www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

I don't know what picture is which, so I'm going to post them now, then explain in the second post what you're seeing. Just got these via email.

Basically we have an exposed East face of a solid stone building.

The property owner has only recently moved in (about 3 months ago), prior to moving in, I gave the house a once over. The sides of the windows weren't very well sealed, with the mortal cracked or missing. I applied a silicone to the side of the window frame, then laid a mortar bead over the top of it. At the time there were no visible signs of damp, although who knows what the previous owners did to hide it.

As you will see there is a gap of missing mortar (possible missed by me (it's a large property), possibly newly missing) to the left of the lintel, which is timber.

It is a single glazed window.

All has been recently decorated. Walls and windows, inside and out.

I am have obviously advised the client to seal the gap to the left of the lintle. He has also applied 1 coat of weathershield to the wall.

The questions are really -

- Is this likely to have been caused by that small hole next to the lintle? The damp area is a little further away from it than I would expect.

- Why would this apparently become evident now if it's not the gap next to the lintle?

- What are the chances this is just moisture built up in the wall from the poorly seald windows previously, now trying to escape?

Most of the gouse is double glazed apart from three windows.

pic 1 - small gap to the left of the cill. ( I had forgotten about this) most likely cause? I think so, but it's a minescule gap, could it be causing this much damp?

pic 2 - general area from outside. White blob is a large gap filled by the owner with silicone (don't laugh), but this was filled some time ago.

pic 3 - hole to left of lintel.

pic 4 - window reveal I think.

pics 5 and 6 - area to right of window from inside, below cill.

You would be surprised how much of a mess a bit of water can make, especially when it is driven in by the wind. I bet if the holes were filled correctly with some mortar the inside would eventually dry our.

I just Googled weathershield and it appears to be a paint or preservative for use on wood?

not weathershield then.

It was a treatment for external masonary, to stop penetrating damp.

ya, I didn't see the gap to the left of the cill, and the bloke never mentioned it. I feel a bit dumb now for typing all that out before looking at the pictures

python wrote:not weathershield then.

It was a treatment for external masonary, to stop penetrating damp.

I'm not a fan of these sealers. I once put Thompsons water seal on a brick wall and it never did the wall any favours to be honest. Lets hope it is a sealer that lets the masonry breathe.

I don't know what he used to be honest, beyond the description above.

Is there a drip slot cut under the window cill? Itis amazing how water will creep under and into the bricks without one.

DWD

pretty sure there is, but I'll check