Hi, I live in an old terraced house and recently spotted a rising water stain on an interior adjoining wall. I applied three coats of Screwfix No Nonsense Stain Sealer, allowing plenty of drying time inbetween applications, followed by two coats of Dulux emulson. A few days later the paint started to crack.I have tackled stains like this in the past but have never known the paint to crack? Any suggestions? Thanks.
Paint cracking?
- Thread starter nmfeb70
- Start date
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I suspect that the area may still be damp. The Stain Sealer won't be able to adhere to the damp plaster.
The DPC (damp proof course) on the party wall may have failed or perhaps either you or the neighbour may have a leak somewhere.
The DPC (damp proof course) on the party wall may have failed or perhaps either you or the neighbour may have a leak somewhere.
Did they drill and inject the adjoining wall? AFAIK that would have required them to lift your floor boards to get down below the flooring joists.
For it to be rising damp, the DPC or DPM has either failed or a pipe might be leaking on to building waste under the floor that is leaning against the wall above the DPM.
Stain blockers are not designed to hold back water. Zinsser WaterTite claims to hold back water thereby allowing you to paint over it with a paint of your choice. I have never used it and imagine that it cannot hold back salts that form on the surface of the plaster. I haven't used it personally. Nb: salts tend to cause raised blisters in the paint work.
If I were to use WaterTite, I would apply it by brush and then apply the first coat of emulsion by brush. Rollers have a tendency to pull paint of unstable surfaces.
Unless you are planning to sell the property very soon, I would advise dealing with the rising damp. Given that it is a party wall you may find that even after checking the foundations after lifting some floorboards, the problem might be next door. Do they have a radiator or sink on the other side of the wall?
Good luck.
For it to be rising damp, the DPC or DPM has either failed or a pipe might be leaking on to building waste under the floor that is leaning against the wall above the DPM.
Stain blockers are not designed to hold back water. Zinsser WaterTite claims to hold back water thereby allowing you to paint over it with a paint of your choice. I have never used it and imagine that it cannot hold back salts that form on the surface of the plaster. I haven't used it personally. Nb: salts tend to cause raised blisters in the paint work.
If I were to use WaterTite, I would apply it by brush and then apply the first coat of emulsion by brush. Rollers have a tendency to pull paint of unstable surfaces.
Unless you are planning to sell the property very soon, I would advise dealing with the rising damp. Given that it is a party wall you may find that even after checking the foundations after lifting some floorboards, the problem might be next door. Do they have a radiator or sink on the other side of the wall?
Good luck.
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The DPC was applied to the front external wall but that is going the same way after 8 years. I have included a blown up photo of the cracking paint on the front wall. The crack is about an inch. I may try the Zinsser sealer you mentioned but failing that, it'll have to be another DPC.
I cannot definitely say that the other wall is the result of a failed Damp Proof Membrane. Drill and inject should however last more than 8 years. From memory, the guy I normally recommends offers a non-insurance backed 20 or 25 year guarantee (the inference being that it should last longer than that.
In my limited experience, party walls are often ignored by the firms conducting the work. If I were being cynical, I might assume that they don't want the hassle of lifting floorboards. Drill and inject on an internal party wall, after lifting floor boards will take 4(?) times longer than drilling holes from the outside on external walls.
I am not recommending the following, but.. if you don't want to lift floor boards, you could drill through the skirting at a downward angle and then drill in the masonry and insert some DryZone rods. They look like hot melt glue sticks and after x amount of hours the chemical in them leaches out into the brick or mortar.
As a Londoner, I have no experience of stone or flint houses and cannot confirm that DryZone rods would be suitable. Perhaps you could email them.
I am only recommending because of their ease of use. You drill a hole and push the rods in. No need for any other kit.
The correct way would be to lift the floor boards though and drill and inject will be cheaper than dryzone.
In my limited experience, party walls are often ignored by the firms conducting the work. If I were being cynical, I might assume that they don't want the hassle of lifting floorboards. Drill and inject on an internal party wall, after lifting floor boards will take 4(?) times longer than drilling holes from the outside on external walls.
I am not recommending the following, but.. if you don't want to lift floor boards, you could drill through the skirting at a downward angle and then drill in the masonry and insert some DryZone rods. They look like hot melt glue sticks and after x amount of hours the chemical in them leaches out into the brick or mortar.
As a Londoner, I have no experience of stone or flint houses and cannot confirm that DryZone rods would be suitable. Perhaps you could email them.
I am only recommending because of their ease of use. You drill a hole and push the rods in. No need for any other kit.
The correct way would be to lift the floor boards though and drill and inject will be cheaper than dryzone.
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