cheaper alternative to rendering an external wall

[shardy]

Hello,
I'm not sure if this is a question for rendering or decorating forum so apologies if it is in the wrong place.
The retaining wall around our parking bay looks a mess. When the house was decorated a few years ago, the decorator painted it with weathershield masonry paint. this turned out to be a mistake as the bricks are porous and every winter since then, water gets trapped behind the paint expands in the freezing weather and blows the face off the bricks.
Previously, before painting, the water could drain out and evaporate.

I had a quote for fitting EML, rendering and fitting coping stones on top and it is a lot more than I thought and the bloke I like to use isn't available for a couple of months.

As I want to put the house up for sale as soon as possible I was thinking of cleaning it up with a power washer and painting it with weathershield again.
I wondered if there is an alternative method to tidying it up that will not deteriorate over the course of 1 winter?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I've attached pictures

 

[foxhole]

I think the main problem is the choice of brick for a retaining wall.

 

[shardy]

It was here when we moved in. I think they are standard house bricks. Maybe concrete blocks would've been better. They looked a bit mucky but I should've cleaned rather than painted. They started deteriorating the first winter after painting. Can't afford to rebuild so I'm wondering if it is better to sandblast and repair, or is there another solution?

 

[pilsbury]

If you were staying in the house then putting some effort and money in the wall would be a good option. If you want to pretty it up just for sale of the house, I’d be inclined to jet wash the hell out of it, scrape it, let it dry out and bang another coat of paint on. As long as it looks sharp for the months your house is up for sale and going through, you’re laughing..... next winter the buyer may not be laughing and be on here asking the same question. But that’s not your problem.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Nothing you do cheaply will make it look noticeable better, or change the value or kerb appeal of your place. Don't bother putting lipstick on a pig.

I'm sure any potential buyers will be must busy looking at the state of your neighbours house anyway

 

[ryan.mitchell_ce]

Hello,
I'm not sure if this is a question for rendering or decorating forum so apologies if it is in the wrong place.
The retaining wall around our parking bay looks a mess. When the house was decorated a few years ago, the decorator painted it with weathershield masonry paint. this turned out to be a mistake as the bricks are porous and every winter since then, water gets trapped behind the paint expands in the freezing weather and blows the face off the bricks.
Previously, before painting, the water could drain out and evaporate.

I had a quote for fitting EML, rendering and fitting coping stones on top and it is a lot more than I thought and the bloke I like to use isn't available for a couple of months.

As I want to put the house up for sale as soon as possible I was thinking of cleaning it up with a power washer and painting it with weathershield again.
I wondered if there is an alternative method to tidying it up that will not deteriorate over the course of 1 winter?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I've attached pictures

View attachment 138842 View attachment 138843 View attachment 138844

Hi Shardy,

You’re definitely not alone with this issue — masonry paint on older/porous brick can cause exactly what you’re describing. Once moisture gets trapped behind it, frost damage is almost inevitable.

If you’re looking for a cheaper and quicker fix (especially since you’re planning to sell), I’d probably avoid repainting with standard masonry paint again. It might look good short-term, but there’s a good chance it’ll start failing again after another winter.

A couple of more practical options you could consider:

• Thorough clean + breathable treatment
  Power washing is fine (on a moderate setting), but instead of repainting, you could use a breathable water repellent (like a silane/siloxane-based solution). It helps reduce water absorption while still allowing moisture to escape.
• Limewash or mineral-based paint
  These are more breathable than modern masonry paints and tend to work better on older bricks. The finish is more natural too, which can actually look quite appealing for buyers.
• Spot repairs instead of full render
  If only certain areas are badly damaged, patching those sections and leaving the rest exposed might be a more cost-effective middle ground.

Rendering with EML and coping would definitely solve it long-term, but I agree it’s a bigger job than most expect — probably overkill if your goal is just to tidy things up before selling.


If it were me, I’d go with a clean + breathable treatment. It’s relatively low cost, quick to do, and avoids making the moisture issue worse.


Hope that helps

 

[StephenStephen]

If it was mine in these circumstances, I think I'd go for jetwashing, and limewash (mix lime putty with water and put 3 or so coats on).
It'll make it look a lot better, and won't add to the damage.