The Gauge to Test Water Permeability of Walls

Germann Water Permeation Test

• The GWT is used to test not only the permeability of a concrete wall, but the effectiveness of potential waterproofing membranes applied to that wall. The gauge registers the permeability of the concrete, or the pressure at which water will penetrate the material. It also measures the porosity, level of porousness of the material, and absorption rate. These factors help form a picture of how permeable the wall material is to water under varying pressures.

Plastic Bag Test

• A simpler way to see whether water permeability is an issue is to tape a square piece of clear plastic bag to the wall. Seal the plastic on all four sides and check back in a day or two to see whether water condensation has formed on the inside of the bag. If you find water between the bag and the wall, the wall likely has some level of water permeability and is contributing to moisture in the air inside the home.

Hose Test

• A simple way to test whether wind-driven rain is an issue is to use a pressure washer or pressure nozzle on a garden hose to spray the outside of your wall with water. However, don't damage the wall with excessively high water pressure. Check the inside wall for signs of water penetration or leaks.

Absorption Tube Test

• Absorption tubes are small plastic or glass tubes that are attached to the material to be tested for water permeability. The tube is then filled with a known amount of water, and the absorption rate is tracked to ascertain how quickly the wall material will wick up water. This test is effective for learning the porosity and absorption of a material, but is not necessarily helpful if high pressure water exposure is a potential concern such as with walls exposed to wind-driven rain.