Hi. Out of interest, what would your view be on removing the plastic paint entirely back to brick? It seems coincidental that many of the houses and flats in your videos with damp issues have high internal humidity and render/ painted exteriors. If there is ongoing excess moisture inside the property then would repainting with impermeable paint not just exacerbate issues? With the paint removed and wall patch repointed, I'd presume there would be minimal water ingress that would then quickly be able to evaporate, including excess interior moisture through the wall. I would be interested to know if this is a route you might advise to clients? Interesting videos, thanks!
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment! I completely agree that unpainted external bricks are ideal for evenly absorbing and evaporating rainwater. However, from my experience, stripping the paint back to the brick is often very time-consuming and costly, and many people prefer to keep the existing look, especially if they like the colour of the paint. This applies not just to paint but to other external coatings like render or even External Wall Insulation (EWI), which can eventually allow water to find its way in if not checked regularly for cracks (annually) and properly maintained. Regarding high internal humidity, it’s rare for cracked external paint to cause moisture to penetrate all the way through the wall to the inside. The more typical issue is that slightly damp walls cause heat loss, which in turn makes condensation worse. This is particularly common in older properties where modern lifestyles generate high levels of moisture that are difficult to remove. Managing internal humidity is key, and the most effective way is to monitor and maintain the indoor air’s dew point (vapour) - keeping it a few degrees below the outside temperature - Dews Law. This helps reduce condensation, which is a common culprit for damp problems. I am about to post 3 additional video surveys exploring the effects of hygroscopic salts, rainwater and condensation, in the coming week or so, as part of a series. Thanks again for watching and engaging with the video! I’m glad you found it interesting.
Thanks for the reply and additional comments. I appreciate that the advice given must often need to be based on a balance of cost, aesthetics and effectiveness. The videos on hygroscopic salts have been very useful, I have numerous patches around chimneys which I'm sure could have been misdiagnosed as a leak/ rising damp without seeing similar examples on this channel.Thanks!
