Rising Damp, or ghost?

My house is a 100-ish year-old end terrace of brick construction with a slate roof. We have had no signs of damp anywhere in the 18 months we have lived here, and then suddenly my wife notices a stain on our kitchen ceiling and discovers that the radiator in the bathroom above is leaking. So far, so understandable.

But then tonight, she is going upstairs, and notices a huge wet patch on the wall between our front-most reception room and our middle reception that rises about 120 cms from the skirting board along the frame of the door that allows one to pass through the two areas.

Any ideas as to what is happening? I’m scared of big bills and ghosts, so I’m not liking the possibilities right now… 🙁

deffo a walled-up witch somewhere on the premises

I’ll check Tobin’s Spirit Guide.

I’m sure someone on here found a skull or shrunken head behind their wall in fairly identical circumstances. If you do a search you might find the thread, possibly MrNutt.

Does it smell? Of what? Any chemically hints (central heating leaks smell metally ime).

What sort of boiler do you have – combi etc. If you’ve not but got a tank to top up the CH then try turning that feed off and if your boiler notices a reduction in pressure that’s your problem (assumuming its got a guage?).

That there is the limit of my experiece of leaks. Otherwise I dont know.

B.A.Nana – Member

I’m sure someone on here found a skull or shrunken head behind their wall in very almost quite not identical circumstances. If you do a search you might find the thread, possibly MrNutt.

Don’t think that thread would be entirely helpful <brrrr>

I shouldn’t have mentioned the ghost thing! Alas, even though I appreciate the potential for entertainment, I am also hoping to get a serious response or two – along the lines of couldashouldawoulda.

Having said that, I have a combi boiler, but it’s in the bathroom above, a couple of rooms over and on a completely different wall. Meanwhile, I checked and there wet bit smells exactly the dry bits: just like dusty wall.

Bit of heavy rain recently after a dry spell?

My aunt and uncle had a ghost in a house near Sudbury. This doesn’t sound much like what they described, so I would guess it’s probably just plumbing gone bad.

Today, we’ve had tonnes of rain. In fact it felt like the sea had simply switched places with the sky and then realised it was having a tough time hanging upside down…

But I assumed that, seeing as this is Wales, and we’ve had rain like it in the past without noticing any problems, it was only a coincidence.

In any case, how could rain affect an interior wall, but not seem to touch the exterior walls?

[Please forgive my complete ignorance…]

i had a similar problem a few years ago with my house, same age, same sort of roof but a mid terrace. The damp was on the supporting wall between mine and next doors. Cost about £300 to get a damp proof course put in all along that wall upto a height of about 1m and then re-plastered. I know the girl who lives on the other side of me has a similar problem now on the wall between her hall and front room.

Saxon – a combi leak really stinks ime. Of really metally – acidic – yeuck. I dont know – but when you smell it (and it doesnt take repeated gob fulls to know) you know its central heating.

That’s in my limited expeierce.

But it’s distinctive. If I walked into your gaf – I’d remember that smell for ever!

In any case, how could rain affect an interior wall, but not seem to touch the exterior walls?

[Please forgive my complete ignorance…]

I agree, the ground under the middle of the house should be pretty dry compared to the ground surrounding the external walls. Although presumably it’s not impossible for the DPC to fail on one wall and not on others. In a house the age of yours I would expect a slate DPC, and although maybe not a effective as modern DPCs, I can’t see why it would suddenly fail. I guess that possibly the ground under the internal wall has suddenly be become saturated (due to a leak somewhere maybe ?) and that has caused the moisture to rise up. It’s not an area that I have expertise in, but I would be tempted to lift up a few floorboards if at all possible to try and find out what’s going on.

Have you checked the guttering? Gave us all sorts of trouble when we moved in as the previous owners had just let it fall into disrepair. We ended up having several walls replastered.

On the subject of damp. Anyone know what causes salt crystals to come through the walls? Happened in an area that was damp but since been repaired and replastered…

ernie_lynch
but I would be tempted to lift up a few floorboards if at all possible to try and find out what’s going on.

That’s what I’d be doing too! It would be strange for a patch of rising damp to suddenly appear on an internal wall. If you don’t like those bills, I’d be checking above and below this patch.

Anyone know what causes salt crystals to come through the walls?

The salts are soluble in water and therefore rise with the damp, as the damp dries out, they are deposited. The salt deposits are unlikely to be the problem, rather the symptom of a problem. Although I don’t know whether efflorescent can add to the problem recurring by causing hygroscopic activity – I guess that’s possible. IMHO

Although I don’t know whether efflorescent can add to the problem recurring by causing hygroscopic activity – I guess that’s possible.

You can be sure that the guy who comes from the damp-proofing company will be saying that though 🙂

Timber framed house? Roof damage over the winter leading to a leak which then allowed water to run down some insides of your house? Check the loft for damp, I would. Easy enough to do.

Timber framed house?

OP: My house is a 100-ish year-old end terrace of brick construction with a slate roof.

Doubt it’s timber framed 🙂

Timber framed house?

It’s “a 100-ish year-old end terrace” ……no chance of it being timber framed. Although a leak somewhere, including the roof, is always a possible cause.

EDIT : as pointed out by Deadly. Some people have never forgotten the **** ups made by Barretts in the early days of British timber frame housing, and still want to blame timber frame for all damp related problems ! There’s nothing wrong with timber frame, it’s an excellent building system which they have been using in the US for hundreds of years, it’s just that in the early days British builders didn’t know how to do it properly…….they do now.

Yet another Amityville, all over again.

Did you say that your house is on an Indian burial ground?

I’d go along with what Ernie has said. From what you describe the damp patch is on the lower part of a solid internal wall. This suggests any dpc has been breached and the unusually high rainfall suggests either a storm drain or a watercourse under the house has not been able to cope. Wooden floor or solid floor? You need to get a surveyor to check it out [can you tell by the constant use of the word “suggests” that I’m a surveyor!]

It’s “a 100-ish year-old end terrace” ……no chance of it being timber framed

Oh yeah, I see that now 🙂

as pointed out by Deadly. Some people have never forgotten the **** ups made by Barretts in the early days of British timber frame housing

Well not me, I never knew about them in the first place 🙂

Although I do know broadly how the US build their houses, and I wouldn’t want to live in one.

Sounds like you had a few too many scoops and couldn’t find the bathroom.