Wall seepage (seelan): why you must fix it before texture or paint

Signs of seepage

• Damp or dark patches that grow after rain or after water is used nearby
• Paint that bubbles, flakes or peels from the inside out
• White powder or salt marks on the surface (efflorescence)
• A musty smell, or damp feeling at the base of a wall
• Yellow or brown stains, often at ceiling corners

Common causes

1. A leaking pipe inside the wall or in a bathroom or kitchen next to it
2. Rising damp at the base of a wall that touches wet ground
3. Roof edges and parapets where rain finds a gap
4. Cracks that let monsoon rain in
5. Overhead tank, drain or planter overflowing against a wall

Why texture over a wet wall fails

A texture coating, like any finish, needs a dry, sound surface to grip. Moisture pushing out from inside lifts the coating, causing bubbles, peeling and stains. The finish is not the problem, and repainting does not solve it. The water has to be stopped first.

What a good job does

1. Find the cause. Check pipes, drains, roof edges and cracks, not just the visible patch.
2. Repair the source. Fix the leak, seal the crack or correct the drainage.
3. Let the wall dry. Wet plaster must dry before anything is applied.
4. Repair the surface. Remove loose and damp-damaged plaster, fill cracks and patch properly.
5. Prime. A bonding primer so the finish grips.
6. Apply the finish and a weather top coat. Rockwall, graffiti or Weather Shield go on only now.

How we handle it

On the free site visit we check walls for dampness and tell you plainly if the cause needs fixing first. We would rather delay a job than texture over a problem that will come back. Every texture job we do carries a written 10-year warranty, which is only possible when the wall underneath is sound.

Worried about a wall? Book a free site visit anywhere in Pakistan.