Masonry Protection Cream - Expert Installers

During periods of heavy rainfall porous masonry can become saturated with moisture, which in solid wall buildings can penetrate internally and cause damp patches, leading to walls losing their thermal efficiency. This is particularly common on walls facing the prevailing rain bearing winds, often South West in the UK.

When external walls become wet, they lose their ability to keep heat inside as the thermal resistance lowers, making it more expensive to heat the home. Damp walls can also lead to structural issues such as wet rot and dry rot. Because damp problems are often complex and misdiagnosed, it is important to fully understand the root cause of the problem. Sometimes penetrating damp is caused by building defects, and does not require specialist damp proofing measures.

Rentokil Property Care can provide a damp and timber survey, which can provide answers to the root cause of a damp problem affecting your property, and if masonry protection cream is required, this will be detailed in the survey report. Our technicians are then able to carry out treatments, giving you long term protection from penetrating damp.

We are Property Care Association (PCA) Members and have a number of branches across the United Kingdom, meaning we have qualified and experienced surveyors and technicians local to you.

Masonry Protection Creams are specialist products used to prevent water absorption and form a water-repellant barrier on porous building materials such as brick, stone and concrete to prevent penetrating damp caused by wind driven rain from entering the structure.

The product is deeply penetrating, rather than sitting on the surface like many competing products.  It lines the pores within the masonry, rather than blocking them, which still allows trapped moisture to evaporate from the wall.

As water is no longer able to penetrate into the masonry, it can prevent common problems such as spalling and efflorescence, while also preventing moss and algae growth.

Inside the property the internal environment will improve as the thermal efficiency of walls increases, meaning less heat is needed to keep the room warm.

It is worth noting that masonry protection cream will only prevent dampness if the root cause is from porous masonry. If the mortar joints are missing or friable, repointing is recommended to get the full potential from this product. If moisture is entering the property from other means these must be addressed to prevent further problems.

Brickwork and other types of masonry can become damp in different ways, meaning that masonry protection cream is not always required. While porous brickwork is often a factor, damp problems can be further aggravated by missing or damaged mortar, spalled bricks, poor drainage, blocked drains or damaged gutters.

Porous Masonry: Most types of masonry are porous to differing degrees, which means they will absorb moisture if exposed to high levels of rainfall. This means that moisture may saturate the masonry, and this can migrate through a solid wall into the interior, damaging plasterwork and causing fungal decay to surrounding timber.

Damaged or Missing Mortar: If mortar is damaged, deteriorated or missing altogether, this can allow moisture to enter into the brickwork and fabric of the building. During winter this moisture can freeze and then expand, which will cause more damage, exacerbating the problem further.

Damaged or Spalled Brickwork: When brickwork is exposed to the elements it can deteriorate over time, causing the surface of the brick to flake, crack, crumble and chip away. If brickwork becomes damp, and the moisture freezes, it can cause the face of the brick to come loose and fall away, known as spalling. This can allow moisture to penetrate into the brickwork further, and ultimately into the fabric of the building.

This issue can also be caused if re-pointing mortar is too strong for the brickwork it surrounds. Mortar is designed to wick moisture away from the brick and break down slowly as it does this.

Damaged Guttering: Faulty, missing or damaged guttering and downpipes can cause rainwater to pour down brickwork, which will penetrate into the building. During winter, gutters and hoppers can become blocked by leaves and debris, causing water to overflow. Sometimes the simple fix to prevent damp masonry is to unblock or repair defective rainwater goods, rather than apply masonry protection cream.

Blocked Drains: When drains become blocked or damaged it can cause water to pool around a property, which can then penetrate into the masonry, especially when damp proof courses are bridged by high ground levels or external renders. You should make sure that drains are clear and working properly. If drains are blocked, you may require a CCTV drain survey to confirm what the issues are, which may range from tree root ingrowth to dropped joints or rodent damage.

Raised Driveways and Paths: If work has been carried out around your property it is possible that the original damp proof course has been bridged, and is causing masonry to become damp. This does not always mean that masonry protection cream is required, other measures may need to be taken. When paths and driveways are installed up against the buildings walls, without a protective gravel strip, rainwater will hit the hard surface and splash back up the walls, a common cause of penetrating damp. The gravel strip is also there to depressurise ground water and allow it to drain away to the footings.

If you are suffering with damp walls, especially after periods of high rainfall but are unsure about the source of the problem, a professional damp survey can help provide answers.

A qualified surveyor will provide you with a survey report with their findings, and recommendations for treatments, but only if required. Whether it is general advice on how to prevent the problem, or if damp proofing treatments are necessary, the surveyor will be on hand to talk you through your options to prevent the problem long term.

The first step is to understand what is the source of the problem causing damp masonry, and then take steps to prevent it long term. Damp problems are complex, so specialist help may be required.

Check that there are no obvious building defects, such as damaged gutters, blocked drains or bridged damp proof courses. You can then look at whether or not construction issues may be causing problems, like high ground levels, landscaping issues or paving or driveways installed right up against the problem area.

If your brickwork is porous, masonry protection creams are a useful option, but you must first make sure that there are no cracks in the brickwork, missing bricks or damaged mortar. A breathable masonry protection cream can then be applied, helping create a waterproof barrier to prevent water absorption.

If required, Rentokil Property Care can apply a coating of Stormdry, a masonry protection cream developed by Safeguard. We are approved installers and the product is BBA certified for a minimum 25 year life and will create a watertight barrier that will prevent rain penetration.

Our technicians will apply a single coating, which is designed to reduce heat loss in single skin masonry. By improving the thermal efficiency of the wall, the coating has in some cases provided an energy bill saving of up to 29%, meaning your walls are kept dry, less energy is used to heat the wall and heat inside is no longer able to escape so easily.

The energy benefits masonry protection cream can offer are useful for homes or properties where conventional insulation is not practical. For properties with cavity wall insulation, Stormdry can help protect against moisture penetration which can cause insulation to become wet and lose thermal efficiency if it has not been installed correctly.

Breathable masonry protection: One application is all that is needed, and the product will penetrate deep into the masonry before curing. It will then form a colourless and water repellant barrier. This prevents rainwater penetrating inside the property by lining the pores within, rather than blocking them. This means water vapour is able to escape unlike other products such as sealers, which can trap moisture inside.

Due to its unique formulation and penetration capabilities, it is resistant to UV light and other forms of degradation, resulting in a long life expectancy.

Maintaining original looks and features: Stormdry will retain the original looks of the masonry within 48 hours, although the product is white at first, it quickly goes opaque and dries clear, meaning your walls are protected without unsightly external rendering or coatings.

Energy saving: Heat escapes quicker through wet masonry than dry masonry due to its lower thermal resistance. Therefore rain water penetrating the outer leaf of brickwork reduces the thermal resistance which in turn allows valuable heat to escape. This product has been scientifically proven to reduce heat loss in single skin masonry, with an energy saving of up to 29%.

Rentokil Property Care has been working in peoples homes and businesses for over 70 years, correctly identifying property issues and providing long term solutions.

We are experts in property preservation, and can provide you with personalised advice for damp problems affecting your property.