While a little bit of damp is natural in the UK it can often build up and be a nuisance. Damp can contribute to various health conditions if left unchecked and cause structural and aesthetic problems to your home.
Damp seal paint or anti damp paint is used to prevent moisture from outside your home entering. It is usually used to prevent the infiltration of water or moisture that has gained access through cracks and seems in your home exterior.
To prevent damp from seeping through then you can use a high quality anti damp paint that creates a barrier that prevents moisture from penetrating and spreading within your home.
A good damp seal or anti fungal paint will help eliminate the chance of damp penetrating through walls and surfaces it’s applied to. It won’t however eliminate the cause of the damp that will take some additional investigation and may need some professional expertise to pinpoint the problem area.
In any case, anti damp seal paint is used to create a strong barrier from moisture that works to elminate the growth of mould or mildew from your home walls and surfaces. It’s an effective solution in problematic damp and moisture prone areas of the home.
Polycell Damp Seal Paint 1L
DIYBoss Top Pick – an excellent high-quality anti damp seal one coat paint
Ronseal Damp Seal One Coat Paint 1L
Ronseal one coat damp seal provides great protection and seals walls.
Thompsons Anti Damp Seal Paint 1L
An alternative to big brands, Thompsons damp seal is a great alternative for an anti damp paint.
The UK's 5 Anti Damp Seal Paints Reviewed
The use of anti damp paints has been controversial in recent years with many professionals expressing that it simply masks the cause of damp in your home but doesn’t actually do much to prevent it. With damp seal said to create a barrier between your wall surface and the moisture build up behind the wall.
It does however work in creating a barrier where it can work to eliminate damp and mould from penetrating your home interior which is often a concern for home owners in the UK. If you’re home is suffering from damp entering the walls, ceiling and window frames then damp seal paint can be a good solution to stop it from affecting surfaces.
While anti damp paint and anti condensation paint may seem to be the same product they differ in purpose. Anti-damp paint is developed to stop entering moisture from penetrating surfaces from outside the home whereas anti condensation paint is mainly to eliminate moisture build up due to poor ventilation within a room.
What To Look For In An Anti Damp Paint?
When you select an anti damp seal paint then you want to make sure that you choose a paint that’s from a reputable brand and is of high quality that will work as it should. You want a paint that will provide great protection for your walls and ceilings and that will create a strong barrier and stop any moisture or water from penetrating your interiors.
Usually damp seal paint is suitable for a wide range of different surfaces such as walls, ceilings, brick, cement and plaster. That seals to protect your surfaces from unsightly streaks and stains that can occur from damp inaddition to providing the perfect anti-fungal paint protection.
Polycell One Coat Damp Seal Paint 1L
The Polycell One Coat Damp Seal Paint has been tried and tested for many years and reigns as one of the best, if not the best anti damp seal paint you can purchase.
A solvent based paint that can be used to seal patches of damp with just one coat – it prevents damp from penetrating and showing through walls and ceilings and works to stop damp from showing any signs on the surface eliminating stains and streaks that can often occur.
The Polycell damp seal is thick and glue like in consistency and is easily applied using a brush. It will be touch dry in around 4 hours after application and you do not need multiple coats of the Polycell anti damp paint but you can apply multiple coats if you feel it’s needed.
If applying multiple coats then allow the surface the dry, so allow atleast 8 hours before you go ahead and add another coat of the damp seal.
The Polycell damp seal creates a matt white finish that’s perfect for wallpapering or painting over and doesn’t require any primer before applying.
With anti damp paint you need to make sure that the area the damp seal is being applied to is thoroughly cleaned, prepared and fully dry before you start the painting process for the best results.
While the strong odour can be off putting for some the Polycell damp seal has moisture protecting properties that make it the ideal anti damp seal paint for homeowners. The odour will eventually leave after about a week.
- Touch dry in 4 hours.
- Thick consistency to protect walls and interiors.
- Rated the best of anti damp paints.
- 6m2/L paint coverage.
- Suitable to paint or wallpaper over after fully dry.
- Seals and provides protection with 1 coat.
- Available in 500ml, 1L and 2.5L tins.
- Can be purchased in aerosol damp seal spray form.
- Strong odour but leaves within a week.
Ronseal OCDSW500 One Coat Damp Seal Paint 500 ml
Another great quality product that does exactly what it says on the tin is the Ronseal One Coat Damp Seal Paint that works to permanently block damp and the side-effects that damp can produce.
It has great reviews all over the internet and fulfils it’s purpose or protecting from damp. Make sure you clean to mould off before you apply the anti damp paint for the best finish.
You can easily apply the Ronseal damp seal paint with a roller and brush and it provides around 5m2/L coverage so it’s ideal for small areas of damp.
The one coat feature holds up and with it’s thick consistency will protect your walls and surfaces from damp with just one coat being applied. If you are applying multiple coats then make sure the surface is completely dry before you apply.
Allow up to 4 hours for the damp seal paint to be touch dry and ensure there’s plenty of ventilation when you apply the paint as it can produce quite a strong odour that does dissipate with time.
You can expect a matt white finish from this paint and can be used as an undercoat to apply your final coat of chosen paint. It is suitable to apply wallpaper over the paint once it’s fully dry.
Available in multiple sizes, 250ml, 500ml and 2.5L tins to suit all scenarios inaddition to the Ronseal One Coat Anti Damp spray.
The ronseal one coat damp seal provides great damp protection and eliminates the growth of black mould and mildew on surfaces. Make sure that you fix the cause of damp before applying the paint to the walls for the best protection.
- Touch dry within 4 hours.
- One coat holds up well.
- 5m2/L paint coverage.
- Easily applied with a brush or roller.
- Protect walls from damp, mould and mildew.
- Can be apply paint or wallpaper over once dried.
- Strong odour that dissipates with time.
Thompsons Damp Seal Paint 250ml
Thompsons Damp Seal Paint can be applied to damp surfaces that allows any trapped moisture to escape efficiently. This damp seal paint can be applied to damp surfaces and gives a white smooth finish when dried.
With the Thompsons paint you can expect around 5m2/L paint coverage making it ideal for small problematic areas. You should apply the Thompsons damp seal with a brush for the best results and ensure that the damp problem area has been prepared before applying.
Clean the surface or wall and remove any mould that’s present and let dry before applying this paint. The paint dries to a touch within 2-3 hours making it one of the fastest drying damp seal paints available.
The micro-porous formulation allows moisture to escape slowly preventing the buildup of problems behind the damp seal.
After the paint has been applied and dry then you are free to paint over or wall paper over the area in your desired finish.
The Thompsons damp seal paint will protect against penetrative damp and stop stains and streaks from appearing on the surface. Ensure that the cause of the damp has been thoroughly investigated and fixed before starting the paint process.
- Quick-drying time of 2-3 hours.
- One coat needed.
- Easily applied with a brush.
- 5m2/L paint coverage
- Breathable and moisture release formula included.
- Strong odour.
- Small sizes available only.
- Not as thick as other damp seal paints.
Polycell One Coat Damp Seal Spray Paint 500ml
Did you know that you can also get the Polycell One Coat Damp Seal paint in a spray paint aerosol container? Well you can.
The spray paint version of the anti damp seal allows for a quicker and cleaner application to the walls but with all spray paints ensure that you have covered anything that you don’t want paint residue to land on.
Damp seal spray paint is hard to control and can result in a wide area of paint residue landing on other furnishings within an area so be prepared before you start spraying.
This damp seal spray paint can be applied easily by placing the nozzle close to the affected damp area and spraying evenly to provide protection from damp, mould and mildew forming.
You should expect a strong odour that can be unpleasant to use so ensure that you have enough ventilation and are well prepared with a mask and goggles before you start to seal the damp area.
The Polycell one coat damp seal spray paint can be used as an undercoat when dried to apply your final paint finish or wallpaper over.
Spray paints notoriously provide less coverage per m2 than traditional tin paints so I wouldn’t be disappointed with 2/3m2/L coverage from this spray. While it may seem like using a damp seal spray is more effective often they are harder to use than a tin of paint so bear that in mind.
- Touch to dry time of 4 hours.
- Spray form may be easier for some homeowners.
- Works to protect from damp, mould and mildew growth.
- One coat should be sufficient.
- Very strong odour.
- Residue paint spread may occur so cover furnishings.
- Less m2/L paint coverage than tinned paint.
- Slight off white finish.
Polar Damp Seal One Coat Paint 1L
The Polar Damp Seal One Coat Paint is a multi-purpose damp seal that’s especially forumlated to provide protection to interior walls that are prone to damp spread.
Available in two different colours, a white matt finish or a magnolia matt finish we like the choices that this damp sel paint provides compared to other choices.
The Polar damp seal can be used as a finished surface paint or can be applied and dired out for antidamp protection before you apply an overcoat paint or wallpaper to the room.
It’s easy to apply with a brush and roller and the consistency of the paint is thick to provide great, top quality protection. Because of the thick consistency you can expect a lower paint coverage of 4m2/L which while may seem like a negative but it does over permanent protection from dampness.
Ideal for interiror walls, plaster, brick and cement the Polar damp seal can be used in kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms and around windows for full damp protection and peace of mind.
While the solvent based paint odour is strong it dissipates within 24 hours to leave a bright white finish. It will be touch dry within 4-5 hours and if you need to apply a second coat then do so after the area is fully dry.
- Touch dry within 4-5 hours.
- Thick consistency for ideal damp protection.
- Protection from black mould and mildew growth.
- Available in multiple colours, white or magnolia.
- 4m2/L paint coverage on walls and interiors
- Strong odour but leaves within 24 hours.
Conclusion
There are many anti damp paints that permenantly protect interiror walls from the effects of damp but before you choose which is the best damp seal paint you should ensure that the cause of the damp has been fixed before you start applying any sealer.
There’s no real best paint for damp walls in this review as all the top paints touched on provide great quality protection at an affordable price. For the top brands then consider the Polycell and Ronseal as the best damp seal paints with Polar and Thompsons being equally as good but perhaps a little less well known to the general public.
Protection is the most important and sealing the wall to any future occurances of damp and we believe that all the paints on this list have the ability to offer that protection if applied correctly.
What You Need To Know About Damp Seal Paint
Damp seal paint or also known as anti damp paint is used on walls and surfaces that have been affected by the build up of moisture. The build up of moisture can cause the damp to spread through interior walls leaving water stains and streaks to can be unappealing to the eye.
Damp is a real problem for homeowners as the spread of damp can destroy furnishings, newly painted walls and wallpaper inaddition to having a negative impact on the health of those living in the home where it occurs.
How To Tell If You Have Damp
Damp usually occurs with some tell-tell signs that you can easily spot on interior walls. You can expect to find water or moisture stains and streaks where damp is penetrating the walls. In extreme cases you will see the growth of black mould and mildew on the affecting areas.
Sometimes you will see crumbling paint or wallpaper hanging or bubbling this effect on walls and ceilings can be a sign that there is a damp problem in your home.
Before you apply anti damp paint you need to make sure that your wall or surface has been properly cleaned. You cannot apply damp seal paint over mould or mildew.
You can use any anti mould cleaner to remove any residue and prepare the surface for applying paint.
Where Can You Apply Anti Damp Paint
You can apply anti damp or damp seal paint to most interior walls and surfaces and it’s suitable for most rooms.
Damp can strike anywhere and can affect ceilings, walls, plaster and concrete within homes.
Rooms that are often the target of damp are bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms. Window seals and around doors can also suffer from the occurance of damp within the home.
