Old house, new journey

SkeltonDust

Thank you for reading this on the forum board.

I have bought a three bed house, process starting in November and completed in March, on the day of my wife's birthday. I know most expensive gift I bought for her. 

Damp Survey found some damp with a ride mark on one of the outside wall and I was successful to reduce price by 7K.
One specialist wanted 8k to put some dryrods, tanking and plastering. Second specialist wanted 5K for the same job.

Bring skint from the purchase, I bought a dryzone damp meter, it brief for damp over less than one foot of plaster, and no beeps over rest of height of wall.
When I knocked on the plaster, it sounded hollow and the plaster came off at the bottom of the wall when I kicked hard on it. I was able to get up to half of the wall plaster just by gentle knock and it is crumbly and dry.
I shall attach some photos (lots).

Once I removed the wall paper, the ceiling has cracks, some filled and some unfilled. Unfilled I believe are the new cracks.

My questions =

1. Should these cracks in the ceiling repaired and skimmed over OR lathes pulled down and dry board should be fitted (Simple board or insulated board)?
2 I managed to pull the plaster of two walls in the room. Bricks and mortar are dry apart from few rows of mortar at the bottom. When I was trying to knock the plaster above the bay window, I noticed lathe. Should I pull everything off and what should be the replacement materials?
3. The rooms in the first floor plaster looks ok, do it need to go back to brick there as well

All ideas and replies are gratefully received.

SkeltonDust

these are few photos. I can take and upload more as needed.
Thanks

FreeBear

SkeltonDust said: I have bought a three bed house, process starting in November and completed in March, on the day of my wife's birthday. I know most expensive gift I bought for her. 

Damp Survey found some damp with a ride mark on one of the outside wall and I was successful to reduce price by 7K.
One specialist wanted 8k to put some dryrods, tanking and plastering. Second specialist wanted 5K for the same job.

Bring skint from the purchase, I bought a dryzone damp meter, it brief for damp over less than one foot of plaster, and no beeps over rest of height of wall.

Do yourself a favour and throw that damp meter away (or flog it on ebay) - Those things will not give you a true, accurate, or consistent reading on anything other than untreated wood. Just way too many variables to throw the readings off. Salts in the plaster, different types of paint used, even the type of plaster. The only thing those are good for is scaring victims customers of these damp proofing surveyors salesmen.

You have what appears to be a 1920/30s bay fronted property (cavity on the lower half, solid brick walls on the upper half ?). Some of the ceilings look as if they have been boarded (or over-boarded) and skimmed - If they are original lath (not lathe, that is something completely different) and lime plaster, you could try skimming, but the cracks will reappear eventually. Taking the ceiling down is a very, very messy job, but it gives you the opportunity to rewire and fix any other issues lurking in the void between ceiling & floor. And while you are making a mess, it wouldn't hurt to insulate the walls at the same time. That will be a better use for the £5-8K you've been quoted for questionable damp "cures".

I'd also suggest having a look round the outside and make sure ground levels are at least one brick height below the DPC. If you don't know where the DPC is, go one brick down from the bottom of the door sill or air bricks. Also check the state of downpipes & gutters and clean them out if required - Those steps should fix any damp problems if indeed it exists.

SkeltonDust

FreeBear said:

I'd also suggest having a look round the outside and make sure ground levels are at least one brick height below the DPC. If you don't know where the DPC is, go one brick down from the bottom of the door sill or air bricks. Also check the state of downpipes & gutters and clean them out if required - Those steps should fix any damp problems if indeed it exists.

Thanks for the reply.

House do have engineered blue three brick high dpc and at places the flower bed reduces it to two bricks high in the front and in the back, flag patio leaves it one brick high only. So patio needs to be lowered by two bricks I surmise.

SkeltonDust

The roof is original lath And plaster, I checked by lifting first floor boards. And if it was plaster board, should the cracks not appear along the perimeter of boards?
Thanks