Scheduled visit
Salt bloom at the base of a wall
White, fluffy or crystalline deposits appear along the bottom of a wall, inside or out, and paint flakes away. The salts are carried by moisture moving through the masonry and left behind as it evaporates at the surface.
Waterproofing
Active ingress during rain is prioritised. Tracing and permanent repair are scheduled once the source is identified.
Call nowRequest an inspection on WhatsApp01LIKELY CAUSES
What usually sits behind this symptom, and what tells one cause from another.
Ground moisture or irrigation water wicking up the wall
Bloom confined to low level; high moisture near the ground.
Water from a planter, paving or landscaping against the wall
Paving or soil above the damp-proof level; irrigation nearby.
Leaking pipe in the wall or floor
Localised high moisture independent of irrigation.
02BEFORE ANYONE VISITS
What you can safely check.
- Brush the salts off and see how quickly they return.
- Check whether paving or soil outside is higher than the internal floor.
- Look for irrigation spraying the wall base.
- Avoid washing the salts with water — it just feeds them.
03WHAT WE MEASURE
We take moisture readings along the wall at different heights, look at external ground levels, paving and irrigation, and rule out a leaking pipe before recommending treatment.
04IN A VILLA
Villa landscaping often raises soil or paving against external walls, and irrigation keeps that ground wet. Moisture finds its way into the masonry and carries salts up to the surface.
05THE FIX
Which repair, and when.
Salts keep breaking down plaster and paint, and the damage creeps higher over time.
Lower ground levels and redirect irrigation
External wetting is the source.
Repair the leaking pipe
A leak is feeding the moisture.
Salt-resistant plaster and breathable finishes
Remediating damage after the source is dealt with.
06Typical villa waterproofing work
Quoted after survey — always
Cost is driven almost entirely by what the tracing finds and how much has to be lifted to reach it. We do not price waterproofing over the phone, because a number given before the source is located is a guess.
07QUESTIONS
- Can I paint over the salts?
- The salts will push through again unless the moisture source is dealt with.
- Is it rising damp?
- Sometimes; more often in villas it is irrigation or landscaping against the wall.