A guide to waterproofing an external wall

Water can be a destructive element in your home. It is important that you waterproof your exterior walls to protect them from harmful moisture. A damp wall is vulnerable to many structural issues such as rising damp. This is an ideal ground for mold and mildew which are substances that can cause health problems in your family. Read this article to get a guide to waterproofing an external wall.

Things that you would need

Waterproofing wall exteriors is not that hard and only requires a couple of materials and some basic construction skills. You will need the following materials: Waterproofing sealant designed for use in exterior walls Trowel Concrete crack filler Sand blaster or wire hand brush Mild detergent Water supply (hose) Scrub brush Paint brushes Power washer Paint stripper

Steps that you would take in waterproofing your exterior wall

1) Use a paint stripper or get a professional to remove the finish on the concrete segment of your exterior wall. The stripping should be thorough enough so that the bare concrete would be clearly exposed. Doing this would permit the waterproofing product to sufficiently protect the wall and deeply penetrate it . 2) Use a mild detergent and a power washer to wash the residue of the chemicals that were utilised to strip your exterior wall. 3) If you see that there are cracks in your wall that are bigger than what the waterproofing product can seal, you need to cover these up. Utilise a concrete filler and a trowel to patch these spots or areas up. Level the filler so that it's flush with the wall. Give the filler sufficient time to dry before you move to the next step. 4) Make the surface of the wall rough and uneven by sandblasting it or scrubbing it with a wire brush. A rough surface will enable the product to sufficiently attach to the wall. 5) Use a power washer or hose to thoroughly rinse the wall and remove any debris. Read the recommendations or instructions of the manufacturer to check if you need to keep the wall moist when applying the waterproofing sealant. 6) Proceed by applying the waterproofing sealant to the wall using a roller or a brush. Make sure that you are able to apply ample amounts of sealant to sufficiently coat the wall. Should you need to apply more than one coating, make sure to give the wall enough time to dry before you put on the second coat.