damp proofing query

mutley74

Hi i need some urgent advice please. I bought a 1950s semi a few weeks ago and it had some rising damp (identified in survey).

Got someone to treat the walls 2 weeks ago. Today a plasterer was quoting me other work and noticed lots of rising salts in the newly treated walls and said the skirting boards had not been removed.

Spoke to the damp proofer today he said salts is common during the drying process to be seen, and he cleaned behind the skirting without wanting to damage it.

Is it common to see marks from salts in newly treated walls?

i can put a photo on if anyone can advise how. I had planned to get the rooms decorated soon and need help asap.

thanks

FreeBear

Has the root cause of the damp been fixed ?

i.e. Was it a leaking pipe/gutter/drain, raised external soil level breaching the damp proof course, or debris in the cavity - If the root of the problem hasn't been sorted out, then you'll be wasting yet more money on waterproof render/plaster.

Chances are, if there has been damp on the wall, the skirting board will be rotten and should have been removed. Any horse poo outside where the contractor parked his wagon ?

mutley74

FreeBear wrote: »

Has the root cause of the damp been fixed ?

i.e. Was it a leaking pipe/gutter/drain, raised external soil level breaching the damp proof course, or debris in the cavity - If the root of the problem hasn't been sorted out, then you'll be wasting yet more money on waterproof render/plaster.

Chances are, if there has been damp on the wall, the skirting board will be rotten and should have been removed. Any horse poo outside where the contractor parked his wagon ?

Hi
The builder just treated the walls from inside. Now i wonder if its an airbrick on the corner of a extended height bay window which is just 1 (or 2) bricks high from grade level. One can see tide marks up the new plaster work and salts coming out. I photographed it and sent it to him - his reply "nothing to worry about"!!
Urm...does tide marks not indicate water movement?
skirting board does not look rotten, but this builder did not remove it as its stuck behind the laminate flooring. Although it would be good to get it checked/changed.

Not sure how i can get him to check behind the skirting, as the job was done 2 weeks ago and he has been paid.

Doozergirl

Take pictures please. Inside and outside of the affected wall. Let!!!8217;s diagnose the problem rather than arbitrarily treat a symptom.

Happy to give a full opinion but would like to form a full one first

mutley74

here is a photo of the treated wall (living room)


kitchen


this is the back wall of the living room next to the chimney breast (not treated for damp proofing and nothing identified in surveys) but since the wallpaper was stripped last week it looks damp. I had the fan heater over it for 30mins - no difference noticed but it does not feel wet. That wall had been checked by a few damp proofers before and nothing was identified.

Mr.Generous

I don't know how you could do a proper damp injection and then re-plaster without removing the skirting. He should have used portland cement, plastering sand and a damp proof additive AFTER the damp injection. On a solid floor you inject into the lowest mortar joint, wooden floors you inject at the original dpc height. Sometimes the damp is drawn by the skirting, or plaster behind the skirting going onto or even into the floor.

mutley74

its a solid concrete floor, 1950s house.

Doozergirl

Outside of those walls, please!

I am not sure what he has done either, but it is not a proper damp treatment. That said, most damp treatments are not correct anyway (although they do block whatever is coming through) so I would like to find the cause rather than to just criticise.

mutley74

Doozergirl wrote: »

Outside of those walls, please!

I!!!8217;m not sire what he!!!8217;s done either, but it!!!8217;s nit a proper damp treatment. That said, most damp treatments aren!!!8217;t correct anyway, so I would like to find the cause rather than to just criticise.

Will take more tomorrow.
This is the outside of the front room. On the right hand side there is an air brick just above the sill. I wonder if that is the cause of the damp?


The damp proofer said he will call tomorrow but i suspect he wont do anything, he has made his easy money from me (£500) and doubt he will do anything else to rectify this without further payment (despite being recommended by the estate agent for doing all their rental properties and other clients work).

my options to fix this
-pay him more money (if asked) to remove skirting and airbrick?
- go back to the other specialist via checked and vetted who wanted about the same money to redo all the walls again?

seriously need this sorting as its going to delay my house move and decorating by weeks

Doozergirl

Just wait.

Please take some proper photos in daylight on the house, and the walls in focus. Street view is not going help any of us diagnose a problem.

Incertainly wouldn!!!8217;t waste any more money with your builder friend.

mutley74

This is the living room photos - inside and out








concern is one can see tide marks and salting coming through. This was just dcp'd less than 2 weeks ago.