Stormdry stops damp coming through brick walls 

The Old Granary has been described as one of the most beautiful pub-restaurants in Dorset. Set on the banks of the River Frome, it's popular with locals and visitors. However thanks to recent harsh weather with periods of very heavy rainfall, there was a problem that needed to be dealt with.

The problem

Due to the weather the building had suffered from rain penetration problems and damp coming through one brick wall. Although the original walls were 450mm of solid brick, the river-facing gable wall had been replaced years before with a cavity wall. This has been built using very porous bricks and lime mortar.

Calling in the experts

When the owners called in a team of building restoration experts, two main contributing factors were quickly identified. Firstly, the cavity trays fitted over the door and window openings were partially blocked and couldn't cope with the very heavy rainfall. Secondly the level of masonry absorption of the bricks and mortar on the external face of the cavity wall was found to be unusually high. The wall was very porous, allowing large amounts of rainwater to pass through and create a wet wall.

Testing the absorption

The test was carried out using a simple and economical Stormdry Gauge which was fixed to the masonry using a mastic adhesive. It was then filled with water to the "zero" mark and the water penetration measured at regular intervals.

Possible solutions

After unblocking and cleaning the cavity trays there were three options to deal with the damp coming through the brick wall. One was to rebuild the gable wall (too costly), another to apply a render (reducing the visual appeal of the building), or applying Stormdry masonry protection cream.

The Stormdry Solution - waterproofing of the brick wall

The masonry protection cream was initially tested on a small area of wall. Four weeks later it was found to be identical in appearance to the original, and the Stormdry Gauge confirmed that water was no longer passing through the porous area. Stormdry cream was then applied to the full gable wall. A later follow-up visit confirmed no damp egress or visual changes. The wall was now dry and no longer suffered from penetrating damp.

A solution for you

If you, like The Old Granary, have a problem with a damp or wet brick wall, or penetrating damp, contact us to find out how Stormdry can solve your problem. Stormdry is also suitable for damp-proofing stonework and even treating damp concrete.