Ongoing damp problem

fatboyonadiet

Had a slight issue with damp/moisture issue in the middle of a house which was in both bedrooms.

We had the external gables sorted and new edges put on along the side of the tiles.

However the damp seemed to get a lot worse, especially around the chimney, subsequently had new air bricks put in and weatherguard put outside on the wall (it is an end terrace and exposed) as well as the pointing done.

However the damp has got even worse and is now downstairs too.

I've been advised the plaster needs replacing as it's holding the moisture and we've been effectively sealing it in but resolving the external issues causing damp to get into the house.

Does this sound right? We've had a similar issue on another property and the air brick sorted that one out

Doozergirl

We need more context, please.

Pictures, preferably.

fatboyonadiet

It's a tenanted house so can't pop back for pictures.

The damp upstairs is where the two rooms meet along at top and then some on the chimney breast upstairs

Downstairs seems to be on the same side but also creeping around the corner, along the bottom

david1951

fatboyonadiet wrote: »

Had a slight issue with damp/moisture issue in the middle of a house which was in both bedrooms.

We had the external gables sorted and new edges put on along the side of the tiles.

However the damp seemed to get a lot worse, especially around the chimney, subsequently had new air bricks where? put in and weatherguard what exactly? put outside on the wall (it is an end terrace and exposed) as well as the pointing done where?.

However the damp has got even worse and is now downstairs too.

Sounds like the work you have done so far hasn't fixed the cause of the damp.

I've been advised the plaster needs replacing as it's holding the moisture and we've been effectively sealing it in The plaster needs replacing with what? New plaster? Is it cracked, etc.? Or the wrong plaster? How old is the house? What's it made of? but resolving the external issues causing damp to get into the house. Not sure I understand this last bit, could you elaborate?

Does this sound right? It depends on the house and the damp. As Doozergirl says some pictures are probably needed to give you an answer.

We've had a similar issue on another property and the air brick sorted that one out Putting in air bricks on the ground floor is unlikely to solve damp on the upper floors...

fatboyonadiet wrote: »

The damp upstairs is where the two rooms meet along at top and then some on the chimney breast upstairs

Has the chimney stack been repointed?

fatboyonadiet

Had a slight issue with damp/moisture issue in the middle of a house which was in both bedrooms.

We had the external gables sorted and new edges put on along the side of the tiles.

However the damp seemed to get a lot worse, especially around the chimney, subsequently had new air bricks where? Upstairs in the 2 bedroomsput in and weatherguard what exactly?Coated the outside exposed wall put outside on the wall (it is an end terrace and exposed) as well as the pointing done where?. My mistake, the pointing hasn't been done

However the damp has got even worse and is now downstairs too.

Sounds like the work you have done so far hasn't fixed the cause of the damp.

I've been advised the plaster needs replacing as it's holding the moisture and we've been effectively sealing it in The plaster needs replacing with what? New plaster? Is it cracked, etc.? Or the wrong plaster? How old is the house? What's it made of? but resolving the external issues causing damp to get into the house. Not sure I understand this last bit, could you elaborate?My lack of knowledge, but I thought if the moisture is trapped in the walls, sealing up the outside is causing the moisture to push internally?

Does this sound right? It depends on the house and the damp. As Doozergirl says some pictures are probably needed to give you an answer.

We've had a similar issue on another property and the air brick sorted that one out Putting in air bricks on the ground floor is unlikely to solve damp on the upper floors...


Thanks for all the help so far. Is it just a case that it just needs to dry out and I need to do the pointing???

FreeBear

Is the lead flashing around the chimney stack in good order ?

By mentioning air bricks, I'm guessing the original fireplaces have been bricked up - Have the pots been capped to stop rain coming in from the top ?

If this is an old property built before say 1950, the original plaster would have been lime - If you dig under the hard surface, it will be fairly soft and crumbly and white in colour.

Replacing (or skimming) with a modern gypsum plaster will trap the moisture in the walls - Unfortunately, it would be an expensive job to strip back and replace with lime.

david1951

Sometimes older properties are impossible to seal up to prevent water ingress, and using lime plaster absorbs the water better so that it can then evaporate through the walls. You are right in that using modern plaster on old walls can cause the moisture to go the other way, i.e., absorb into the internal walls. Sometimes this causes damp, sometimes it doesn't.

If enough water is coming in then it doesn't matter what plaster you use. It depends again on the cause of the damp. As FreeBear alludes to, if your chimney stack needs repointing and the lead flashing replacing (or installed) then this may be a good place to start.

fatboyonadiet

Thanks, will look into getting the pointing redone

Will double check on lead flashing and pots too

Is it worth using a dehumidifier too to help with the problems internally?

david1951

fatboyonadiet wrote: »

Is it worth using a dehumidifier too to help with the problems internally?

Possibly. I have a Dimplex dehumidifier (<£100) that works quite well when I need it. As I'm sure you are aware, this is a short term fix and won't solve the problem.

fatboyonadiet

Thanks David, of course not, my thoughts were that if all the fixes done so far and the pointing sort out the leak and the mositure is just the water trapped trying to get it, it might help to get rid of it quicker