Damp/tide lines on interior wall

furry_tractor

Hi,
We purchased our house a year ago which was decorated all white. When we painted, the wall that separates the living room from the kitchen showed bad damp/tide lines. It is only on this wall, not any of the external walls. Can anyone advise what would be the best course of action? I have tried using a damp sealant but it just came through. Who would be best to come and inspect the problem? I have been advised to have a damp proof course/injection. If this is the case would I need to have all walls done or just this internal one? (money is a factor)
Thanks in advance.

lauraland

Is there any water pipes that could be leaking within the walls?

furry_tractor

Good question. My honest answer would be I don't know and wouldn't know how to find out without making holes. My best guess would be no as there is nowhere for the pipes to be running to. The other side of the wall has cupboard and an oven and above are bedrooms. I always thought plumbing pipes were as direct as possible so they would be going all over the place if they were linked to the bathroom.

FreeBear

furry_tractor wrote: »

I have been advised to have a damp proof course/injection.

How old is the property and who advised the DPC injection ?

Just about all properties will have a DPC in the base of the walls - Modern builds will be a plastic or bitumastic layer, whilst older buildings will be either slate or engineering bricks. Really old properties built from stone, cob, and timber framed won't benefit from fancy injection treatments and it may cause further problems.

furry_tractor

The property was built in 1935. I have read the Home Buyers Report that we had done and it says that the original walls had a 'poured bitumin damp proof course'. Would this have been in all walls or just external ones?
Sorry, 'advised' was probably not the best word to use. That's just what family and friends have suggested, no professional.
I don't know who I can get to come and take a look at it without being forced down a needless and costly route (such as the injections if that is not warranted). People have suggested it's rising damp, hence mentioning the injection of dpc.

FreeBear

furry_tractor wrote: »

The property was built in 1935. I have read the Home Buyers Report that we had done and it says that the original walls had a 'poured bitumin damp proof course'. Would this have been in all walls or just external ones?

So your house was built some six years after mine - Assuming it was constructed to the same sort of standards, it will have a DPC in all walls, external and internal. There will also be a DPC on the sleeper walls that support the timber floor.

The two main problems that spring to mind is either a leaking pipe or a bridged DPC - The latter needs a steady supply of moisture from the ground, which is unlikely for an internal wall and there is no sign of damp elsewhere. Is the damp apparent on both sides of the wall ?

If you do get someone in to look at the problem, avoid these "free surveys", and if they recommend tanking with "water proof plaster", kick them out straight away. You should have lime plaster on your walls will which go a long way in helping to manage any damp issues.

Have a good read of https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/managing-damp-in-old-buildings.html to see what sort of things these so-called "experts" get up to.

furry_tractor

Any idea what sort of professional I should call in?
Unfortunately, the other side of the wall is covered with cupboard units but no damp is easily visible.
One thing I have wondered is that the wall it is on is where I believe used to have a fire linked to the chinney. Isnit possible it could be leaked from the chimney?
I think people suggested rising damp because it is so low down.

Aylesbury_Duck

furry_tractor wrote: »

Any idea what sort of professional I should call in?
Unfortunately, the other side of the wall is covered with cupboard units but no damp is easily visible.
One thing I have wondered is that the wall it is on is where I believe used to have a fire linked to the chinney. Isnit possible it could be leaked from the chimney?
I think people suggested rising damp because it is so low down.

There's another thread on here where the poster has wet walls in their kitchen because their neighbour's unused chimney was not dealt with properly and has allowed water ingress. Could you have a similar problem?

furry_tractor

Just had a quick read of that thread.
Our Homebuyers report stated;
'The chimney stack is in good condition but is unlikely to contain a damp proof course or 'soakers' (metal strips interwoven between the coverings)...increased risk of wind driven rain...installing a damp proof course may not be cost effective as long as regular maintenance is completed but not needed at this time.'
That was my first guess (as well as people suggesting rising damp) but I don't know who would be able to come in and diagnose the problem without having an agenda of pushing a certain course of action.

ukmaggie45

Try googling "independent damp surveyor".

We had damp probs in our house (built early 50s, but by a cowboy builder :mad:) and got an independent bloke in. As well as the damp it turned out we had concrete sickness (prob due to the damp!) which wasn't good news. In the end it didn't bother us that much (apart from extra cost :eek:) as we were doing total refurb plus extension. But I can see this is much more bothersome if you're living in the house. :eek:

Anyway, having just googled myself I found this that you might find interesting. (this is just a random find, not a personal recommendation)

When you google, you might want to stick the general area that you live in as well to find firms near to you.

Forget what we paid for the survey, but in view of what we found out it really was money well spent.

Good luck!

furry_tractor

Thanks. Will certainly look into finding an Independent Damp Surveyor. My only concern was if they tried to push a particular treatment that was costly and unnecessary.