Condensation and plaster boards...

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Mikelikesfish

Mikelikesfish

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First off, hello all.
Please bare with me,
I live in an old house,stone walls,semi detached. Been here for 11years and now I'm fed up of painting over the black stains in the alcoves every couple of months more in winter.
The walls in the alcoves either side of the chimney breast get soaking, puddles on the floor when it's very cold outside. Last week I stripped the wall back to the skim and the wall is bone dry, it's not damp coming through itsc100% condensation.
My fix, dot and dab moisture resistant boards in alcoves, place vents in alcoves and in patio door. Place standard plaster boards on chimney breast wall then paper over it, paint in alcoves.

My worries/questions are,,
can you dot and dab moisture resistant plaster boards straight onto skim, alcoves are only foot and half wide and 7ft tall, so not that big. The boards I've been looking at are from wickes, there not the foil backed boards there used in high humidity places.
Would making the cold area surface warm by placing boards I'm hoping that it won't condense there any more.

Am I missing not seeing something?

Any advice ,help would be very much appreciated.
thanks...mike.
 
Hi Mike,

I would forget about your initial thoughts. Reasons being is you are hiding the problem where as you should be treating it at the source.

Are you positive it IS condensation ? what makes you believe this?
You say you stripped it back to skim? do you mean back to the stonework?
what is the state of the outside of the building? The chimney breast exterior, at he top? any capping?I s it a fireplace? or has it been sealed? Any ventilation within the chimney?

There are lots more questions but a photograph would speak a thousand words.
I deal with this on a day to day to basis; I am in the peak district, we deal with stone all the time and damp problems.

get us some pics if possible.

Rock on !
 
well from what I know about cold bridging, I'd get a some insulation on the wall, baton over it with some 2 * 1. Then screw some board on. It might be worth getting a vapour control barrier on there too, there's some breathable ones around.

Think just dabbing some boards on aint really going to do the trick. You really need a decent cavity there for it to work.
 
turn the heat up, open some windows ,buy some detol mould off spray from the supermarket, this black mould lets off spores that can affect your health. the area where the black mould is the coldest area in the room move any furniture away from this area to allow air to circulate
 
Thanks lads, got get this sorted as there is no more sea fishing for me until its sorted, hence my name..lol.
ill get some pics up asap.
chimney as been removed when new tile roof fitted, just the meal pipe from behind gas fire up inside chimney breast, i can see it clearly in the atic, then out through the roof via a metal flu/chimney..
the wall outside as been rendered and dashed. the ventilation is very poor, smallish room, double glazing with no vents fitted and open fire place blocked up.. im 99% sure its condensation. in this weather its fine wall is bone dry..soon as autumn winter starts even if its dry but cold its there straight away..
 
few pics, this is the entire wall


left aclove black patch on wall paper, note its right on the corner of the house



same side in the alcove right in corner again



right side alcove above where ive stripped back, random patches,



and what ive stripped back, its bone dry, but i know soon as the outside temp drops the walls get cold and the condensation starts again.




thanks for your time again, if you require any more info ask away, i really appriciate it. the fish are safe for now.
 
Does your neighbour have the same problem in her/his alcoves??
And welcome by the way ........:RpS_thumbsup:
 
:RpS_angry:You cheeky barsteward Ben, I have the same paper:RpS_sneaky: :RpS_lol: Is there any scope for clay in this issue:RpS_sneaky:
 
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