Any builders out there, advice needed

[Andrew Boyd]

Guys.

 

I live in a solid walled brick 1920's house.

 

The small box bedroom on our first (top) floor suffers from a small amount of damp. This appears on the inner wall about 2 years after re-decoration. It's very minor but still not nice. The external wall is pebble dashed, treated with a breathable paint and in good order.

 

I know if I stripped the wall paper off and used a sealing paint, or lined with foil or simular, the damp would not show for a long time, but methinks better to solve the problem rather than hide it and end up with a large problem later on.

 

The internal surface is plaster directly onto the brick coated with standard wallpaper.

 

No furniture stands up against the problem patch to aloow free air movement.

 

The problem area is about 2 square meters in a corner ( rear corner of the house ) on the 'lower' half, so I suspect the damp is not coming from the roof. The roof is two years old and sound. I have inspected the gutter which is in good order, having the correct drop and not leaking. I have central heating, double glazing and the room has a small wall vent. Out of habit we leave this room's door open.

 

There is an exposed cold water pipe running up another wall ( feeding the loft tank ) within the room. This use to gather condensation but I insulated ( lagged ) this several years ago and no condensation appears now, its totally dry, so is not the source.

 

Hope I covered all the valid points. Any expects with any thoughts??

 

Thanks in advance.

[poledark]

Andy, is there a window frame above the damp area? Anything else on that section of wall where water could get in?

 

The damp could be entering a fair way away from where it shows inside.

 

Have you checked for any hairline cracks in the P/Dashing...amazing amount of water can get in that way, and if it can't dry out externally, then it will spread inwards. Maybe another coat of sealant paint outside?

 

Den

[chesters1]

pebble dash is trouble second only to flat roofs

[five bellies]

You need to do a bit more ruling out mate, Get the steps out and start having a tap around the external render/ pebble dashing. with the handel of an old screw driver you may decover a blown area, Still on the wall but not adhered to the sub surface.If this is the case miosture can build up in the subsquent air space and cause a problem.Is there any rawle Bolts or old fixings left in the wall these can act as conduits for damp? Does the problem ease up in the summer, or has it Got worse because of the terrible rain we have had this year , yes to either of these Would indicate a external Cause

Damp in a lower corner of a room can also be caused by Wicking You may well have a pinhole leak in a service pipe under the floor once a jiost gets waterloged it will wick miosture into the surrounding Brick work pull the Carpet back is the mould spreading to the floor boards?

Have you got a metal detector or a DIY stud detector? many a time I have Hacked back plaster to find old lead pipe or Barrell blanked off and Buried this breaks down in time and starts weeping.

Lastly some properties both old and new just suffer with a cold wall If this is the case Insulation is the only cure. You may have to Kill the mould off with a Builders fungieside board the wall with a insulating wall board and reskim.

 

Hope that helps.

[five bellies]

pebble dash is trouble second only to flat roofs

 

 

Flat roof are fine as long as they are not flat !

 

The devils in the Detail

[Big Jeff]

Don't post very often - But I am a Chartered Surveyor.

 

Assuming that there are no other uderlying causes (you seem to have covered all of these and others have made other good suggestions).

 

The fact that you had condensation on the cold water pipe would tend to indicate that you have an easily treated condensation problem.

 

Old houses that are heated but can't breath can suffer from condensation on cold surfaces (the problem area) that causes mildew. I'm guessing that the vent in the room is above the problem area?

 

Do you have trickle vents in the double glazing?

 

Think of a tupper ware box - stuff in there sweats horribly - same thing happens in houses normally in the most exposed least used areas.

 

Treatment is more ventilation (trickle vents in the problem area) as the walls can't be insulated (inexpensively and if you do the moist air will settle somewhere else probably unseen). Building Regulations have guidelines for the amount of air changes per hour to avoid similar problems.

 

Worth sorting out as damp/mildew spors aren't healthy - don't paper over the problem it is probably an easy fix.

 

Jeff

[Steve Walker]

Worth sorting out as damp/mildew spors aren't healthy - don't paper over the problem it is probably an easy fix.

 

 

This is very true. Our old house had mildew problems due to poor ventilation. Immediately we moved house, the mrs' asthma improved beyond recognition. The only thing that sets it off now is unpacking boxes from the old house.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2209415.stm

[poledark]

Perhaps a small extractor then?

 

Den

[deanbmw]

Right ....condensation all a ways goes to the coldest part of the room ie cold spots on the walls...so what you need is a air brick at high level to create an escape.

 

a builder should fit if ya not confedant to to it youself ...for get any exspensive or fancy treatments thats all ya need.

 

any more help ya need pm me

[five bellies]

Right ....condensation all a ways goes to the coldest part of the room ie cold spots on the walls...so what you need is a air brick at high level to create an escape.

 

a builder should fit if ya not confedant to to it youself ...for get any exspensive or fancy treatments thats all ya need.

 

any more help ya need pm me

 

 

I would Generaly agree with you but seeing as a vent allready exists in the room And presuming It is clear that particular fix isnt working Pluss most modern glazing fixed to FENSA standard should incorparate Trickle vents as pionted out But I guess you cant have too much fresh air though .