Restoration / Humidity

The Salt Eater: Stopping Rising Damp in Maltese Limestone

Every Maltese homeowner knows the sign: The paint bubbles at the bottom of the wall, turns to white powder, and flakes off. You scrape it, paint it again, and 3 months later, it's back.

It's Not Water, It's Salt

Maltese Globigerina Limestone is a sponge. It sucks groundwater up from the soil (Capillary Action). This water carries dissolved salts. When the water evaporates, the salt crystallizes and expands, blowing the paint off the wall.

STOP: Do not just apply liquid membrane over damp walls. You will trap the moisture and the stones will rot from the inside.

The Negative Side Strategy

To fix this from the inside, you need a material that allows the wall to "breathe" while blocking the liquid water.

  1. Hack off the infected plaster up to 1m height.
  2. Apply ZNR WP Crystal: This slurry penetrates the stone and grows crystals inside the capillaries, blocking the water path.
  3. Re-plaster with a breathable mix (macroporous).

Get Damp Proofing Specs >