Porous bricks

Baggiebird2nil

Hope someone can give me some advice. We live in an end terraced house at the top of a steep hill. The road that runs along the side of the house is flat so there is about 5 foot of our back wall under road level. We had all the plaster stripped back to brick a couple of years ago and had the back walls tanked. I've now noticed that where the plasterboard has been stuck onto the dividing wall (where there is no tanking) there are wet patches showing. The bricks on the outside wall have started to crumble so I'm guessing that water is getting in and travelling where it can. Anyone have any suggestions on what I can do please?

Wookey

Water will travel quite a ways and will show inside due to heat pulling the damp up inside houses.

Is there adequate drainage outside to cope with any water spilling over from the road?

When you say that plaster was removed was this just inside or outside as well?

Are you sure you don't have a leaking pipe inside from heating, plumbing or drainage?

Pretty much all bricks are porous, when you say some are crumbling would this appear as an easy route for water ingress from rain when it's hitting that wall?

If this is a brick built terraced house i would assume it's construction pre dates 1960? Some photos would help, show the walls inside and out, wall to road, internal damp patches etc.

Baggiebird2nil

Thanks Wookey. The internal walls all through the bottom of the house were taken back to brick. The back wall that is under the road level were all tanked and then re plastered. There are no pipes on that wall. A number of years ago the council took up the paving slabs from the pavement and tarmac right up to the house wall. I've had them out and they say there is no need for a drainage channel but I'm not convinced. I'm guessing that this together with some crumbling bricks is causing the water to find the line of least resistance. As it can't get through the wall that has been tanked it's going along the internal wall that runs at right angles. The house was built around the turn of the century. I was thinking of having the outside wall rendered.

WobblyDog

Some bricks are designed for reduced porosity, eg. engineering bricks, although they are more expensive and less decorative than general purpose bricks. I'm no expert but I suspect they wouldn't fix your problem on their own.

Wookey

If it's coming up thru internally then it points to a lack of damp proofing at the bottom of the internal wall, there is a good chance water is seeping in below the exterior damp course or foundation and showing up inside, the tanking that has been done is fine for repelling water but if the water does not have an adequate escape route away from the house then that could be the source of the problem.

If that is the problem then rendering the exterior wall could make it worse as it will be a lot more waterproof than the current brick and that would increase the amount of water being put into the ground, if however it is the brick wall that is the problem then a render could well fix it, i would be inclined to get a specialist dampproofer or two in to take a look and offer advice, i would also look to maybe get some drainage installed to that side of the house to remove both surface water and anything that seeps down from the road.

Baggiebird2nil

Thanks for the replies. Looks like its going to be an expensive fix! We've lived here for 30 odd years and not had a problem till they tarmac the pavement.