Mystery damp

[flynnyman]

Looked at a job the other week for a friend who is a builder and the jobs been giving him headaches for about six months. In one bedroom on the top floor in both corners it's damp from floor to ceiling one corner is external and the other attached to a neighbour. First day I called she wasn't in so could only look from the outside and noticed next door has their window opened with a plastic bag stuffed in the gap so I thought hmm they have a problem and it must need venting, so I got in the next day and the room in each corner was a little damp and mould so it must be condensation, she had a humidifier with quite a lot of water in it so I assumed damp then she shown me a pic on her phone and it was saturated so then I thought it must be getting in somewhere. My mate has checked the roof, repointed the gable, very confusing. I checked the window it was sound so I got into the loft to check the roof and that was sound but one thing I did notice was the lack of insulation in the loft and no felt on the roof. My findings were the lack of insulation, I sounded like a bullshitter saying this could be the problem but it makes so much sense so we will see once it's been insulated. This house has been modernised around 2/3 years ago so something else has happened and I think the reskim has also added to the problem, I'm thinking the gypsum plaster has added to the problem coz the original finish was lime and could breath so why don't BG sell a similar finish to what was used years ago @BritishGypsum. So does it sound mad that a lack of loft insulation could cause the problem and could be part of the missing magic puzzle we have been searching for? Lol

 

[johniosaif]

Leaking roof? Broken down pipes , chimney allowing water in ?pointing gone? Broken window cills?
dont think the insulation is cause or solution

 

[kebab king]

Although the insulation is thin, did it go all the way to the edges.I had one simmilar caused cos someone blocked all the gaps around the soffit.

 

[bubbles65]

What modernisations were there ?

 

[flynnyman]

It's been in since day dot about an inch thin it makes so much sense, I have a toilet in my house with a flat roof and once it snows and with the heat in the house, the seat open there is water dripping off the ceiling,So a cold roof will Deffo cause condensation on the room.

 

[johniosaif]

Hard to pinpoint leaks on a roof a tiny trickle can make its way through. Does it get worse during bad weather or better during dry spells, hacking off the damp might show the cause if watched for a few days

 

[flynnyman]

What modernisations were there ?

From what I can see a reskim in some rooms maybe all I'm not sure, new windows and maybe new rads or rads added which again could cause the condensation problem also putting rads below windows might also be a problem.

 

[johniosaif]

It's been in since day dot about an inch thin it makes so much sense, I have a toilet in my house with a flat roof and once it snows and with the heat in the house, the seat open there is water dripping off the ceiling,So a cold roof will Deffo cause condensation on the room.

Is the roof a flat roof or pitched, I took it as pitched, condensation would be different ,some on the underside of the slates but not enough to cause that damp

 

[johniosaif]

From what I can see a reskim in some rooms maybe all I'm not sure, new windows and maybe new rads or rads added which again could cause the condensation problem also putting rads below windows might also be a problem.

What is the ventilation like in the rooms and windows

 

[flynnyman]

Hard to pinpoint leaks on a roof a tiny trickle can make its way through. Does it get worse during bad weather or better during dry spells, hacking off the damp might show the cause if watched for a few days

I scraped the finish in the corner and it's bone dry below the finish which told me it isn't coming from behind.

 

[flynnyman]

What is the ventilation like in the rooms and windows

Is the roof a flat roof or pitched, I took it as pitched, condensation would be different ,some on the underside of the slates but not enough to cause that damp

It's pitched but like I said it's got no insulation or felt so it's only really keeping the water out

 

[flynnyman]

What is the ventilation like in the rooms and windows

She tried leaving the window open but it's so cold which with the insulation in the roof would help

 

[bubbles65]

I think JJ could be right with the insulation blocking the soffits

 

[johniosaif]

It's pitched but like I said it's got no insulation or felt so it's only really keeping the water out

Do they dry clothes in the rooms, double or single glazed, thermal board fixed to the wall would help quite a bit, also insulation in the loft and having the rooms well vented.

 

[flynnyman]

I think JJ could be right with the insulation blocking the soffits

Naaaa it's not been touched

 

[johniosaif]

I think JJ could be right with the insulation blocking the soffits

Don't think so if its just slates ,no felt ,insulation on the joists , plenty of air circulating, just don't see the soffits blocked in my minds view

 

[flynnyman]

Do they dry clothes in the rooms, double or single glazed, thermal board fixed to the wall would help quite a bit, also insulation in the loft and having the rooms well vented.

The thing is the house is old and something's changed, I think heating the place up and new windows is causing the problem the only thing not touched is the roof which is the problem I'm sure of it.

 

[flynnyman]

Don't think so if its just slates ,no felt ,insulation on the joists , plenty of air circulating, just don't see the soffits blocked in my minds view

It's tiled with Rosemary's

 

[johniosaif]

The thing is the house is old and something's changed, I think heating the place up and new windows is causing the problem the only thing not touched is the roof which is the problem I'm sure of it.

The roof needs to be done anyway, it's outdated but will cost a fair bit.

 

[Arti]

@flynnyman ...............this has got airbricks written all over it marra..........................:RpS_wink:

 

[flynnyman]

@flynnyman ...............this has got airbricks written all over it marra..........................:RpS_wink:

It never had them in the first place, it's upstairs and doesn't happen in other rooms appart from this bedroom. It's Deffo condensation, they tried with the window opened for a week but still it carried on

 

[kebab king]

Have the new windows got weep vents.

 

[kebab king]

Was there any furniture or simmilar to close.

 

[flynnyman]

Have the new windows got weep vents.

Nope I didn't notice them but the reveals were dry it's the two corners which must be the coldest.

 

[flynnyman]

Was there any furniture or simmilar to close.

There was two small pieces of furniture in either corner but it went all the way up the ceiling

 

[kebab king]

All new windows should have weep vents ( ithink), if its top to bottom id go with the cold from the loft as u say.

Lol, its rising damp.

 

[flynnyman]

Your right it is rising damp or at least the symptoms lol

 

[leebo02]

is there any difference at all between this room and the other rooms (in or above) that might give a clue,,, when you say lack of insulation do you mean little or no insulation,, my house only has a thin layer of insulation between the joists but is does not cause any problems

 

[flynnyman]

The only difference with this room is the window wall or the front of the house is rendered with like a raised Ashlar and the rest is brick so the wall is also colder on the front, it was built this way and others are the same.

 

[flynnyman]

is there any difference at all between this room and the other rooms (in or above) that might give a clue,,, when you say lack of insulation do you mean little or no insulation,, my house only has a thin layer of insulation between the joists but is does not cause any problems

There is little insulation but I think the house has become warmer appart from the roof which has stayed the same

 

[Jurek]

why don't you ask the neighbour if you can have a look at her bedroom :RpS_wink: the one that adjoins and that you think also has a problem. you will then be able to dismiss a few things. if she has the same problem but her property has not been replastered etc.

i had a problem like this a few years ago in gatacre. an old cottage that had been done up, new gutters etc. it was solid wall and there was a leak in the roof somewhere that was somehow making it's way down to the soffit and accumulating there ..it was all siliconed etc and not vented and had nowhere to go but into the wall, right down one corner where the downpipe was. drilled a hole in it for them and got off. but you say it's dry when scratched ...?

 

[flynnyman]

YeS bone dry I mentioned to her to have a word with the neighbour but she said they were weird so that was the end if that

 

[leebo02]

i don't suppose its an option to build a stud wall infront of the wall with insulation in it,, ive done this in the past a few times and its cured this problem,, can be a bit of hassle though on window walls

 

[Jurek]

then i'd go with arty and the airbricks; it needs circulation. even if they say they had the windows open for a week and nothing changed ... they might have had them open for a couple of hours each day and then closed them and banged the central heating on at night. if there's nowt wrong with the roofline and it's dry when scratched and the neighbour seems to be suffering the same, what else can it be? ..... then again, if shes only had the problem since the refurb ....:RpS_confused:

 

[flynnyman]

I don't know when the problem started but it wasn't there when it was built I've advised the loft needs insulating then keep an eye on it and if it's not cleared
fit a PIV and if that doesn't work knock the house down