Hydrostatic pressure describes the pressure caused by standing water pushing against an object or surface that blocks it. In the picture here, water that has no where else to go is held in the dirt behind this wall. The water has to get out somehow, and in this case it leaves through evaporation. As the sun draws the water molecules through the wall, it peels the paint. Garden walls and retaining walls are notorious for having this problem.
Posted in Los Angeles Home Maintenance Advice
