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Watermarks on internal brickwall

Dear all,

We are so thankful to find this forum to discuss any house-related issues. We just noted a few watermarks on the internal wall of our gargage. The marks were not "wet" per se when we touched them but it really looked like some water was leaking through. May I ask if this is posing any structural damages or risks? Is there anything we can do to improve the situation or at least prevent it from worsening? The other side of the wall was soil which made the fix, if any, a bit tricky I presume.

Thank you very much for your help and time reading the post.

Best wishes,

Jason

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Jewelleryrescue

Hi @tljtse

Yes you do have an external wall water leak problem it is no good sealing the inside wall alone . If your wall dosnt ever dry out you can get mold occuring.

If this only happens infrequently after heavy rains it may not be a problem.

Ideally the external wall needs sealing so no water enters wall in your situation but that is a hellish job exposing your wall deep enough depending on your outside land scaping etc.

First try work out where the water is coming from . Leaking outdoor tap or hose. leaking pond or pool. If you can work this out is half the battle. Is your roof gutter blocked and over flowing ?

Plan A would be to divert as much water away from your house as possible especially at wet locations on the bricks so i dosnt soak in the and run down the wall exterior. Slope dirt away for at least 2 meters so water runs off. a Concrete path may help here as apossible.

If any nateral water flow/ run off or low spots from around your property is hitting your house I highly recommend drains to take it way.

No water means dry wall.

Well come back so we can discuss what your exterior water is doing. And where you think the water is coming from 🙂

EricL

Hello @tljtse (Jason)

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about watermarks on your brick wall.

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Jewelleryrescue. When your wall was built the builder neglected to seal the outside wall with an adequate water barrier. Hence the condensation from the soil is passing right through the concrete blocks. If left untreated the wall will begin to develop mould and an infestation will set in.

The ideal repair option is to dig out the soil that is leaning on your wall and wash the mud off and seal it with Gripset Betta 15L Bitumen Rubber Waterproofing Membrane. If you're wondering why you can't seal it from the inside, it is because of a phenomenon called hydrostatic pressure. Water from the outside pushes against whatever sealer you put on the concrete block from the inside and at some point, it will start to peel off. This is why the sealer must be applied from the outside wall.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

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