Waterproofing brickwork

[rextherobber]

Help please - can anyone recall the thread last year, which mentioned something you can paint on bricks to stop them letting water in? The concrete apron the stables are on is about 4" away from the brick course the wooden stable is built on,along the back wall, and every winter, damp seeps in and makes the bedding musty very quickly. The guy who did the base said the brick course should be right on the edge of the concrete, but if course, I was at work when it was done.. .I believe the lowest wooden plank should have a groove on the edge to stop water from running down and along into the inside, but it doesn't. So do I have two issues, the concrete and the non- grooved planks? And will the one product cure them both? Apologies for long, garbled post, I can't think how else to explain it.

 

[PurBee]

I would mix some concrete and plaster a 45 degree wedge from the brickwork to the edge of the concrete pad, so rainwater doesnt sit on that ledge and seep in.
Then i would paint the whole lot with a general masonry waterproofing coat.
You dont need to paint the entire height of bricks, just high enough where rain splash-back hits the wall…which is generally about 18 inches.

 

[rextherobber]

I would mix some concrete and plaster a 45 degree wedge from the brickwork to the edge of the concrete pad, so rainwater doesnt sit on that ledge and seep in.
Then i would paint the whole lot with a general masonry waterproofing coat.
You dont need to paint the entire height of bricks, just high enough where rain splash-back hits the wall…which is generally about 18 inches.

Brilliant! Thank you

 

[Coblover63]

Thompson's Water Seal can be painted on.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Do you have a tame builder who can check it for you? Sounds like there isn't a damp proof course or membrane.

 

[Asha]

Have a look at RIW Lac , fantastic stuff . But not suitable over wood .
https://www.riw.co.uk/products/liquid-applied-systems/lac#

 

[clinkerbuilt]

Damp-proof course (especially check not over-topped by concrete); water-resistant sealant might just seal in the damp and accelerate damage to the bricks...

 

[PurBee]

Damp-proof course (especially check not over-topped by concrete); water-resistant sealant might just seal in the damp and accelerate damage to the bricks...

Good point, if the brick wall is also sodden, traditional sealants would seal in the damp, but i think op is saying the water is mainly seeping in at the join between concrete base and brick wall join.

(youre right op, there was a thread about this not so long ago…new stable build too..i recall that post was about water getting in where the wood wall joined the brickwork, as that face of the stable was the exposed wall getting prevailing winds and rain hitting it and seeping in.)

Most masonry paints on the market today are breathable, whilst being waterproof. Coating 1 side allows the other interior side to fully breathe.
If the brick wall is sodden/damp inside and out, and you coat both sides with a truly waterproofing coating, you’ll seal in the damp and that could disintegrate your bricks over time.

Breathable yet also waterproofing paint, similar to this:
https://emperorpaint.co.uk/exterior-wall-protection
(they might offer clear sealant if you want to keep the brick colour as is)

As we’re in spring, this is the perfect time to do concreting and put in a 45 degree bead as mentioned in other post. You could let that all dry-out. See what happens to the bedding after just doing the concreting work, without applying any sealer. You may find you’ve solved the issue with a 45 degree bead of concrete to allow rain to run-off.

If that wall is facing the rain and winds and the whole face of the wall/brickwork is often drenched/sodden, i would consider sealing the lot with a waterproof breathable clear sealant.

 

[rextherobber]

@PurBee - i recall that post was about water getting in where the wood wall joined the brickwork, as that face of the stable was the exposed wall getting prevailing winds and rain hitting it and seeping in.)

It is exactly this - Apologies, I have explained this very badly!
It's a wooden stable block on a brick base which is only 1 course high. It should have been put on the edge of the concrete, (the guy who makes the stable block told me to make sure that the brick course was on the edge of the concrete to prevent water ingress, but I was unfortunately at work and the message never got passed on, so the bricks are about 6" away from the edge) There is no damp course. It sounds like the stuff you paint on, as suggested by coblover63 and Asha, would sort it out?
Thank you all for your replies and help