Help! Damp patches on new skim

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dkh86

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Hi there,

We moved into our 1930's semi last year and had our hallway/stairs skimmed in December. it all dried out lovely and then we noticed 2 damp patches at the bottom stairs of the stairs. we tried drying it out with a heater but it keeps bleeding back through and seems to be spreading. the wall concerned is on the back of an outside rendered wall, were just wondering if the damp is penetrating through the outside wall? there are also a few little patches elsewhere on same wall but once you go past 3rd step on stairs all dry. would appreciate any advice, thanks!
 
welcome along dkh86, rising and general damp issues have been a hot topic on here lately. Read through some old threads using the search bar on the top right. you will find lots of varied information. :RpS_thumbup:
 
Well said oli , lots of different reasons , concrete bridging damp course outside etc leaky gutters etc . Green moss on the wall would mean water has been running down it . Send a few photos of the outside and inside onto here and it could help
 
thanks for replies, ive attached a couple of images, i was thinking of having just the side rendered to see if it eliminates it, ive knocked the render with a hammer and it seems rock solid, although it really does catch the weather. the gutter is free and fully maintained as im a roofer. we had wallpaper striped for ages before it was skimmed and didn't notice the damp on the old plaster,although it was before we had all this bad weather. the wallpaper was very easy to come off though in big sheets i dont know if that indicates anything?
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Is the bathroom above it? Or could be A leaking radiator above it pull the floor boards up and have a look.
 
nope no bathroom or anything just a little box roof and walls are fine above it. patch wasnt as big as that to begin it seems to have worked its way up. thanks
 
Could be alsorts,water trapped behind the render,water leaking at roof ridge level,coming down a joist,running down cavity,which is more than likely blocked at that point and soaking through the wall.
or it could be none of that and something completely different ,water can get most places,apart from a fishes ass hole :)
 
its a solid wall with no cavity, the roof is knackered and im going to put a new one on in the spring, i did think it was the roof to begin with but the bedroom above it is bone dry. and seemed to start as 2 small patches in the middle of the wall downstairs, its a real strange one,im scratching my head. if the render is re done will the trapped water eventually dry itself out?
 
dkh86 said:
its a solid wall with no cavity, the roof is knackered and im going to put a new one on in the spring, i did think it was the roof to begin with but the bedroom above it is bone dry. and seemed to start as 2 small patches in the middle of the wall downstairs, its a real strange one,im scratching my head. if the render is re done will the trapped water eventually dry itself out?
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You 100% it's solid?i can't tell from pics but it looks like a semi detached house,red brick then rendered/dashed can't tell which. But most if not all pre war semis were cavity .
???
 
If the external elevation in the picture is the other side of your damp patch have you checked the spout from the gutter is not leaking and that fixings which are securing it to the wall are they sound and the render and motor behind sound cost from those two pic's the damp patch looks suspiciously close to the spout and fixing.
 
yeah ive checked the mortar on soldier course it doesn't look to bad, ive had a little silicone too all round window, im having new windows at end of month so that will eliminate window. i see your in dudley jeanclaude im only in halesowen myself
 
This year in particular has had people perplexed with damp, hack off an internal square metre , this will show the extent of the dampness and possibly the source of the problem, its ingress but from where?
 
yeah raggles i suspected it was coming from guttering to begin with but the gutter is sound and flows away down the pipe, and the render is all solid behind pipe, there were a couple of holes from where the old cast pipe was but i sealed them up about 2 months ago. im really mystified as of what to do next. think i pay have to do the roof and eliminate it one job at a time
 
dkh86 said:
yeah ive checked the mortar on soldier course it doesn't look to bad, ive had a little silicone too all round window, im having new windows at end of month so that will eliminate window. i see your in dudley jeanclaude im only in halesowen myself
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Yes mate from costa del dudley haha was working newton court on the new road before xmas over your way
 
Hi, i'm new to the forum, i mainly do damp work and I thought i'd see if i could help. If the wall is cavity its usually caused by cavity wall insulation or rubble bridging across. If its a solid wall then either small cracks letting water in, or just the old render becoming porous with age. I would probably recommend sealing the render with a breathable water stop as a first call, hope that helped!
 
Thanks for reply tedtuff, the house has no cavity its a solid wall, the render does feel solid but the paint has flaked off in places. I suspect the render has got some little cracks in hence the damp. What sealant you suggest? Thomsans waterseal?
 
thanks for replies, ive knocked a lot of the wall down to bear brick now, the bricks are very damp, what is the best mix to put back for a wall that is prone to sucking in damp?
 
Yes, use washed sand, plain cement and a good waterproofer (either rendermix, sbr or similar), possibly with tanking inbetween coats to be really safe.
 
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