Have an 1894 Victorian brick terrace in inner Sydney (corner block) and there is bubbling / blistering paint on the façade of the front of the building (downstairs and upstairs on the balcony), some areas more affected than others. There is section inside where paint is bubbling, that is where the internal downstairs wall was removed years ago (see photos). I'm trying to get to the bottom of how to solve this problem rather than just scraping off the affected areas and painting over. I am thinking that the front of the building was historically lightly rendered with a lime based render and limewashed, rather than modern plastic paints which trap moisture. Normal rising moisture through the historic lime mortar (either between the bricks and/or as a render) probably can't escape properly and is blistering as a result. That is my preliminary thinking. My plan is to use a paint scraper to scrape off all of the affected areas, let it all dry out, and then apply a thin layer of lime based render (lime putty sand), and then lime wash it with several coats, rather than use modern paints.

There is a slight issue re weep holes on the side of the house that over many years the local council has built up the footpath and now it is a concrete footpath running along my exterior wall blocking/partially blocking a number of weep holes that run along the bottom of the wall. Part of me thinks that this could also be exacerbating moisture issues in my structure by not allowing moisture out of the wall properly and not allowing the building to breathe. I am wondering if it is possible to install new weep holes in vertical mortar joints slightly higher than the original ones by drilling/chiselling/using an oscillating multitool. Then blocking the original weep holes.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have an extraction fan in the subfloor operating all day which expels any humid air. I've attached photos here.

https://preview.redd.it/jvs702degv7d1.jpg?width=1596&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8d1f94c3ba0cc7b8321c3153a7d33b5cbbb3e6c

https://preview.redd.it/yz29amffgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e3c93822436f5ecb3513a43aa3a1adb8c3da008

https://preview.redd.it/98d9e6wfgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c332444dfb542a0e00cedbbdbcfbedb7a5ca4bc4

https://preview.redd.it/sqhpx4gggv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ebebe138531ff6872db275ebf2895e56c16d1d6

https://preview.redd.it/12m6nofhgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7fb8c3d8cf368da025044b03bf5a68f5ae5b340

https://preview.redd.it/746gumfhgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b21b523d523db9a70b66dbc06e6f0527ea01abf8

https://preview.redd.it/jr1l969igv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=552d1d2f4d0037d2019fbe04cbb5a5d02805d88e

https://preview.redd.it/93haqxsigv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f84d5d24d1a9ceccc0bc6611b83e5b7b0d277a0d

this is the inside bit I mentioned.

these are the weepholes that have over bee gradually blocked by council building up the footpath - can these be blocked up and re cut out of the existing wall slightly higher up?

https://preview.redd.it/vc4fevcmgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6b814684b6653c69903084f0bc3fdbd42956c38

https://preview.redd.it/cqaimqcmgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=359ffef47dfe3c34c16be3e6e113c4abc4e36908

https://preview.redd.it/ffzhtlcmgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2d1d09878125f38a57410b734e6634b519b755d

https://preview.redd.it/ues1rocmgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9248dc5e6d2adc2b84807d27d56a0a4785aa2182

https://preview.redd.it/l9oz1admgv7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b399d167c5a325d8a50496ea888b85e1cc1cd6f6