie!]

Something like Zinsser will probably solve the visibility of the damp spots but it may make matters worse if it stops moisture escaping the wall and they become saturated (or migrate further upwards I guess!).

 

[b0rn2sk8]

If it’s only effecting below the DPC, you might just have to live with it as that section of brick will get damp because it’s below the DPC.

 

[uncle_rufus]

Do you have guttering around it? Is it clear (including the down pipes). Are they draining into the surrounding ground or a soak away?

The guttering goes properly into drains/soak away

If it’s only effecting below the DPC, you might just have to live with it as that section of brick will get damp because it’s below the DPC.

Yeah maybe... don't want to use something to seal it as that seems like it won't help, actually contemplating just getting some rubber/plastic sheeting and sticking it like a sort of psuedo-skirting that will at least stop it looking tatty (but still be fairly breathable)

 

[tom_nieto]

It sounds like your garage is similar to ours, although I don’t think we’ve quite got 3 foot of soil against the wall. We had ours built from scratch into our sloping garden and had everything excavated. We left about a foot of clear space around the garage initially. We then put waterproof membrane on the outside of the garage in the ditch and filled the ditch with coarse gravel and stones to allow drainage (like a French drain). So far so good with damp after 3 years. Is there any way that you could dig a trench around the outside of the garage, tank the outside and install a French drain type setup? Would be interesting to see pictures. I don’t think tanking the inside is ideal in the long term, but could be done.

 

[pp111]

I didn't read the other posts so forgive me if I am repeating stuff other people have said.

Strip back the soil from the outside and clean itt off with a power washer. Paint it with tanking slurry. Two coats. Get inside and wire brush the wall then paint with a damp paint like thompsons one coat damp seal. The damp seal paint allows any trapped moisture to escape without causing any more issues. Job done!!

 

[MrKnifey]

I need to get pictures, I have been so busy with everything else I just keep forgetting. To be honest, it should be the least of my worries as the entire house needs modernizing and work. Soffits and Guttering are next! But, its a man cave and I want to be dry