Damp - please help me understand...speak slowly!

[sellgirl]

So, my sorry tale..

- 2 months ago it started and is now about 2 foot up the wall in my dining room.

- it is an internal wall, we've had the underfloor heating checked and is apparently not leaking. Damp has come through on both sides of the wall, in the dining room and in the utility room.

- there are no other sources of water we can think of

- we had an extension built 2 years ago and that is on the back, right hand side of the house, this has a concrete floor but rest of the house is boards.

- there are 3 air bricks on the back left hand side of the house and 2 at the front.

I just cannot think what is causing this and just would really appreciate if anyone can give me any hints before i call in someone and get blinded by science!

Is this going to be one huge problem to fix, or is there some magic cure?!


House plan

Many thanks for any help!

house layout

• sellgirl
• 18 Apr 2011
• 1

dining room wall

damp in dining room

• sellgirl
• 18 Apr 2011
• 1

dining room again

dinign room

• sellgirl
• 18 Apr 2011
• 1

utility room wall

utility room damp on the other side

• sellgirl
• 18 Apr 2011
• 1

 

[^woody^]

That is a lot of damp, travelling very high and in a relatively small section of wall.

This implies a significant amount of localised water from a leak (water mains, drain or your water supply or heating system), and either a breach of any fitted DPC (say by the floor screed) or a broken section of DPC

If you have a timber floor then look underneath, otherwise you need it (and all water supply, drains and heating etc looking at if there is no obvious source.

 

[sellgirl]

Thanks Woody - so I guess this is one way I can get rid of the dreadful tiles we put down in the kitchen then! I guess it is time to lift them and have a look. Eek. Please let it be obvious, do not want to move the underfloor heating.

 

[foxhole]

Your house plan does not seem to match the photo's which appear to show two internal corners, and the rooms are unamed making id difficult. Was there ever a chimney breast on the affected area?

 

[gregers]

Please let it be obvious, do not want to move the underfloor heating.


me wonders if this is the real reason for the damp??

 

[sellgirl]

Hi - thanks for replies, to clarify...

... the drawing ... i have amended, it is just a rubbish sketch but hopefully this one makes more sense! There were no chimneys on these walls before.

- the underfloor heating. It is a sealed system, so since the pressure has not dropped, the plumber did not think it could be that. I am starting to think about the radiator in the utility room....

hmm, plot thickens! I guess the only thing to do is to pull up some of the tiles in the utility room when we can then see if it is there rather than disturb the underfloor heating.

Untitled

• sellgirl
• 18 Apr 2011
• 1

 

[Nige F]

in the utiliy room pic. on the left. is that a washing machine . look there for leaks running along floor @ back and round corner Your utility rad is probably connected to the underfloor pressurised circuit . so probably pressurised too