Brick Water Repellents
DEAR TIM: I have a problem with my brick veneer house. It develops leaks during wind driven rains. I can't seem to locate the source of the leaks. I purchased a brick sealer to solve my problem. I saw water repellents at the store, but the salesperson said they don't work as well. What do you think? B. N.
DEAR B. N.: Slow down! Do you still have the receipt for the sealer? You may need it. The sealer you purchased may actually harm your brick house. A water repellent may be a better choice.
The leaks you are experiencing are normal. Brick walls are by no means waterproof. Unfortunately, many homeowners think just the opposite. Bricks and mortar have a great capacity to absorb water. Both contain tiny passageways that actually suck water into the wall. Water can also enter through tiny cracks between the bricks and mortar.
Water leakage into older homes is rarely noticeable. These houses often were constructed using two or three layers of brick or block behind the face brick. As such, they can often absorb all of the rain water until such time as a storm passes. When the sun appears after the storm, the water is released back into the atmosphere through the tiny passageways. In your case, you only have one layer of brick. Once this layer has been breached, the water finds its way into your house.
There are two categories of clear brick coatings: film forming sealants and penetrating water repellents. Film forming sealants create a continuous barrier on the surface of the brick and mortar. They block the tiny passageways in the brick and mortar. Not only will they stop water from getting into the brick, but they also stop water from getting out. These compounds frequently contain acrylics, mineral waxes (paraffin), urethanes, and silicone resins.
Water repellents work in a different way. These products are designed to penetrate deeply into the brick and mortar. Some can reach as far as 3/8 inch into the surface. They coat the insides of the tiny passageways in the brick and mortar. However, the passageways remain open allowing the brick and mortar to breathe. These water repellents often contain silanes, siloxanes, or a blend of these chemicals.
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Paul Rosair 08 May 2008, 07:22
I have just re mortared the brick header course around my swimming pool as
over the years the salt had eroded the mortar quite considerably. I was
wondering what is the best sealant to paint over the mortar to protect the
mortar from saltwater eroding the new mortar in future
Richard Logan 19 Jun 2008, 02:14
Dear Tim,
We have had a brick floor in our kitchen for over 30 years and we've now extended it with old london stocks. The problem is that we can't remember what we used to seal the original floor which still remains. From your article it would appear that a water repellant would be best but I wondered whether being an internal brick floor there might not be a better solution. Kind Regards Richard
dianne telford 19 Dec 2008, 20:15
I too am looking for a sealer for my used brick kitchen floor. I saw a
floor in an old plantation in South Carolina that looked as though it had
been sealed with a polyurethane or epoxy. I contacted the plantation to
find out that what had been applied was done so long ago that there are not
any maintance men still working there!! My floor has been down 5 years or
so now--does that make a difference?What would you suggest ? I would
appreciate any help you could give me. This is my project for the new
year. Dianne
Lance Wingfield 04 Jan 2009, 15:26
We are putting new bright white brick on a new house, and we actually do
want that shiny look. Also, we are in East Texas and the house is
surrounded with red clay. Our last home had very noticable red
discolorization over the years from the red clay that splattered up on the
house during rain and no matter what we did we could not remove it all. Is
there a film sealer or other product that we can use to keep the brick easy
to clean and still safe?
Rafael 08 Apr 2009, 14:38
Hi, I built a shower in my bathroom that is made of chicago style
brick,what whould i use to seal it from water that will make it look nice
and not flake off.
when i acid stained the floors i used a solvant based sealer called poly seal by brickform,and a concrete water base sealer over top of that. Can I use the same for the walls in my shower?
Marissa 20 Apr 2009, 19:31
I built a brick house in 1997 and we just found out the builder did not put
tyvek around the house under the brick. the brick is absorbing water and
the osb under it is absorbing water just like a wick. We have mold
starting to grow on the osb and framing. We are going to rip out and fix
everything bad but need to know what type of sealant or repellant to use on
the brick to keep this from happening again. We cannot afford to unbrick
and wrap the house and rebrick.
Ryan Higgins 06 Jun 2009, 12:36
I own an old (i.e., over 100 years old) brick row home in Baltimore. Some
of the bricks are flaking badly. They are not crumbling under the weight of
the wall. Instead, they are eroding away from the front. How can I stop the
erosion process? Would a water repellant help?
Leslie and Jeff 19 Aug 2009, 12:27
We own a home that was built in 1951; but the original home owner was ahead
of her time....she salvaged the bricks from a building out of Mobile, AL
that dated back to pre-Civil War. Our bricks were hand-made by slaves.
Our problem is the bricks are very porous. We do not have any problems
with moisture behind the bricks but rather that they are perfect for algae
to attach and grow on. Our south Alabama climate is VERY humid with really
hot summers and we do have several VERY old oaks around our home. We have
to pressure wash twice a year.... Is there a product out there that we can
apply to the bricks that will save us from so much washing? Our home is
3000 sqft with roughly 2000 sqft that is bricked. Each time we pressure
wash it is actually blowing off some of the brick....and they are too
precious for that to happen. We would deeply appreciate your advice.
Sweating the small stuff (algae), Jeff and Leslie Savage
Mahmoud Mazaheri 04 Sep 2009, 19:21
I have installed Chicago bricks in my patio recently. What should I do to
clean it and make it look better?
Sam 08 Dec 2009, 12:47
I applied a sealer to my brick facing, as I was having leaking issues. I
live in the Atlanta. Am I OK to leave the sealer on or should I remove it
and replace it with repellent? If you recommend I removed it and apply a
repellent, how do I remove the sealer? Your advice is appreciated!
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