Damp proofing inside garage.

Rorschach · Post by **Rorschach** » Wed Dec 18, 2019 9:51 am

I am in the process of buying a garage to use for storage.

It's part of a block and on the end, the party wall looks to be in good condition, the rear and other side wall however are quite wet as they are approx 50% buried underground.

There is no power and I was hoping to paint the inside white to brighten it up a bit. What can I do about the wet walls though? I can't access the outside to do anything so it all has to be done from the inside.

It's not a house, so it doesn't need to be perfect and there should be pretty good ventilation from the gaps around the the up and over door. I would just like to keep it as dry as practically possible.

No pictures at the moment as I don't have access.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Wed Dec 18, 2019 10:02 am

You could DIY a chemical damp course but check it is not rain water running off an unguttered roof causing some of the damp issues. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irytqcJZSps to get an idea

DWD

Rorschach · Post by **Rorschach** » Wed Dec 18, 2019 11:39 am

The roof slops towards the front where there is a gutter. There is already a damp course in the brick walls but this is coming through the brick itself since it is buried by several feet.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:24 pm

Oh, I see, that will be difficult to solve as I doubt the exterior earth can be removed to bitumen seal the brickwork to stop damp penetration from the outside. The alternative is to build an inner skin with a damp proof membrane I guess. I cannot see an easy solution, sorry.

DWD

Rorschach · Post by **Rorschach** » Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:30 pm

Yes no chance of digging it out behind unfortunately, same goes for the side wall. Of course it is just a garage, so it doesn't need to be watertight, I was just hoping I could do something to mitigate the moisture.
I am guessing something like bitumen paint on the inside would do very little to help?