Help me please: Problem with a wall in house ive just completed on.

starkiller

Hello

I have completed on my house yesterday. Its a 1930's semi.

I have a problem is on the internal dividing wall between the two houses. I yanked a piece of the wallpaper and most of the lower wall paper came off in one piece. The plaster underneath has crystals on it, and I am concerned as to what could be causing this problem. There did used to be a chimney breast in the area where there is this problem, but its not on all the wall, just up to waist height. We have removed the built in wardrobes in the room above it, and there is nothing wrong with the plaster there, where the chimney breats used to be.

I know people cant say for definate what the problem may be but is it possible for anyone to give me some ideas that I can investigate. I wondered if the chimney breast may not have been blocked off properly hence damp penetrating through from the void....??? Does this make sense??

Any help or ideas gratefully received. I posted on a DIY forum, and all i ended up with was 2 people having a spat about whether rising damp exists....! I have got Jeff Howells book, so I know all about that arguement

ariba10

If it is the plaster over where the fireplace was it should have a ventelation grild roumdabout the lowest point.

The chimney is probablly still open to the elements and there should a small flow of air to keep the chimney aired.

woodbutcher_2

Chimneys are notorious for attracting damp.Soot attracts moisture like nothing else.It may just be salt,or efflorescence as it is known,which can be cleaned off with chemicals.A lot of old houses just need some ventilation.I have a 1930's house myself and just cleaning out between the sleeper walls under my floor and unblocking the airbricks sorted 95% of the problems.It's a process of elimination.

starkiller

Thanks for the replies. Off back in a bit, just having a cuppa and a bacon buttie Will investigate further. I have got about 4 weeks til I am moving in so fingers crossed I can get to the bottom of it before then.

Thanks again
Starkiller X

nelly_2

what colour are they?

starkiller

Crystals are white. We were there all day yesterday and we had all the windows open, it ssems beeter for having air circulated around. My pops thinks the house has been empty for a while, and not having heating or air circulating may have agrivated the problem??

Thinking of having lounge/dining room re-skimmed anyway considering the anaglypta wallpaper covered a multitude of sins.

nelly_2

Its salt, wipe a bit off on your finger and taste it, thats what I do

your dads almost certainly correct too.

Check your pm box

woodbutcher_2

If it is salt,you can always put it in your chips:rotfl:

starkiller

:rotfl: :rotfl: Woodbutcher!

Things are looking a bit better now air has circulated thru the house for the last 2 days.
Defo going to have it skimmed now...took the lovely '70s fireplace out today and was a tad heavy handed with the lump hammer.....I think cos its so mingin!