Is this damp or issue with the plaster??

hivoodoodoll

I have just had my kitchen replaced and some of the walls replastered. On one of the walls at the bottom it looks like there are damp patches so I had a plumber come back to have a look at it.

After taking the skirting board off and expecting to find a damp floor and/or plaster, everything he could see was bone dry. On the other side of the wall there is a pipe coming in from the outhouse where the washing machine is housed but the damp patches were either side of where the pipe came in and not near where the pipe drain into. We put pencil markings around the patches and I have use the washing machine to see if they increase in size but as yet nothing has happened.

My question is could these patches be something other than damp. Could they be something to do with the actual plaster? I need to get the walls painted and I'm not sure how long to wait.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Did the plasterers patch up any bigger holes with bonding around that area before they skimmed the walls? If so, those spots would take a bit longer to dry out. How long has it been since it was done?

hivoodoodoll

As far as I know there was no extra filling in in that area. It was plastered two weeks ago and the rest of the kitchen seems to have dried out ok.

Mr.Generous

rising damp is usually hard to see, and would run down to the floor, I would say its unlikely to be that. Plaster can dry different colours, is it actually dry or damp? Can anyone take some damp meter readings for you? Is the colour still changing?

hivoodoodoll

It doesn't feel particularly wet just cold but it's on an exterior wall.

wrightk

two weeks is a very short space of time for plaster to fully dry out.

You've mentioned that the space is cold, the patches are low down and the affected area is on an external wall. This all suggests that there isn't a damp problem but merely that the plaster hasn't yet fully dried. It will take much longer to fully dry all the way through in colder areas or confined spaces where there is a lack of heating and ventilation. Also as has been said plaster will not all dry a perfectly uniform chalky pink colour- it should do but it depends on the plasterer,the surface and the conditions

Try warming the room up significantly for the next few days but also providing plenty of ventilation to allow any humid air to escape.

When it comes to painting before doing your final coat apply a couple of white mist coats for new plaster (plenty available ready mixed) or some very cheap white matt emulsion (bandq value matt works well) If you apply a top coat to new plaster which hasn't fully dried (which can take several months) you might end up with a 'skin' on the walls, essentially your new paint sucking the moisture out of the plaster and turning into a peelable skin!

cyclonebri1

hivoodoodoll wrote: »

I have use the washing machine to see if they increase in size but as yet nothing has happened.

I'm not sure how long to wait.

Much longer than you have, quit whittling:A