5 Steps to Waterproof the Brick Walls: Old and Fresh Walls

Brick walls are common walls for house construction. It is cheap and durable. But bricks are not waterproof. It is water resistant material. Hence we need to apply an external waterproofing membrane when we use it with water. So you can follow these 05 steps to waterproof the brick walls. So let’s read on!

What happened to your brick wall? Is it leaking the water when there is rain? It is too bad. Hence you have to use the right method to waterproof the brick walls. This guidance is for you to do successful brick wall maintenance and waterproofing.

These 05 steps are suitable for old brick walls and new brick wall waterproofing.

Step 01 – Select the Proper Quality Bricks.

Brick-wall-waterproofing
Brick Wall Waterproofing

This is the main thing that you should do before ordering the bricks. Clay is burnt, and brick is made. Hence this process should be done with quality, and if there is any problem in the process, there will be a low-quality brick produced, following the steps below. So you can identify whether the bricks are well qualified. 

The Proper quality bricks Should have these Characteristics.

  • The brick should be with correct dimensions 
  • The color of the brick is deep red. 
  • The texture should be homogeneous.
  • Free from cracks
  • Sharply defined edges
  • It should be with a metallic ring sound
  • It should not break when hit each other 
  • It should not break when it flows to the floor from hand. (1.2 m to 1.5 m) from ground
  • Water absorption

These are the facts you should check when you buy the bricks.

Step 02 – Use Proper Brick Bonding Method

English brick bond
Proper brick bonding (English bond)

Selected brick should be bonded with suitable material. If you can use cement: sand 1:4 Ratio for the walls and use the medium grain size sand. Sand should not be with large particles. Maximum particles should be minimum and less than brick bonding height.

There are products in the market with improving characteristics. If you use that kind of product, follow the guideline of the system you follow. 

Do not bond over and over. Let the wall dry and then bond on it. Else binding thickness will be less, and it will reduce the level of the wall.

Before you move forward to waterproof the brick walls, you should select one of the best waterproofing methods among 10 best waterproofing methods.

Step 03 – Clean the Brickwall for Waterproofing

In this guide, I will explain this for the old brick walls as well as newer brick walls.

Newly Constructed Walls

If you have an older wall or a newly constructed wall, you should clean the wall. For the fresh walls, you just need to wipe out the dust on the surface and wash the wall with high-pressure water. If there is any brick that tries to wash out is a reason for the low-quality bricks. There is no way to do it. Do not wash more and more there. 

TIP – To avoid this immerse the brick in the water before use for the walls. If there is any particles washing you can remove the brick.

Use a smooth brush for washing and cleaning the surface. Let the walls dry for few hours.

For the Old Walls

Clean the old brick wall for waterproofing
Clean the old brick wall for waterproofing

Many old houses were constructed more than 40-50 years ago or more than that. So you can see many problems have occurred in these walls. 

You can observe

  • Mortar deterioration
  • Brick deterioration
  • Brick erosion
  • Brick structure failures
  • Mortar cracks
  • Brick covered with white powder
  • Biological growth

In the old brick walls. Before applying the waterproofing on these walls, we should fix each problem separately. Else water can be leaked on these areas.

Fix the above problems as below

  • Mortar Deterioration

With the various types of environmental effects, mortar can be damaged. Hence its strength can be reduced, and it can break. So you must clean that area first and then apply the mortar cement with a suitable adhesive compound.

  • Brick Deterioration

Bricks can be damaged. And if they are is too much, you can use brick and mortar to bond them again. 

  • Brick Erosion

If the brick wall is highly open to water flow, it can erosion rapidly. And when the times come, it can be loosened. First of all, you need to fix the water flow and then replace the bricks if you can. Even though you are unable to replace it, keep it dry and clean it well. Then close it with mortar.

  • Brick Structure Fails

Due to the loads applied to the wall, it can be cracked, and the structure can fail. Water can be leaking inside the cracks. So clean the cracks as much as possible and seal them with cement or any other material.

  • Mortar Cracks

When the mortar is applied, it can be damaged like the above fact. And also, due to sudden external force, it can be cracked.

  • Brick Covered with White Powder

This is called efflorescence. Efflorescence happens when salts in the mortar or brick are dissolved by excess moisture and migrate to the surface of the bricks. First of all, you need to close the upper leak and scrape the white area. And then use biodegradable detergent for washing the area.

  • Biological Growth

When water is always flowing, biological growth can occur. Find the reason for the water flow and then close it. Then scraper the area well.

Now your brick wall is ready for waterproofing. Wash the wall well and keep it dry.

Step 04 – Apply the Waterproofing on Brickwall

Apply waterproof on brick
Apply waterproof on brick

There are so many products in the market for brick walls waterproofing. Selecting is a bit difficult. So I suggest getting the experienced knowledge from any person you know. If you are doing it yourself and have no help, check how long that product exists in the market. And also, check the review of online stores like Amazon.

Then you can have an idea of what you should select for your purpose. 

According to my research, I could find 3 main types of waterproofing in the market.

Cream type, Wax type, and acrylic-based waterproofing products are on the market. Some cream-based products are strongly successful. And others are the same.

Apply the selected product using a brush, roller, or sprayer. You should apply the selected product everywhere on the wall. Sometimes you will miss the upper side of the corners. Then water can penetrate through this.

Then leave the 24 hours to dry the surface. 

Step 05 – Protect the Waterproofing

After waterproofing is done, keep it protective. Do not let damage to the surface. And after that, do not scraper or even push a nail on it. If you do it, follow a way to protect the outer waterproofing. Sometimes products offer 25 years warranty. But I hope at least 10 years is enough.

If you don’t protect the waterproof brick wall, it can be damaged and fail due to one or a few of these 17 reasons.

If you have a proper waterproofing warranty document, you can claim it. So always have an agreement with the constructor.

Brick walls are breathable; hence select the product that will not prevent. I hope you can have complete guidance with using these steps. If there is any problem with these steps, comment below. I will assist you.

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Owner Randy Organ

Randy Organ

I am Randy Organ, a researcher as well as 10 years experienced technician for home construction. My hobby is studying new problems and seek well technical and modern solutions. Water is an invaluable resource. But it hurt much more to many more industries. Structures and electrical are a few of them. Here I try to find ways and solutions for the water leaking