I'm looking for some advice on stopping my garage from getting so wet. We've lived in this house for about 6 years, and until now we've only used the garage for storage, but we'd like to start using it as a workshop and home gym. The house is a bungalow built in the 1950's, and the attached small garage looks to be a DIY job, built later to the side, but it is also very old itself. It's made with a single skin of rock-face concrete blocks.
We've had the roof and guttering replaced, and we're having a UPVC back door/window fitted soon, along with a new sectional garage door. As far as 'sealing' it from the elements goes, I think we've done as much as we can. However, the walls are often visibly wet, and after very heavy rainfall, the floor gets very wet.
I'm assuming that the rain water is soaking in through the bricks, running down the inside of the walls and out over the floor. I've done some research, and there are various sealing paints and tanking solutions that seem to be suggested, but they all assume that the bricks are bare. The interior and exterior walls of the garage have been painted, possibly several times, and its very old paint, so I'm dubious about being able to remove it without causing damage or costing a fortune.
Are there any cost effective solutions to this? We've already spent a decent amount on the doors and roof, so short of rebuilding it, which isn't really an option at this point, I'm out of ideas for stopping the water. I'd appreciate any advice.
We've had the roof and guttering replaced, and we're having a UPVC back door/window fitted soon, along with a new sectional garage door. As far as 'sealing' it from the elements goes, I think we've done as much as we can. However, the walls are often visibly wet, and after very heavy rainfall, the floor gets very wet.
I'm assuming that the rain water is soaking in through the bricks, running down the inside of the walls and out over the floor. I've done some research, and there are various sealing paints and tanking solutions that seem to be suggested, but they all assume that the bricks are bare. The interior and exterior walls of the garage have been painted, possibly several times, and its very old paint, so I'm dubious about being able to remove it without causing damage or costing a fortune.
Are there any cost effective solutions to this? We've already spent a decent amount on the doors and roof, so short of rebuilding it, which isn't really an option at this point, I'm out of ideas for stopping the water. I'd appreciate any advice.