UhOh.... Damp wall!

[davido140]

I seem to have gotten a bit damp...

Noticed it last night, slightly damp walls in the back downstairs room of my two-up two-down terrace end terrace.

I've havent been up a ladder to look at the roof yet, but I've checked the loft and upstairs back room and not a hint of moisture so I'm guessing at the moment it's soaking in through the wall downstairs.

Damp proof course should be ok, and the moisture is from fairly high up the wall so I doubt it's rising damp.

Couple of pictures of the state of the outside wall at the bottom.. it's got a concrete render over the front and top of the house, the back is painted with a weather proof paint which is wearing thin in bits.

Pointing is in fairly good nick, other than a couple of spots I can do myself.

The course of action I've got planned it to repoint the bits and bobs that need doing, then retreat with the best moisture proofing stuff I can find, the bricks are going to be very porous as the house is 120ish years old.

Am I doing the right thing or should I just get in a builder now?

Cheers

Dave


^^^ it's this bit of wall that seems to be leaking

Edited by davido140 on Saturday 2nd October 14:28

[CerbitonFlyer]

The pointing doesn't look that great IMHO so that's almost certainly the culprit . What's that dark square at roughly first floor height? The water could be getting in through that if it's an old air vent or something. Are there any drains down that side of the house? Could be damage to the drains caused by tree roots that is preventing water from flowing properly?

[davido140]

No drains on that side of the house, the dark vent thing is in the chiney stack, breather or something like that I think, Its quite a way from where the damp wall is but I'll check that out all the same.

Better get a quote for repointing the wall then!

Any builders in basingstoke??

[Spudler]

davido140 said:

Better get a quote for repointing the wall then!

Its about the only route you can go really. The house would have been built using sand and lime, the pointing is more than likely a regular sand and cement mix which is a no-go. The wall butting up to the property isnt helping matters, the fact that the gable wall is painted will make things even worse. Houses ,especially of that age need to breath.
Suggest to the builder it should be a sand and lime mix or atleast use "Mastercrete" or similar if not lime.
I'd suggest repointing upto the height where its bad and the whole width of the gable.

[davido140]

Cheers chaps, repointing it is then.. besides wrecking the plaster inside if I have to wait a few weeks (possibly months) to get it done what damage and I looking at? It's a bleeding mare to get a plumer let alone a builder to do "small" jobs around here.

[andy c]

It is not a cavity wall,so moisture can penetrate right through to the plaster.

1.Repoint the wall,
2.Have wall treated with an injected waterproofer[semi permanent fix].
3.Spray it with water sealer on the outside.Rain will then just roll off.[Will last 1 year or so,wall must be dry and moisture problem coming from outside to solve problem .Cost about £20 diy]

[davido140]

What's the opionion on the waterseal products (spray or paint on), apparently they are breathable.

Thinking of this as a fix for through the winter and I'll get it repointed in the spring/summer, I'm guessing at about 2-3 large to get it done professionally and I simply dont have the cash as the moment.

If it's likely that this wont help and I'll end up with a bigger bill next year if I dont fix it now then I'll get my beg/borrow/steal hat on and see if I can russtle it up somehow...

Thanks for the help!

[B17NNS]

The course of action I would take would be to strip the wall of paint (blasting it the quickest method) to reveal what is probably beautiful brickwork underneath. Then a re-point with lime based mortar.

Followed by a couple of coats of http://www.thompsonswaterseal.com/products/product...

Your wall will not have a cavity so assuming rain water goods, roof etc are all in good order the problem is likely to be penetrating damp.

If the paint is damaged, water gets in but has nowhere to escape so works its way inside by capilliary action

[davido140]

Aha, so the nackered paint is now doing the opposite of what it was intended for, trapping the moisture in.

I fancied the idea of doing the blasting, pointing and sealing myself. Blasting doesnt look like a DIY job though, £500 to rent the blaster for a week.... tempting, I could give the car a REALLY good clean!

[Spudler]

I'd also get up on a ladder and have a look where the render meets the tiles, there's no overhang by the looks of it.
Worth investigating.

[davido140]

Spudler said:

I'd also get up on a ladder and have a look where the render meets the tiles, there's no overhang by the looks of it.
Worth investigating.

Cheers will do, but I dont think there's an issue up there (at least I hope there isnt), no hint of damp in the loft or upstairs rooms.