Bubbling wall - advice please!

pinkpie

I need some advice as I have no idea what to do - the wall at the bottom of my stairs has literally started to bubble - it looks like the plaster is bulging out and you can sort of press it.

Its the outside wall at the end of the house and I suspect it may be damp as there seems to be a crack on the outside end of the house but much higher up. The paint has come away from the wall in the bedroom directly above it but this is different and I'm really worried.

Who would I get to look at it - a builder or someone else?

BobProperty

It does sound like that damp is the most likely problem. Is the plaster coming up in a bulge like a blister? More information on the construction and age of the property and what this crack further up the wall is, may help.

pinkpie

Thanks for your reply.

The house is a 1960's brick semi. The area looks as if it's bulging but there are smaller thum size patches of blistering. The crack on the outside wall looks as if it's been repaired as it has differnet colour plaster near it - it's a thin crack and about 3 ft long on the top half of the wall. I aways assumed it was cosmetic but maybe not.

pinkpie

I'm still after some advice on who to call as I have no clue when it comes to house repairs.

I also need some other things doing at some point like a new bathroom and the house rewiring - would it be best to get a bulder in to quote for the whole lot or do you get someone in to do each bit?

I just feel like I don't know where to start!

Any advice gratefully received :-)

BobProperty

As a sweeping generalisation:
The damp problem, a general builder, try and get a recommendation off family, friends, neighbours.
The bathroom when you do it, a plumber.
The rewire when you do it, an electrician. But do check that what is being done for one thing is taken into account for the other.

Now, back to the damp on the wall at the bottom of the stairs, (and I'm assuming ground floor). There are a number of possible causes, faulty DPC, outside ground level over the DPC, leaking gutters, pipes, drains etc. Without seeing it, it is very difficult to diagnose. Are there any signs of water running down the wall? (slight moss growth is a possible sign). Is there a drainage gully at that corner of the house?

As for the crack in the wall, which way does it run and does it start or end at the corner of something?