Why can I see this through the paint?

[Bigbongos123]

First house buy. On edge about all the responsibility I've just taken on!

I've just realised I can see what basically looks like brick work (but like breeze block size) through the paint when the light hits it right.

Why ...? I'm almost too scared to ask this as we really don't have the budget to fix issues!

Sorry I don't get it. Why is it a problem? Do you mean you can see the bricks? Can you feel them with your hand too? Is it just painted breeze blocks?

Where? Inside a room or exterior?

I've tried to zoom in and screenshot the pic I first noticed it on. However I noticed it when I visited last week in the living room.

Can you guys see what I mean? Is this normal? Have always rented new builds so am clueless.

DH is a painter and says this is un plastered breeze block...is it in an extension?

Lack of plaster will cause damp and cold.

No it's a main bedroom!

I can't see it.

I will assume that it is plastered brickwork and you can just see the outline of the mortar joints. If it is unplastered you will feel the texture of the mortar and the blocks with your fingertips.

Most likely it is because the house was cold or damp when it was first painted. Pattern staining of walls often shows damp or dust marks because the mortar is colder than the blocks. Budget price or value paint in particular is very watery and poor at covering.

In which case, it will probably disappear when you repaint. A good tip, when trying to hide marks on the wall, is to apply a few coats of good-quality matt white (which is cheaper than colours) rather than ending up buying enough finish paint to put on six coats. You can buy Obliterating paint but it is more for stains.

Have a look at the other side of the wall to assure yourself there is no sign of damp. For example a badly-ventilated bathroom or a spilling gutter.

Hi pigletjohn!

The walls I've seen it on are exterior walls, so no rooms on the other side like bathrooms etc to account for. I'll have to have a feel of them. It's possible you can't see it as I've zoomed in too far, could I pop you a PM with the original pic incase it changes your opinion on it?

I'm unsure when it was last decorated. Its probably been at least 5/6 years?!

external walls will be cooler, especially in winter, especially if they have no CWI. They may be damp if they have spilling gutters above, or if wet washing is draped indoors. Bedrooms tend to get humid, though this mostly shows as condensation on the windows, which should be the coldest surface.

It would be unusual to see pattern staining on an internal wall that had been repeatedly painted, unless the wall was rather cold or damp. In some cases extensions are build with thick blocks, no cavity, rendered outside, and the mortar bed might be more prone to cold and damp, though I don't remember seeing it.

Send me a pic if you have one.

Oh that's annoying, apparently we can't send pictures via PM! All guttering etc seemed absolutely fine, though we will have someone up there to clean and check it out for us just incase.

So it could be something or it could be nothing essentially? Will a painter and decorator know to look at it? We've got on dropping in day after completion next week.

My next door neighbour had this on the wall between the kitchen/dining room and the garage. Our corresponding wall would have been between the sitting room and the garage but we did not have it.

Sorry - I never did understand why it happened. She wallpapered it before she moved and I wouldn't dare ask the new neighbours [innocent looking face]. I assume it must have been something to do with condensation and the wall drying out when it was new.

A decorator may go straight for an obliterating stain blocker to avoid the risk of being called back. Nothing wrong with that. Or he may recognise the problem when he inspects it.