Damp in house - advice anyone!? « Singletrack Forum

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Damp in house - advice anyone!?

23 posts & 12 voices | Started 6 months ago by cardiff | Latest reply from rewski

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cardiff - Member

Ok so I think I've got two problems (although very possibly linked!) First picture below is of what looks like damp marks on my walls, think it must be just from the atmospher in general as its not behind any pictures or mirrors.

I've also got what looks like a more traditional damp issue, where the paint is peeling off. I've had rising damp treatment and so of the peeling seems to be too high for this anyway. Is there anything I can treat the walls with the stop this?

Would a dehumidifier help at all? The peeling is on an external wall, whereas the small spots are on internal and external walls if that makes any difference.

Any help/ advice would be much appreciated!

Posted 6 months ago #
grievoustim - Member

looks like humidity too me - my bedroom wall also gets spots and marks a bit like that

I have a dehumidifier and it does help -

I'm sure someone will be along who knows more than me - better ventilation might help but this is sometimes easier said then done

Posted 6 months ago #
aP - Member

Are the gutters or downpipes leaking?
Do you open the windows when in the house?
Do you keep the bathroom door shut and the kitchen door shut?

Posted 6 months ago #
allmountainventure - Member

Im no expert but I have had to deal with a mould problem in the past.

Hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like a condensation/ventilation/humidity problem causing mould.

A dehumidifier will help but you need to sort out the reason behind it. Usually its ventilation related and water vapour is condensing on cold wall surfaces. Mould spores are everywhere but now that (what looks like) mould is growing on your walls you'll have higher concentrations of spores which can be very unhealthy. Bleach is the only thing that will kill it. Clean it off immediately with 50% water 50% bleach. Air the house, wash all fabrics.

Is that outside wall well sealed? Could it be soaking up rain water?

The solution for me was to repaint an outside wall that was soaking up water, repaint the interior with anti mould paint, increase ventilation. Since then it hasn't come back.

Posted 6 months ago #
cardiff - Member

aP - Downpipes are ok, I'll check the gutters to see if they are blocked by anything.

I have a horible feeling that the render on the outside might be blown and needs replacing, (end terrace house) don't think I can afford to get this done though sadly!

Try to keep a window in the house open when in, espcially when drying clothes.

Bathroom door is shut, but have no door on the kitchen!

Posted 6 months ago #
allmountainventure - Member

You could try a latex sealant on the exterior wall. Its a temporary fix that might need redoing once a year.

Posted 6 months ago #
cardiff - Member

You could try a latex sealant on the exterior wall. Its a temporary fix that might need redoing once a year.

Interesting, any ideas how this is applied? Its a relatively large area.

Heres the outside, its the large side wall thats having the issues!

Posted 6 months ago #
spooky_b329 - Member

Lets see a photo of the outside wall.

Is it bare plaster under the paint on your stairs? Looks like it could have not been sealed properly, hence the paint flaking off.

Posted 6 months ago #
spooky_b329 - Member

That was quick

Posted 6 months ago #
cardiff - Member

Photo should be up now!

It is bare plaster, should this be sealed with something? If so what, lol!

Cheers for everyone's inputs by the way

Posted 6 months ago #
spooky_b329 - Member

I'm not sure on the exact method, but generally before painting, you use either plaster sealer or watered down emulsion. Otherwise the paint doesn't adhere very well and comes off at any hint of dampness or the dreaded blue tack. As a teenager I painted my new loft bedroom, 15 years and umpteen coats later it appears to have stopped flaking off as long as blue tack is kept on a different floor

Not sure on the best course of action after its already painted...

Posted 6 months ago #
footflaps - Member

It's unlikely to be rising damp, most likely water getting in somewhere eg under rendering and getting trapped in the wall - or header tank leaking into the wall somewhere?

Sealing a wall externally isn't the best idea as unless it's perfect all you've done is ensure that any damp, which does get in, can't evaporate. Bricks and mortar breath and are best left well ventilated - eg Victorians used Lime mortar which can soak up and then dry out quite a bit - same for their plaster - and they didn't have damp problems. Problems tend to start when someone renders over a Victorian wall and seals all the moisture in.

Posted 6 months ago #
cardiff - Member

Footflaps no header tank, got a combi boiler. I fear it may be water in behind the render sadly.

The house was built around 1900, but I had it re-plasterd around 3 years ago so what you say about it not being able to breath may be right! Anyone got any ideas where is best to go from here?

Cheers

Posted 6 months ago #
project - Member

Fit an extractor fan in ther bathrom or another room and leave it running contiuously.Or get one witha humistat that only cuts in when it detects moisture.

Posted 6 months ago #
aP - Member

Might be worth checking any vents in walls and getting some installed. There is a company that makes a solar powered bathroom vent which would be usefull.
Might be worth getting up and checking your gutters.
Look at where you're drying clothes as well and maybe changing the location - we have some wire racks that sit over the bath which work well.

Posted 6 months ago #
allmountainventure - Member

Sealing a wall externally isn't the best idea as unless it's perfect all you've done is ensure that any damp, which does get in, can't evaporate.

I'd go with that advice. Sealing is something we do in Spain at the end of summer after 6 weeks of 40 degree heat and no rain for months. So not much chance of moisture in there.

Posted 6 months ago #
cardiff - Member

Can see where you are coming from on the sealing, side, probably not the best course of action!

I currently have an extraction fan in the bathroom and dry clothes in there, strangly I don't have any damp issues at all in there!

Airblocks might be useful, I am right in thinking these could be put in on the putside and allow air in to the cavety?

Anyone else got any suggestions on what I can do? Think I'm going to get a de-humidifier for starters.

Posted 6 months ago #
JRTG - Member

Damp sucks, hope you manage to get it fixed. Had to replace lots of wood due to gutters leaking when i bought the house. it's amazing how a simple fix left for ages causes so much damage.

Posted 6 months ago #
highclimber - Member

it's amazing how a simple fix left for very little time causes so much damage

FTFY

Posted 6 months ago #
teef - Member

I have a horible feeling that the render on the outside might be blown and needs replacing, (end terrace house) don't think I can afford to get this done though sadly!

Wouldn't cost you anything to remove it - ladder, club hammer, coal chisel

Worth a read:

http://www.askjeff.co.uk/rising_damp.html

especially section on Textured Wall Coatings:

http://www.askjeff.co.uk/coatings.html
and
http://www.askjeff.co.uk/cavity.html

Posted 6 months ago #
cardiff - Member

Thanks teef, makes for really interesting reading, could very well be worthwhile pulling the outside render off. Only concern would be what the brickwork looks like underneath, could look pretty grubby! Not entirely sure this is the most fun time of year to be stuck outside removing it either, lol , but could def be the way forward!

Posted 6 months ago #
joao3v16 - Member

I have a bad humidity/condensation problem in my house, very similar to what the OP describes.

Had an expert come and check it out. Conslusion was it was definitely all just due to 'living conditions' - i.e. condensation/damp generated by ourselves as opposed to damp ingress from externally.

Suggested solution was fitting a ventilator type thing in the loft that would blow dry air from the loft space into the upstairs hallway, thus creating a slight positive pressure and forcing the damp air in the living space to circulate more and be pushed out through vents/open windows.

£500 fitted apparently.

I might try a dehumidifier for now as I can't afford the £500.

Plus, I figured that blowing freezing cold air from the loft into the house is going to wreak havoc with heating bills.

Posted 6 months ago #
rewski - Member

I might try a dehumidifier for now
Give it a go, you'll be amazed how much water they collect, don't forget to empty it though.

Posted 6 months ago #