Damp internal wall

Lexxi

Can anyone offer any suggestions why my internal wall might be damp? The wall is in the living room and is off an external wall and has the kitchen doorway in it. The skirtings are fine, no evidence of damp, the laminate has not lifted or warped but the wall is damp.
I had the plaster taken off and re-done a few years ago and the wall underneath wasn't damp, there's no mould visibile anywhere.
The other side of the internal wall is the cupboard under the stairs, where the boiler is, there are skirtings in there that are old but not rotten/damp. The boiler is also doing fine, pressure fine.

I have just found that the pipe work for the waste water has corroded so water isn't draining as it should, however this internal wall is in the middle of the house, the drain is at the back and there isn't any damp there.

I'm not sure what I should be looking for, the pointing is fine, there isn't any evidence of any damp anywhere else.

The damp hasn't gotten any worse or risen over the last few years, it's just really odd and a bit of a nuisance when the paper keeps lifting.

Has anyone else had anything like this? Or does anyone know if I could get someone in to assess it?

toofy

I'm having the same problem, though my problem is in an old house recently purchased.. the water pipe from the mains in the street runs through my hall under the concrete floor, then under the stairs to the kitchen.

I suspect as it's old, it may have a leak as the wall is only damp on a small patch, & underneath the stairs smells a bit damp. I think I may have to renew the pipe, but hope it will fix not only the damp, but the water pressure at the kitchen tap at the same time..and hoping it won't cost a fortune as I haven't laid any floors yet..

Lexxi

I got so excited seeing a reply, thinking that someone might have an answer. Although I am sorry that you're having the same problem.
My house is 1850-1890 old - I think that the main supply is about level with the kitchen sink on the street, if that makes sense, so I wouldn't think it would be that for me. It's so difficult to know what to do with it being an internal wall.

Has your house been empty or not heated for a length of time?

Are you getting anyone out to look at yours?

foxwales

Here are some possible suggestions:

1) Rainwater entering into wall cavity via rotten or gapped soffits.

2) Leaking pipe above wall

3) Condensation generated from the heat of the boiler warming the wall behind it, cold air hitting that wall and causing moisture to form resulting in damp

4) Leaking roof

I'd get a dehumidifier and put it in the room where you have the damp. See if the damp improves with the dehumidifier in place, if it does, you know its problem (3), if not its one of the others

abankerbutnotafatcat

Whilst gutting our kitchen we recently decided to invest £200 (probably cheaper in other areas of the country) on a PCA registered independent surveyor - a specialst in damp and similar problems. He provided excellent insight into our issues and advice on resolving them and I would definitely recommend anyone having similar issues to do the same.

iamcornholio

Rising or penetrating damp would tend to leave a stain, possibly salts, be variable and progressively spread

If you are sure that no pipes are leaking with a minor leak, then condensation would be the most likely

Damp plaster but not wall could also be the plaster touching a concrete floor and absorbing some moisture from the cold floor beneath the laminate

If the area of dampness has a distinct pattern eg horizontal, vertical, "x" distance in/up the wall, crescent in the corner only etc then that could help identify it

Lexxi

Thank you for all the replies.

I don't think it's rainwater pipes/soffit problems as the outside of the external wall is ok, as is the inside of the external wall, no prblems with any upstairs walls. Also roof and guttering has been done relatively recent.

Possibly, maybe to do with condensation, I might try one of the stand alone throw away dehumidifier things in there to see what that does.

I am almost 100% certain that there are no leaks, the stain/damp definately isn't getting worse. So it won't be rising damp either, there isn't any colour from the salts. The wall paper just keeps lifting in the same spot and it's always about the same size.

I wonder if it could be to do with the concrete, as the other side of this wall is a concrete floor, at least I think it's concrete. It's solid. I can't remember what's under the laminate. This bit of floor also backs onto the broken drainpipe at the back. Is it possible the drain has been broken for much longer than we realised and the water has been getting to the wall in the centre of the house, causing the damp? Or would this be progressive damp too?

If water got into the cavity before the guttering was done, would it dry out eventually or would it stay damp? I had air bricks fitted when I had the wall ties done but this made no difference on the damp internally.
The damp proofing is very old but this is an internal wall, no other walls are affected, touch wood! The outside is pointed fine, roof and guttering is still good.

Did the surveyor recommend works or steps you could take abankerbutnotafatcat? I wouldn't mind getting a survey done, I just don't have the money to fix anything else just yet as I'm getting a rewire, chimney works and need to sort this pipe at the back out. Thanks for the tip though, I might get the pipework sorted and then keep my eye on it.

My parents had the house before me and I remember the damp from then, I've had it replastered twice in 5 years, the first time it was the old horsehair plaster so it was holding the damp anyway.

Thank you for all your replies and suggestions, at least I have a starting point

abankerbutnotafatcat

In our case damp hadn't been too much of a problem - no condensation or visible mould, just a musty smell which we controlled with a dehumidifier. But as we were gutting the kitchen we thought it would be a good time for a specialist to inspect. He said that the main issue (other than it being a Victorian basement with solid walls which obviously can't be changed!!) was that at some point the plaster had been placed right down to touching the floor. Then someone had put laminate down and used a polythene physical membrane under it causing the floor to sweat. The moisture had found the porous plaster a way to travel up the walls. He recommended a small gap in the plaster (to be covered by skirting) and a epoxy covering on the floor before we tile. Should cost a couple of hundred and a bit of effort!! So we had a quite specific issue but found the surveyor and his detailed report very helpful and informative and we'll be bearing mind his other recommendations as we tackle other areas of the house.

cyclonebri1

The thing I have a problem with is in your 1st post, you think you "may" have a damp problem?

If you can explain that question or conclusion, ie, what makes you think you have damp, then it may be easier to try to help,

Lexxi

Well because the wall is damp, feels damp, causes paper to lift. Under the plaster the brick is ok, not damp. The damp hasn't spread in the last few years, there hasn't been a smell, apart from quite recently because the heating hasn't been on. There isn't a stain or anything coming through the paper.
So it is damp, I'm just not sure it's proper damp as it's not doing much. I know damp should be a cause for concern but it is in this one patch. Should I still be concerned? What if it is causing damage to where I can't see, like under the house?

Abanker - The laminate is fairly recent to the house, I might check out where the plaster finishes though and see if I can hack some off. I'm trying to remember if it's floorboards to the living room as I would think that would mean the floor wouldn't sweat the same as a solid one, wouldn't it? The kitchen floor is definately solid and has been tiled for a long time.
Someone suggested that the house may have had a cellar at one time, I wouldn't know how to find out. One of the neighbours has but his was the old mill owners house and his house is bigger.
My biggest worry is that there was a cellar and it's now full of water that is making it's way up an internal wall!

cyclonebri1

Ok, the reason I asked is that it's very easy to confuse condensation and damp, and to be honest if you say the brick is dry underneath then I'm still not convinced it is rising damp.
Maybe try to borrow or hire a damp testing metre, they are available.

If it is damp and is not affecting the brickwork then removing the skirting on the offending wall and chopping the plaster 3" clear of the floor then packing the skirting may be enough to fix it, but I would check it with a meter 1st.

Just thought about this again and it's very possible that there is no damp course to the internal wall, this sometimes happens when a chemical damp course is used and the householder doesn't want the internal decor spoiling. It needs checking but would be very easy to rectify if that is the issue.