damp, dont know where is my damp course

bernlyn · Post by **bernlyn** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:40 am

i live in 1930 house and i removed the plaster on the inside wall because it had started to came away. i replastered it then 2 months back i lifted the laminated flooring and all semmed fine. about 3 weeks ago i noticed damp running along where the floor meets the wall and now my plaster is mouldy and the damp patch has now got even biggeron the floor and is starting to go up the wall. the guttering is good and the outside render seems fine.

i have paving slabs outside around the house so i lifted them but there seems to be a concrete kind of apron around the house which sticks out at ground level+- 300mm and is +-80mm thick. i dont know where or how to see where the damp course is to see if this is above it or not.

leebwk · Post by **leebwk** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:05 am

Hi,

Could you take some internal and external pics ?

bernlyn · Post by **bernlyn** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:10 am

ok will do this afternoon. how do i psot them. do i just add them as attachments

leebwk · Post by **leebwk** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:46 am

Hi,
there is a section on how to post photo's (to be honest i've never posted any myself)

It's on the very first section ie welcome to UHM forum

bernlyn · Post by **bernlyn** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:07 pm

here are my pics

bernlyn · Post by **bernlyn** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:10 pm

here is the next one. this is the side of the house on the corner where the damp is. here i have drilled some holes because when i lifted the slab the sand bedding was very damp.but when the driil went through the concrete the soil under was just as wet.

bernlyn · Post by **bernlyn** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:15 pm

this is the other side of the corner. the concrete is +- 80mm below the paving so i cannt find/know where the dpc is

bernlyn · Post by **bernlyn** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:16 pm

this is the back door

leebwk · Post by **leebwk** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:26 am

Hi,

There are a few factors to consider here.
1. the red rendered area outside is obviously above the dpc so could be bridging the dpc
2. how thicks is the concrete "apron" and is the building built on this?
3. the area by the back door, is this a porch area and unheated?

To be honest from the picsd shown it doesn't look to bad and doesn't look like rising damp

bernlyn · Post by **bernlyn** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:46 pm

the apron is about 80mm thick and it seems to be added on to the side of the house. the house is not built onto it as there are parts missing [ of the apron] around the house,

the area by the back door is part of the kitchen so is in doors.

Jim Dale · Post by **Jim Dale** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:50 pm

I had the same thing with my kitching floor and the wall was the same has yours with black patches on and the only way i sorted my floor out was to dig it all up, the house used to be a ex-council house and the water used to come up through the floor and every morning the kitching windows were wet through, if the floor had a damp cause or thick plastic put into the floor you would not get what your getting now, when it rains the water is seeking into the ground and through your brick wall and coming up through you kitching floor, thats why your walls are black damp, its a breeding gound for mould, i had to have all my floor taken up and a damp cause plus liner put into the kitching hole where the floor used to be then it was filled in with concrete and left to dry then the walls had to be stripped of old plaster then upa glue then replasted and now i dont have running windows or any damp in my kitching, the floor cost me £600 plus plastering £160, i hope this help you because i've been there jim dale

leebwk · Post by **leebwk** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:41 pm

Hi bernlyn,

First thing i would do is remove the concrete "apron" and dig down about 300mm and fill with about 150-200mm pea shingle this should allow water to drain away also keep the trench about 150 - 200mm wide, if this fails to improve the situation you may have to remove the rendered area to actually see if you have a dpc (my guess is you do) but if not you will need to have one injected, if there is one then the removal of the render will help it to dry out and eliminate any bridging i would then install a belcast on the dpc level