Penetrating Damp
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GarethB1989
Posts: 4 Newbie
Hi all,
Having recently purchased our first house, we knew there was some damp on a back bedroom wall linked to the old chimney breast/roof. Having bought in a roofer, they recommended the chimney to be capped which we duly paid for, before we then hired a plaster to remove the plaster from the damaged internal wall and replaster. This damp issue had been evidently going on for years and years as the state of the old plaster was terrible (super wet to the touch).
The replastered wall was drying well until Christmas apart from one stubborn patch, which has gotten worse and worse. As such, the roofer was called out again and did some work to the flashing and gutter run off which he said was the only thing he could think of still causing the issue.
2 weeks have now passed and the plaster will not dry despite a dehumidier and fan heater on a lot to assist. When both are on 50 per cent of the damp patch fries, before coming back again overnight. Am I being overly concerned? The brick work, I understand, would still be sodden and continue to push water through to the internal wall despite the cause of the issue now being fixed?
We have a baby on the way in April and I need wall dry. In the back of my mind I'm worried the roofer hasn't fixed the issue and doesn't even know what it is!
Having recently purchased our first house, we knew there was some damp on a back bedroom wall linked to the old chimney breast/roof. Having bought in a roofer, they recommended the chimney to be capped which we duly paid for, before we then hired a plaster to remove the plaster from the damaged internal wall and replaster. This damp issue had been evidently going on for years and years as the state of the old plaster was terrible (super wet to the touch).
The replastered wall was drying well until Christmas apart from one stubborn patch, which has gotten worse and worse. As such, the roofer was called out again and did some work to the flashing and gutter run off which he said was the only thing he could think of still causing the issue.
2 weeks have now passed and the plaster will not dry despite a dehumidier and fan heater on a lot to assist. When both are on 50 per cent of the damp patch fries, before coming back again overnight. Am I being overly concerned? The brick work, I understand, would still be sodden and continue to push water through to the internal wall despite the cause of the issue now being fixed?
We have a baby on the way in April and I need wall dry. In the back of my mind I'm worried the roofer hasn't fixed the issue and doesn't even know what it is!
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Any help!?0
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GarethB1989 wrote: »Having recently purchased our first house, we knew there was some damp on a back bedroom wall linked to the old chimney breast/roof.
Is it an outside wall, have you looked in the loft, is it wet on the chimney breast in the loft?0 -
It's an external wall, however, the damp had been ingressing via the chimney breast opening. This has now been capped, and the surrounding area all repointed. Gutter, flashing and gutter run off has been looked at as well.
Damp patch keeps returning, but doesn't appear to be getting larger despite the rain since the second piece of repair work was carried out.
Could this be residual water from the chimney breast brickwork still progressing? This would have gone through circa 2 inches of fresh plaster to make the damp stops which is what makes me think the water is still coming in from somewhere in the roof?0 -
GarethB1989 wrote: »Damp patch keeps returning, but doesn't appear to be getting larger despite the rain since the second piece of repair work was carried out.
A brick wall will take around a month per inch of thickness to dry. Assuming the chimney breast is one brick thick, that equates to around four months of drying time. This is dependent on just how wet the bricks were to start with, what the temperature & humidity is like internally, and how well ventilated the area is.
Monitor the problem patch and reassess it in May or June - You may well find the damp has disappeared completely.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 -
We had chimney capped but airbricks put in to the top of the chimney and air vents in the chimney breast so there was still a flow through of air.0
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For any other forum viewers who may be looking for a penetrating damp treatment, look into masonry creams such as Emperor Paint Masonry Creme! Hope this helps.0
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How old is the property, is it a solid wall construction or cavity? What did you have it replastered in?
If it's solid wall, with gypsum plaster, and the damp persists it may be worth considering hacking off the plaster and allowing the brick to dry out properly then re-plaster using a lime plaster mix.0 -
Why would that be? Penetrating damp on exterior walls is often the cause of water ingress, masonry cream that is water repellent and breathable can dry walls. I have tried myself and damp subsided.neilmcl said:
Please, do not follow this advice.JackR09 said:For any other forum viewers who may be looking for a penetrating damp treatment, look into masonry creams such as Emperor Paint Masonry Creme! Hope this helps.0 -
JackR09 said: Penetrating damp on exterior walls is often the cause of water ingress, masonry cream that is water repellent and breathable can dry walls.Nope. These creams generally trap moisture within the brick, and when it freezes, the bricks spall. Whilst it may work in the short term to give a waterproof coating, long term, it is a waste of money.Hard facing bricks are pretty impervious to water, soft ones will suffer considerable damage in the long term if subjected to masonry creams.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
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