Cleaner and Drier Exterior Walls with SoluGuard x Stormdry

Moulds, algae, lichens and fungi are common sights on bare brick, rendered and pebbledash walls. While biological growth doesn’t damage the surface it grows on, it can make for an unattractive sight and may be a sign of an underlying damp problem. Rising average temperatures and increasing rainfall levels encourage biological growth, so now is the time to act to protect your house's kerb appeal.

In this edition of Built to Protect, we discover how SoluGuard Multi-Surface Biocide and Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream can keep your home’s exterior walls dry and spotless no matter the weather.

Clean with SoluGuard

Pressure washers might seem like the choice to blast away biological growth, but they can damage mortar joints and worsen existing cracks in brick and render.

All you need to gently and quickly clean an entire wall is SoluGuard Multi-Surface Biocide, a low-pressure pump-action sprayer and a masonry brush.

SoluGuard Multi-Surface Biocide is a ready-to-use biocidal cleaner that handily removes mould, algae, lichen and fungi from a wide range of surfaces, including:

• Brick
• Render?
• Wood
• Plastic?
• Roof tiles
• PVCu
• Concrete
• Polycarbonate

How to apply SoluGuard Multi-Surface Biocide:

Step 1: Remove any loose mortar or dust with a masonry brush. Apply SoluGuard Multi-Surface Biocide in dry weather — ideally when no rain is forecast for the next 24 hours.

Step 2: Apply SoluGuard Multi-Surface Biocide in accordance with the application instructions. Apply 1 litre of product per 2–20 m2 of surface. One 5 litre pack usually covers between 10–100 m2. Coverage will vary depending on the substrate to be treated.

Step 3: For best results, wait 72 hours then clean the treated surface with water to thoroughly remove deposits of dead biological growth.

Waterproof with Stormdry

Prevent future biological growth by waterproofing your exterior walls with Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream. Treatment prevents rain absorption on masonry and rendered (including monocouche) walls to avoid mould and algae growth, as well as penetrating damp.

Check out the difference between a garden wall protected by Stormdry Cream and one without (image courtesy of Bryan Hindle):

Stormdry Cream fully soaks into brickwork or render to line its pores with a treatment that stops water but lets through moisture vapour, allowing already-damp walls to dry out. It also bridges hairline cracks. Waterproofing treatment and regular cleaning can help to extend the lifetime of your wall and help to reduce the maintenance time needed to keep it clean.

How to apply Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream:

Step 1: Cover large areas at speed using a medium-pile paint roller.?

Step 2: Apply Stormdry Cream to awkward areas like brickwork voids or deep mortar bed using a brush.

Step 3: Stormdry Cream immediately starts to penetrate into masonry. The whiteness fades 15–20 minutes after application. After 24–48 hours the wall returns to its original appearance.

That’s it! Just 6 simple steps to a pristine exterior wall with protection against wind-driven rain for 25 years (BBA-approved).

Thanks for reading this edition of Built to Protect! We'd love to hear your feedback, so leave a comment with your thoughts. Our customer and technical teams are always here to help with your latest project queries. Email us at [email protected] or call us on 01403 210204.