Internal Damp

[KS55]

If you have rising damp you may need to remove the plaster and treat the brickwork in case of mould. Then replaster. Find the source first obvs.

 

[jrb]

If you have rising damp you may need to remove the plaster and treat the brickwork in case of mould. Then replaster. Find the source first obvs.

I think that's the best option. Start from there and work backwards. Or upwards.

 

[DTKOAG]

I loved Leonard Rossiter.

 

[Scottyboi]

What type of floor do you have is it solid or suspended?

 

[jrb]

What type of floor do you have is it solid or suspended?

Think it's suspended. The skirting board isn't rotten or damp apart from in that one location shown on the photograph. The laminate flooring isn't bubbling or expanding under the skirting board.

 

[city2]

Get a professional company in to tell exactly what and where the problem is and the work required. Least you will know the cost an whether you can do the job yourself.

 

[tweety]

Just on that point. Why isn't the open vent in the wall creating enough ventilation? Or could that be the reason for the damp, as the vent is always open, and the living room pretty much hasn't been heated this winter?

I had just assumed that the chimney had been completely sealed. Do your own research, I would be wary of damp proofing companies who would push their particular method, sometimes at great cost and inconvenience.

 

[Scottyboi]

Think it's suspended. The skirting board isn't rotten or damp apart from in that one location shown on the photograph. The laminate flooring isn't bubbling or expanding under the skirting board.

Use to do all this for the council many years ago, when you exposed the floor and saw a mound of mud or shite piled up going over the damp course causing a bridge for damp to rise. And no air bricks so all the joists dry rot to fuck.

 

[Coatigan]

Apparently there's nothing wrong with capping the chimney if the chimney is no longer in use. Just Googled it. Capping a chimney stops the right from falling down into the chimney. The chimney still has to be vented, so he should have used a vented chimney cap/cowl. My neighbour has a drone, so I'm going to ask him to have a look at how the chimney has been capped. If the chimney cap looks ok I'll take the skirting board off as it's slightly rotten in places and the plaster is coming away anyway. Once the skirting board is off I can then get somebody in to have a look at the damp, including the chimney space, which is behind a wooden board, which has been plastered.

Yes and no. Technically and in theory a vented cowl and a vent at the bottom will let air vent the chimney. And lots of people do it and it turns out ok. Or ok most of the year but damp in the winter. Most chimnes are built in a single skin of brick, and during the wet months this saturates in a way cavity walls don't. When they are in use, this is dried up by the heat of the fire working through them. Once you take that away, even with venting it will likely never be enough over the winter months. In the summer the heat of the sun may be enough to just keep a balance. I think taking down chimneys to below the roof is the best thing to do if no longer in use, and it is surprisingly quicker than people think.

That is all IF your damp is a or is purely a chimney issue. Damp is one of those things that is hard to identify an exact cause, as it can be a number of things.

Most often, it is inadequate dpc if at low level. Or often sometimes it can be a bridging across the cavity at low level, in any number of ways, including when people retrofit insulation inside cavity walls. Or poor venting of the solum, if blocked etc. Sometimes people get it right first time, sometimes ends a lengthy process of elimination.

A few seem to have suggested getting a damp specialist. That's probably the best thing. A survey with a recommendation reports will probably be circa £500, and might include ball park costs too, then you can properly think about it.

 

[Coatigan]

If it is low level and happening at internal walls as well, it is more likely to be a dpc issue, or poor solum venting, or a combination of the two.

 

[jrb]

If it is low level and happening at internal walls as well, it is more likely to be a dpc issue, or poor solum venting, or a combination of the two.

Had a quick look around the internet and came across Ark plastering and damp proofing, Cheadle Hulme.

89, 5 star reviews.

damp proof company - Google Search

Stockport Plastering & Damp Proofing Services | Rendering | Manchester

Plasterers & Damp Proofing Services in Stockport and covering the surrounding areas – Free Quote Call 0161 706 0016

www.arkplastering.co.uk

22, 5 star reviews on My Builder.

https://www.mybuilder.com/profile/ark_plastering_17

You can only go off reviews and hope most of them are genuine.

I'll give them a call. Hopefully they can sort the damp out, as well as replastering the wall.

Professional Plastering & Damp Proofing service in Stockport, Cheshire

ARK plastering, damp proofing & rendering service covers all areas in Stockport, cheshire and manchester. Looking for quality Plasterers? Call 0161 286 4821

www.arkplastering.co.uk

 

[normskih]

Had a quick look around the internet and came across Ark plastering and damp proofing, Cheadle Hulme.

89, 5 star reviews.

damp proof company - Google Search

Stockport Plastering & Damp Proofing Services | Rendering | Manchester

Plasterers & Damp Proofing Services in Stockport and covering the surrounding areas – Free Quote Call 0161 706 0016

www.arkplastering.co.uk

22, 5 star reviews on My Builder.

https://www.mybuilder.com/profile/ark_plastering_17

You can only go off reviews and hope most of them are genuine.

I'll give them a call. Hopefully they can sort the damp out, as well as replastering the wall.

Professional Plastering & Damp Proofing service in Stockport, Cheshire

ARK plastering, damp proofing & rendering service covers all areas in Stockport, cheshire and manchester. Looking for quality Plasterers? Call 0161 286 4821

www.arkplastering.co.uk

Have a look on Companies House, the company has only been around since 18th March 2024, with no previous companies named.

 

[jrb]

Have a look on Companies House, the company has only been around since 18th March 2024, with no previous companies named.

Incorporated on 18 March 2024

CB was appointed secretary and director on that date.

ARK PLASTERING AND DAMP PROOFING LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

ARK PLASTERING AND DAMP PROOFING LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Check the leading around your chimney, worth checking first

Take the chimney down. Had all those issues, leading checks, repointing, done it all.

Water will always find a way.

Had the chimney removed (we have central heating anyhow)

Roofer tiled right over the void in a day.

Never had an issue since.

 

[The Northern Baptist]

When it comes to damp, you need a proper independent damp report done. You will need to pay for this report. It is 99% likely not to be rising damp. Water doesn’t just magically levitate up your walls.

Do not get some builder round and get him to ‘diagnose’ the issue. Get a report done then give that to a damp specialist to fix the issues.

I have used this company for my surveys in the past.

PCA Independent Damp and Timber Survey Report Specialist UK

Damp and Timber Survey Report Specialist in England & Wales. Offering independent specialist damp and timber surveys throughout the UK

www.damp-timber-survey.co.uk

 

[BerkshireBlue]

Thanks.

I'll start will the least expensive option first, a replaster and a piece of new skirting board. If that doesn't show up anything I'll get somebody to inspect the chimney and the flashing. Hopefully i can find somebody honest and I don't get ripped off for work that doesn't need doing. It's impossible to know if work really needs doing or not unless I go up on the roof myself, which I can't do.

that would be one of the last things I'd do as it's not solving anything, also stop wasting money on paint as well until it's solved. Rule out the chimney first. Flashing, pointing, cap, damaged bricks, it could be any of these. Don't you have a drone? can you do a video of the chimney to see the state of the flashing? not sure if the video will be good enough but worth a try

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

99% of internal damp issues are down to poor ventilation coupled with high humidity, so if you have any cold spots on the walls you will almost definitely get patches of damp. Cold spots can be down to many things, and one of the biggest culprits is poorly installed cavity insulation, and after that bridging between the inner wall and the outer wall. In older houses such as yours the gap between the inner and the outer wall is usually narrower than more modern houses, so bridging can often occur when you get mortar bridging the gap.

With an internal air temperature of 19 degrees and a relative humidity of 65%, any surfaces in your house that are 12.3 degrees (the dew point) or lower will form condensation. At 80% humidity that dew point rises to 15.5 degrees.

 

[normskih]

99% of internal damp issues are down to poor ventilation coupled with high humidity, so if you have any cold spots on the walls you will almost definitely get patches of damp. Cold spots can be down to many things, and one of the biggest culprits is poorly installed cavity insulation, and after that bridging between the inner wall and the outer wall. In older houses such as yours the gap between the inner and the outer wall is usually narrower than more modern houses, so bridging can often occur when you get mortar bridging the gap.

With an internal air temperature of 19 degrees and a relative humidity of 65%, any surfaces in your house that are 12.3 degrees (the dew point) or lower will form condensation. At 80% humidity that dew point rises to 15.5 degrees.

Ventilation is always the key. Make sure windows are open in the day, drying washing indoors without ventilation is always a problem too.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Ventilation is always the key. Make sure windows are open in the day, drying washing indoors without ventilation is always a problem too.

If you can get the humidity down to 55% or below and keep all the internal surfaces above about 10 degrees then there shouldn't be any internal damp from condensation.

The problem is with internal damp from condensation is once it penetrates the plaster it tends to remain wet and readily soak up more moisture which is where people often mistake it for penetrating damp.

 

[jrb]

Take the chimney down. Had all those issues, leading checks, repointing, done it all.

Water will always find a way.

Had the chimney removed (we have central heating anyhow)

Roofer tiled right over the void in a day.

Never had an issue since.

How much did that cost you? Obviously prices will have changed since then if it was a while again.