Frost spalling damage to bricks and stone

Do you have this problem with your brick and stone walls?

The problem is called spalling or frost weathering. It is a natural process of erosion caused by the freezing of water into ice.

When the bricks or stone in your walls get soaked in the winter water is held in the stone. Once the temperature drops below zero this water begins to turn to ice. Ice has a larger volume by approximately 9% than water. This creates a pressure inside the stone which can cause hydro fracturing. These fractures can end up with the whole face off the brick to break away. Other types of porous stone like sand stone can slowly crumble away into nothing. Even the biggest boulders out in mountains will eventually be broken down by this mechanical process of erosion!

This spalling can also affect the render between the bricks or stones and we all know how expensive and time consuming it is to have your house repointed!!!

What is the solution to this problem? Well the solution is actually a solution! We make a product called Masonry Water Repellent or MWR400.

MWR400 is a special blend of UV resistant Silane and Siloxane resins. The product penetrates deep into the stone surface and fills the stone pores just enough that water molecules are unable to pass through the surface. It does not seal the pores completely which means vapour can still pass through essentially allowing the walls to breathe. This means bricks and stone are allowed to dry out slowly over time. Which in turn means there is no water in the pores of the stone that can expand and damage the bricks under freezing conditions. 

MWR400 is easy to apply. If you have access to the wall that need to be treated it can be applied with a garden sprayer or brush / roller. It does not need to be done by a builder and can easily be done by the home owner.

The treatment will last well over 10 years. If you want to keep your home and garden walls in prime condition, then MWR400 is the solution. If you need more information on waterproofing your property please call us on 01935 414012 or email info@acslimited.co.uk . Our team are always happy to help.

For more info and to purchase the ready to use product visit MWR400