Wet pointing for 8 months

[Ste Raw]

Howdy all.

Been having horrific problems with damp on a 24 year semi detached brick house. There were damp circles in the master bedroom, bathroom and living room.

I got a local builder in, he stated the problem were the pointing, previously I got fascia & soffits done, he stated the oilcloth were falling apart so we got the house re-roofed (10/06/23) at the same time as the pointing so to make sure the damp would be rectified.

The torrential rain of Christmas 2023 came, our house were wet through again! Long story cut short found out that our problems were the cavity wall insulation had failed like many on our estate. We got it extracted out ourselves after many arguments with the inept CIGA who blamed our problems on the new pointing after the rep scraped it and it came off like it were chocolate. Finally the pointing dried out....will it be ok after being wet with a charcoal colour for 8 months? It's gone a light grey colour. 

I didn't want to start hacking at it to see if it's set.

Thanks for any replies

Stephen

[Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Cement-based pointing 'cures' - a chemical process that can take place under water - rather than drying out. That will largely have happened in the first month. However it's harder to know whether the mix used was appropriate, or whether it was applied properly. For example the joints should have been cut back to allow a sufficient depth of pointing - if it was smeared over the surface then it wouldn't have much adhesion.

 

But from your description I'm not surprised that the cavity wall insulation was the problem. If water penetrates the out brickwork - which it can, in large quantities in an exposed condition, even with good pointing - then it still shouldn't affect the inner leaf.

 

Edited May 25 by Mike

[Ste Raw]

Thanks for the reply Mike, I appreciate your time.

When CIGA came the pointing scratched out of the knick so easily.

 

The colour of the pointing were dark grey which to a Lehman like me is wrong. After the thermabead were sucked out it took another 6 week to change colour to the usual light grey.

Will the integrity of the pointing be ok if it's took 8 months to dry?

Edited May 28 by Ste Raw

[Mike]

On 28/05/2024 at 17:46, Ste Raw said:

Will the integrity of the pointing be ok if it's took 8 months to dry?

Yes, if it was properly done.