spots/mould on the solid wall!

Section62

sujsuj said:

Section62 said:

Jellynailer said:

Returning to the task of trying to help work out the nature of the OP's issue in the face of a range of opinions and speculation, I have no concerns about my own wall because my damp meter has recorded a 0 result for 10 years. A damp meter is not expensive and could be very helpful in this case.

Inexpensive damp meters are notoriously innaccurate, and sujsuj doesn't need one to work out that a gap in the gutter directly above the area which is showing signs of damp internally is the first thing to address.

No speculation about that - it is a fact that defective rainwater drainage is often the root cause of a damp problem, and even if not the cause of this problem it still needs fixing ASAP.

Thanks. The gutter has been sorted now, though there was no leak affecting the upper floor wall areas where the dampness was seen. Regardless, the issue has been addressed. Thanks again!

The defective gutter was above the wall which showed signs of damp.  Depending on the rate of rainfall (and therefore flow rate in the gutter) and wind direction and strength, some of the water in the gutter will likely end up on the wall.  Water can 'stick' to the external surface of uPVC pipes and flow along and down them on the outside - which is also difficult to spot unless you get up close and personal with the pipe during rainfall. At some point the water can 'detach' from the pipe - for example where there is a pipe clip/bracket - and soak into the wall.

It is possible the water got into the wall from another source - for example a leaking HW/CH pipe embedded in the wall, or a leak in the roof - but having a defective gutter above a damp area of wall means it is very likely the gutter is the source of the damp.

Fixing the gutter means you've eliminated the most obvious source.  If the wall doesn't dry out then you'll know to look for something else.

sujsuj

Jellynailer said:

EssexHebridean said:

 if criticism is being levelled it is going to be because the advice is poor, misguided, or misleading

I have not given any advice to the OP)  I have only suggested what the problem might be and/or ways the cause could be pinpointed.  I asked questions and saying "It is hard to respond usefully without the above information except to tell you about my experience of dealing with a damp spot problem". 

Others have given suggestions as to what the problem might be = condensation; penetrating or rising damp but the mould spots are not symptoms of any of these - not even on commercial sites that can exagerate in order to get business. 

Section62 said:

  ...if I see advice being given which is seriously wrong or misleading I'll point it out, whoever is posting, because bad advice is worse than no advice....

It is difficult to understand how you've drawn the conclusion that the possible causes identified by other forum members don't fit the symptoms

I posted links giving the (expert but non-commercial) source of my suggestion showing 1. symptoms of different types of damp and 2. the nature of and dangers of black mould.  Have these sites been visited by anyone? 

Having said the above, I am pleased to note that others have started to ask questions too and one ThisIsWeird has even posted a link for information not previously known to any of us athough it has confused me because it refers to a 1950s detached house whereas for this thread the OP cites a 90 year old house and the pictures show that it is clearly not detached.I will leave it up to others to ponder and comment on this contradiction and keep my thoughts to myself.  

To end my involvement in this thread, I wish to a) emphasise that the quality of information supplied at the outset of a thread or in answer to questions is crucial to working out the nature of the problem to be resolved and ...

b) owning up to failing to explain that the damp spots on my wall were checked by a damp expert before I undertook my remedial work not knowing about products for sealing prior to emulsion.  I am now clear that the best way to check whether the work I did has been effective is to look at the area above the wall I treated and it shows not a sign of any damp.  End of story.  Over to the rest of you to sort the OP out. 

I value everyone's input, and it's great to see all views being shared here. Ultimately, I’ve realized how helpful this forum is (soon reaching my 100th thread in the last 4+ years), and that’s only possible because of all the contributions, experiences, and lessons learned that you’ve shared. Thank you!

sujsuj

EssexHebridean said:

Further question to the OP - in one of the photos posted we can see an item of furniture - is that the position that item has been in for a while, and are the spots more intense behind the item, and radiating out from that upwards in decreasing intensity? (Sorry - clunky wording, hopefully you can get what I am asking!) Without wishing to bring “unrelated issues” into the thread, we had similar spots to this in our old flat - and know from experience that often the best cure and control method is to move furniture well out from affected areas to increase ventilation. Not always possible, I know, but certainly not a bad starting point. If the wall generally is damp, then spots may have started showing where there is less airflow - and furniture blocks airflow.

Yes spots were intense behind big bed room drawer and now moved to give more space there.
Yes spots intensity was more closer to floor level and less as we go up.

sujsuj

Section62 said:

[Quoted post removed by Forum Team]

Give him a chance.  People have busy lives and can't always drop everything to answer forumite's questions, or he may not want to answer.  That's up to him.  He's a nice bloke, please don't scare him away from using the forum by demanding he answers your questions.

Jellynailer said:

Oh yes, and who said this in a different thread?  "Bad mould can be quite serious I understand"

Not sure the point of this guessing game... but nobody, least of all ThisIsWeird, is disputing that mould can be a bad thing.  So why the pop at him?

Really sorry, was busy to sort out gutter leak and taking measurements for my new 'stable roof replacement' project!. thanks for all inputs and your valuable time. Apologies I should have provided more information up front. thanks.

sujsuj

sujsuj said:

Gutter issue is sorted over the weekend, removed clip and pulled 2 gutter pipes together and put the clip back. Checked gutter and it is clean no blockage or anything. Now the wet area on bottom half of wall no more an issue. So hopefully this will sort out all external issues. Also keeping curtains away on windows to get whatever sunlight we have now to be useful.  Thanks very much.

[Quoted post removed by Forum Team]

The first-floor wall wasn’t wet due to the gutter leak, as the water was splashing onto the ground-floor wall, as shown in the photos. Initially, I placed a water butt to collect the water directly from the leaking gutter to prevent it from splashing onto the walls. Anyway, the gutter issue has now been resolved.

It took me nearly two days to repair the gutter, as I wanted to do it slowly and safely, not being a pro at this type of work. The photos are from the inner wall of the shaded area. I wiped the wall with vinegar this weekend and will monitor to see if the spots reappear. Thanks!"

sujsuj

sujsuj said:

Jellynailer said:

How long have the spots been there?  Have they got any worse over that time?  Is the room heated?  When was your guttering last cleared out? 

It is hard to respond usefully without the above information except to tell you about my experience of dealing with a damp spot problem = I had similar spots on the wall at the side of the first half of my stairs but a damp meter showed no damp so I put two coats of gloss paint on the wall and then emulsioned to match the rest.  It has been fine for over 10 yrs now.

I noticed recently only. So may be there for last 2-3 weeks maximum. This weekend I cleaned up all with Vinegar after reading that trick online. At the moment all disappeared after rubbing with vinegar!.

Yes room is heated but that side wall don't have any heaters, wall heater is on the other-side. Last 4 years first time I am seeing this in that wall. As I mentioned this is 90 year old house. Thanks.

[Quoted post removed by Forum Team]

I've added a photo of the entire outside wall, along with where the mould was seen on the inside wall. This is a detached rural farmhouse, approximately 90 years old (from the 1930s).

I purchased the property four years ago and am still working on various parts of it, including the garage and stable block. but don't believe excessive issues here, except the fact that I have work most of  my summer!. 

I live here with my family—it's not a rental property.

Now that the gutter leak is fixed, the watermarks on the lower floor's exterior brick wall are quickly disappearing. 

sujsuj

Also, the brick color is slightly different—the right side is darker—because the section just to the left of the gutter pipe is a newer build, about 20 years old. Thanks!

stuart45

sujsuj said:

Also, the brick color is slightly different—the right side is darker—because the section just to the left of the gutter pipe is a newer build, about 20 years old. Thanks!

Is the extension cavity wall masonry?

EssexHebridean

Seriously Jellynailer - please stop trying to whip up panic where none is justified. You may not realise how your tone comes across - but essentially haranguing someone, demanding they send you photos of the interior of their house etc, it’s really not very nice. The OP has taken steps to fix the issue as soon as they have noticed those first spots - which is a key thing with these sorts of issues, dealing with it at the early signs. How about we now accept that they are happy with the solution, and leave things in a position where they will come back and ask for further advice down the line rather than scaring them off?  

If in fact the wall is wet due to a combination of a very wet spell of weather and that leaking gutter, then yes it will take time to dry out, however the restricted airflow which has likely caused the damp spots on the wall has now been dealt with by means of moving the furniture, and Sujsuj knows the signs to look out for in the future. Right now this is a watch and wait situation. 

ThisIsWeird

stuart45 said:

sujsuj said:

Also, the brick color is slightly different—the right side is darker—because the section just to the left of the gutter pipe is a newer build, about 20 years old. Thanks!

Is the extension cavity wall masonry?

I was assuming it would be, in which case, sujsuj, you wouldn't expect the same issue in these newer rooms, even under the same wet conditions.
To dry the affected room, simplest and cheapest method is to ventilate ventilate ventiwhatsit. Open the windows as far as you can, without letting rain in!
You could turn the heating up, but unless you also ventilate, the moisture will stay suspended in the air. If you heat and ventilate, you waste energy. Just ventilate, or use a dehumidifier. I'd personally just ventilate.