How to Fix Damp Walls Permanently (South Africa)

Damp internal wall? Don't just repaint. Here's the full repair sequence, treatment, replaster, prime, paint, that lasts for years instead of months.

To fix a damp wall permanently, find and stop the source of the water first, then strip off the blown plaster and paint, treat the brickwork with a chemical damp proofing liquid such as Damp Gone Organic or Xtreme (two coats, wet-on-wet), let the wall dry out, replaster with a salt-retardant plaster and only then paint. Painting or skimming over a damp wall never lasts.

The fastest way to waste a weekend and R2,000 is to skim, prime and repaint a damp wall. Within a year the damp is back and worse. Here is the sequence that actually holds.

Tools and materials you'll need

Bolster chisel and lump hammer (or SDS drill with chipping bit).
Stiff wire brush and dust mask (P2).
Damp Gone Xtreme (5 L covers ~25 m²).
Masonry roller + tray.
Salt-retardant plaster (SABS 1090).
Alkali-resistant primer + interior PVA paint.

Step 1: Expose the damage

Chip off all blown, hollow-sounding plaster back to bare brick, go at least 300 mm above the highest damp mark. Brush off all salt crystals. Vacuum the dust out of the joints.

Step 2: Treat the wall

Two saturating coats of Damp Gone Xtreme, wet-on-wet. The wall should darken evenly. Let it dry overnight before touching.

Step 3: Wait

This is the step everyone skips. The wall needs 4–6 weeks to release moisture trapped in the brick before you close it up again. Rushing this is the #1 cause of repeat failure. Keep the room ventilated.

Step 4: Replaster with salt-retardant plaster

Standard cement plaster lets salts push through and re-blow the paint. Use a salt-retardant / render mix for the first 20 mm scratch coat, then finish with a 5–10 mm skim.

Step 5: Prime and paint

Wait another 14 days for the new plaster to cure. Apply an alkali-resistant primer (not standard PVA) before topcoat. Two coats of interior PVA and you're done.

Not confident? We do it for you

Our professional service handles the full treat-plaster-paint cycle in one visit, with a written 6-month workmanship guarantee. WhatsApp 061 589 8070 with photos for a same-day quote.