Hi all
We bought this old cottage requiring work because it was what we could afford, it had been empty for a year and a repossession so no history available.
The top front bedroom needed a new floor as the previous people had used chipboard offcuts that were no wider than a foot and springy as hell to walk on, while working in there I felt damp in the front corner down the wall and found the cause a blocked rainwater hopper.
The hopper was the old cast original and that and the down pipe had been rendered in, as the hopper overflowed in ran down the back where the wall hadn't been rendered and I'm guessing soaked through.
At that end of the house the walls are solid, the damp wall I was able to peel the paint off like wall paper and this revealed that sometime not to long ago this room was re-plastered.
With no paint on the wall I could clearly see what bits of plaster were damp, after a week of ventilation and rad on it still looked damp so I bought a dehumidifier. This ran for 3 days were I got over half a gallon of water out
and the wall returned to a healthy pale pink colour.
I panted this with a watered down emulsion [40% water as instructed] for a first coat then in the afternoon gave it a proper coat, next morning I could see where the wall had been damp previously I gave it a second coat to see if it was my imagination but no I can see what was the damp area.
What do I do guys, I'm guessing as it's a solid wall it could take a year to dry out fully, can I use a sealer on the inside so I can finish decorating?
Just trying to get the room nice for when my Son comes home from uni and would like to get a carpet down and furniture in.
Don't know if you can see it in the pic
Advice appreciated as always
Brian
We bought this old cottage requiring work because it was what we could afford, it had been empty for a year and a repossession so no history available.
The top front bedroom needed a new floor as the previous people had used chipboard offcuts that were no wider than a foot and springy as hell to walk on, while working in there I felt damp in the front corner down the wall and found the cause a blocked rainwater hopper.
The hopper was the old cast original and that and the down pipe had been rendered in, as the hopper overflowed in ran down the back where the wall hadn't been rendered and I'm guessing soaked through.
At that end of the house the walls are solid, the damp wall I was able to peel the paint off like wall paper and this revealed that sometime not to long ago this room was re-plastered.
With no paint on the wall I could clearly see what bits of plaster were damp, after a week of ventilation and rad on it still looked damp so I bought a dehumidifier. This ran for 3 days were I got over half a gallon of water out
and the wall returned to a healthy pale pink colour.I panted this with a watered down emulsion [40% water as instructed] for a first coat then in the afternoon gave it a proper coat, next morning I could see where the wall had been damp previously
I gave it a second coat to see if it was my imagination but no I can see what was the damp area.What do I do guys, I'm guessing as it's a solid wall it could take a year to dry out fully, can I use a sealer on the inside so I can finish decorating?
Just trying to get the room nice for when my Son comes home from uni and would like to get a carpet down and furniture in.
Don't know if you can see it in the pic
Advice appreciated as always
Brian
