Is this damp?

Homebuyer278

Could someone help and advise if they think this is damp please? It's an external wall and I'm concerned about the orange looking parts as I thought plaster would be pink

FreeBear

Speculation - It is old lime plaster that had been given a coat of "orange" paint (most likely a limewash) - Most of my walls here have a thick mustard yellow paint job from when it was built in the late 1920s. Lime plaster will generally be white to light grey underneath any paint or wallpaper.

A photo of the wall from the other side (wide angle showing full context, not a close up of a few bricks) would help - Damp on an exterior wall is often a leaking downpipe or overflowing gutter.

Homebuyer278

FreeBear said:

Speculation - It is old lime plaster that had been given a coat of "orange" paint (most likely a limewash) - Most of my walls here have a thick mustard yellow paint job from when it was built in the late 1920s. Lime plaster will generally be white to light grey underneath any paint or wallpaper.

A photo of the wall from the other side (wide angle showing full context, not a close up of a few bricks) would help - Damp on an exterior wall is often a leaking downpipe or overflowing gutter.

thanks do these help

Homebuyer278

On photo 3 the pipe has been replaced as it was leaking replaced last week

FreeBear

Homebuyer278 said:

On photo 3 the pipe has been replaced as it was leaking replaced last week

Is that a condensate drain from a gas boiler ?

If so, it should have been replaced with 30mm (or bigger) pipe rather than what looks like 20mm. If it is around 20mm diameter, there is a good chance that it will freeze during a cold spell and cause the boiler to shut down.

On the good side, there doesn't appear to be anything on the outside that would give rise to penetrating damp... Unless the block paving is breaching the DPC.

Homebuyer278

FreeBear said:

Homebuyer278 said:

On photo 3 the pipe has been replaced as it was leaking replaced last week

Is that a condensate drain from a gas boiler ?

If so, it should have been replaced with 30mm (or bigger) pipe rather than what looks like 20mm. If it is around 20mm diameter, there is a good chance that it will freeze during a cold spell and cause the boiler to shut down.

On the good side, there doesn't appear to be anything on the outside that would give rise to penetrating damp... Unless the block paving is breaching the DPC.

Thanks so much FreeBear.
To keep with you, I was worried the block paving had breached as in the front the block paving covers what I think is an air brick, does that mean it's been installed too high? I'll post a picture of what I mean 
Thanks for all your replies

Homebuyer278

what I think are air bricks and the gutter the drain pipe feeds into all out front 

stuart45

It shouldn't be covering an air brick, especially if you've got a suspended timber floor. 
How old is the property? Looks like you've got cavity walls.

JohnB47

Well I'm not an expert, but a damp roof course, if one exists, should be under the lower edge of that airbrick, possibly even a brick course below that. So, to me, the paving level is far too high. Water may be pooling near there and may dampen the wall above the damp proof course - all along the wall.

I've had a problem like this. I decided to lift up a line of paving sets, about a foot out, all along the wall edge and dig down to well below the damp proof line. I removed all of the soil out and replaced the void with gravel, (actually round stones from a garden centre but any course gravel would do) but making sure that the upper level was well below the damp proof course. I believe it's called a French drain - look it up.

Any rain that gets on the paving and is tempted to approach the wall, goes down into that 'sump' and drains away naturally below the damp proof course of the house. It solved my problem. I'll send a photo tomorrow if I remember.

Grotdog

I'm not real good at quoting etc., but most photos seem to show cement pointing in old brickwork, which isn't a good idea as it traps moisture into the wall. You can see the result when bricks spall. Also the photos of sub floor vents below paving level - thats just allowing water to pour into the sub floor - the external ground level should be around 6" below the bottom of those vents at least.  The plaster is lime. top coat is the thin bit - loosened by having wallpaper on it I'd guess - which traps moisture  (condensation) into the wall. When it peels like this, any moisture is long gone. Lovely looking place - but sort those ground levels!!!