Issue with main walls

[Hostaswordwoman]

My survey has just come back and apparently the external walls need stripping and repainting with breathable waterproof paint. Does anyone know if this is likely to cost thousands?
It's a 2 bed semi detached ex council house built in the 1960s.

Depends what is on there currently. Is it paint or render or some sort of waterproofing like a bitumen typed thing? What are the walls made of underneath?

@Geneticsbunny it's just "common"brickwork over painted with masonry paint.

Sorry I think I accidentally posted on your thread when trying to create a new thread. Apologies.

It depends on whats on the wall, and why it is to be removed. Waterblasting or sandblasting or chemical will work.
Taking loose masonry paint off walls for repainting will have a different approach to stripping back to the original surface.
You can hire the machinery and do a DIY.
If its done by professionals and needs scaffold it can get expensive.
A neighbour had to get back to the original surface after the new paint job had a chemical reaction with the previous paint, it worked but the paint flecks messed up her driveway.

Is there a possibility that there is asbestos in the original paints?

Why is it needed? The outside wall should be designed to be a barrier to most of the rain/wet, if its not cosmetic is there a damp problem?

It's just bricks painted with non waterproof masonry paint. No render etc. There has been water into the brickwork at the gable end, which could have been caused by the concrete guttering I think

Strippers of Sudbury will be able to find you something which will get the paint off. Like pp says, I assume removal has been suggested because of damp.

Your survay should be clear on what is believed to cause the water damage. If it was broken a gutter the painting is likely for cosmetic reasons.
Also "Breathable" in building terms will usually mean allows water (vapour) to pass through.

Water can travel from the source point and only cause "visable" damage as it exits. It follows the path of least resistance Eg leak in a water pipe can travel along the outside of the pipe for a distance before gravity makes it fall or it meets a new surface.
What you don't want is to waterproof a surface trapping the water/damp inside the building.
In theory there could be a badly fitted tile letting in water into the roof structrue and its exit path was the gable wall.
If you are not sure I would go back and get a detailed explination from whoever supplied the report.

Plus if the wall was very wet was there any mention of any internal woodwork which was attached to that area of the wall.

It just says that rainwater has broken down the paint finish on the exposed gable end

I have visual and balance issnues so cannot do it myself.

I would go back and ask for more information.

If it is only cosmetic and you plan to hold the property long term you can let time do a lot of the work weathering the paint.

If it is damp related it needs sorting.