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Why am I still getting dampness in my bedroom?
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I purchased a flat in December last year.
Two weeks into my stay there, I noticed dampness on the walls of my bedroom.
The leaseholders got a surveyor in and they decided it was hygroscopic salt penetration to the plaster.
Their solution was to remove the old, damaged plaster, and replace it with new plaster. Only the damaged sections were removed, rather than the entire wall. The wall is situated on a party line so water is not coming in from the outside.
The surveyors said the water was settling onto cold walls then over time the salts wreck the plaster and the water can no longer soak in so it leaves damp/wet patches on walls.
The damp issue was "fixed" in April. I also purchased some specialist paint (can't remember what it was called, but the surveyors recommended I paint my walls with it) which contains glass and helps with insulation.
Fast forward to today, and the damp/wet patches are back in different places on the wall, including on the new plaster. I've managed to get hold of a dehumidifier which dries the walls out, but 6-8 hours later I can see the water returning on the walls.
I have the base controls of a weather station in my bedroom which takes temperature and humidity readings of the bedroom, the humidity is regularly 70-80%, which is far too high, and the temperature is never less than 18c.
I am going to go back to the leaseholders so they can get the company that did the plastering back in to have another look, but in the meantime has anyone got any ideas as to the cause?
I will post some pictures later, if/when I can!
thanks for any help!
Two weeks into my stay there, I noticed dampness on the walls of my bedroom.
The leaseholders got a surveyor in and they decided it was hygroscopic salt penetration to the plaster.
Their solution was to remove the old, damaged plaster, and replace it with new plaster. Only the damaged sections were removed, rather than the entire wall. The wall is situated on a party line so water is not coming in from the outside.
The surveyors said the water was settling onto cold walls then over time the salts wreck the plaster and the water can no longer soak in so it leaves damp/wet patches on walls.
The damp issue was "fixed" in April. I also purchased some specialist paint (can't remember what it was called, but the surveyors recommended I paint my walls with it) which contains glass and helps with insulation.
Fast forward to today, and the damp/wet patches are back in different places on the wall, including on the new plaster. I've managed to get hold of a dehumidifier which dries the walls out, but 6-8 hours later I can see the water returning on the walls.
I have the base controls of a weather station in my bedroom which takes temperature and humidity readings of the bedroom, the humidity is regularly 70-80%, which is far too high, and the temperature is never less than 18c.
I am going to go back to the leaseholders so they can get the company that did the plastering back in to have another look, but in the meantime has anyone got any ideas as to the cause?
I will post some pictures later, if/when I can!
thanks for any help!
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Comments
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Ground floor or basement flat ?Where are the damp patches in relation to ground levels outside and any downpipes/plumbing ?It would also help to know roughly when the building was constructed and what type of finish externally (i.e. brick/stone or rendered) and if there is any cladding.Her courage will change the world.
Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.0 -
FreeBear said:Ground floor or basement flat ?Where are the damp patches in relation to ground levels outside and any downpipes/plumbing ?It would also help to know roughly when the building was constructed and what type of finish externally (i.e. brick/stone or rendered) and if there is any cladding.
The flat was probably built in the early 1900's, and the outside I think is brick/rendered.
The wall where the dampness is has no connection whatsoever to anything outside, and the walls that do face the outside of the building are fine.0 -
Got any photos of the wall ?Do you know what is on the other side of the wall (bathroom or kitchen perhaps) ?Her courage will change the world.
Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.0 -
It's definitely not a bathroom or kitchen on the other side of the wall, it's probably corridor.
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Looks like that line of damp is about 1.2m from the floor... I'll leave others to comment on the significance of that number.In the meantime, I'd suggest moving the bed so that the headboard is against another wall. A human body produces quite a bit of damp air during the course of a night, and if it is condensation, your night time breathing is the most likely source.Her courage will change the world.
Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.0 -
Sometimes, builders didn’t put enough breathing bricks into outside wall. As a result the cavity never quite dries out and causes damp. Our house had the same on the back wall.
You can drill 4 x 1/2 inch holes in the outside wall near the damp in a square pattern, then fit a small plastic grill cover over to make it look decent. That will allow the cavity to dry out.
Sometimes guttering can cause water to trickle down the inside too, it gets damp and causes the same thing.0 -
MaryCakes72 said: Sometimes, builders didn’t put enough breathing bricks into outside wall. As a result the cavity never quite dries out and causes damp.
Her courage will change the world.
Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.0 -
Those patches look like lines or in one case L shaped.Good that you've got an interested landlord.I agree with seeing what happens when you move the bed - if you can. It always helps to rule things out when there's a puzzle.You've got high humidity, do you have the window open at night or to ventilate during the day? Can you keep the door open a crack when you're sleeping to help ventilate it?
I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!
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I'd also go with night time breathing. That humidity reading is pretty high. Try and leave the window ajar at night, if security allows.
Vent the room for at least one hour daily, all weather.
Invest in a dehumidifier. That may well solve it.
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Thanks for your help/advice so far.
The room is always well ventilated, on dry days the window is always opened for at least 30 minutes.
The humidity reading is always high, even if no one has been in there all day, it was around 70% this morning, and will be similar later when I return home from work.
I have a dehumidifier, but it's not very economical to run, as its an old model!
The bedroom door is always fully open, which leads into the Lounge/Kitchen area, which doesn't have a humidity problem.
Unfortunately due to sizes, my bed cannot be moved to the opposite end of the room0
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