ᐅ Damp Exterior Wall / Repair with Liquid Waterproofing Membrane?

This concerns a six-unit residential building that is five years old. The exterior wall of the shared garage is damp and likely has been from the beginning. (See photo)

After years of disputes with the property developer, they are now aiming for the least complex “repair” possible. A liquid-applied waterproofing membrane is planned to be applied to the exterior wall. In my assessment, this will not work.

The wall is not damp because of rain on the surface, but because it was not properly insulated against ground moisture, causing moisture to rise inside the wall. A surface coating alone will not fix this. On the contrary, in my opinion, the moisture would be trapped inside even more, since this exterior waterproofing would also prevent the wall from drying out even temporarily.

Am I correct in this assessment? Liquid-applied waterproofing is also widely advertised online.

You are absolutely right! First, the cause of the moisture must be identified. For rising damp, only a horizontal damp proof course can help. There are specialist companies everywhere that deal with masonry drying. I would recommend consulting one of them—they can also provide a quote right away.