Damp wall

[VenetiaDarling]

I've really enjoyed looking at old posts re Damp, but am still stuck about what to do with my damp (I think) wall.
The old plaster/cement has blown and I've hacked some off to reveal a coarse concrete, not sure if this was built when cow shed was converted or it was originally there, but I did pick off a few bits of what looks like old dirt/straw fragment.

The wall is very thick, exterior cotswold stone, north facing and the earth comes up 2-3' on part of the outside, which is my neighbours land and I can do absolutely nothing about!

My instinct is to let the wall breathe, but what can I put on it? plaster will no doubt just blow again eventually. It is the room we use a lot as it's part of a kitchen/dining room, so gets knocked a bit by chairs.

I also have a couple of holes in the cement floor under the fridge which is worrying, so any helpful advice will be much appreciated before I start work and get the builders in.

I'm going to put in a wood burner, have put one in another part of the house & love it, warms the whole fabric of that side of the house, which is shaped like a -l

Konrad is great, thanks

 

[PerryOne]

I presume that the cow shed is level with the ground at the front/side and is partly buried in the ground at the back?
I would suggest that you speak to the person who owns the ground at the back and ask them if you can dig out a French drain.
A French drain is simply a deep trench that (in your case) goes down below the bottom of the wall by about six inhes and will extend across the back of the cow shed and round the sides until it reaches ground level.
Once dug out, lay 4 inches of concrete eighteen inches wide in the trench and using breeze blocks on there faces build a wall about six inches from the back of the cow shed up to ground level.
Then lay plastic damp proof membrane sheets up the wall and back fill with clean small stones or gravel up to ground level,

 

[VenetiaDarling]

I've tried that approach, but they are not really interested in letting me do that, and as I'm living here in the future, I can but keep trying.

I've hacked a bit more and found the centre to be a mix of stones and concrete, with large air gaps between stones.

It's been built a very long time, and when it was a cow shed I guess it just dried out in the summer - but as we've had some rather wet summers lately I guess it's not had a chance.

What breathable finish could anyone recommend. Thanks

 

[stuart45]

A lime render with limewash paint will help it breathe.

 

[PerryOne]

OK, damp is a strange thing, when the place was built damp wasn't a problem and as you say it merely made its way through the wall and evaporated.
Painting it with lime will continue this process.
However, there will be a great deal of water vapour to cope with during the winter probably a gallon or so a day.
Interestingly, damp always moves from warm to cold and if the room is kept warm 24/7 then the air circulating across the wall will help to keep the wall warm and the damp will be encouraged to go back through the wall.
Another approach is to build another wall in front of the existing wall to keep the moisture from the room, to do what they used to do in castles years ago, build a smaller warm dry room inside a large cold damp one.

 

[VenetiaDarling]

Didn't know damp went from warm to cold, that makes sense to my problem, as the earth behind the wall could be warmer than my house in the winter!
I'm planning to put a wood burner in the room, as they warm up the fabric of the house really well, so I'll explore how to lime render.

If I build another wall, as I dry lined another part of the house there won't be any house left to live in!

 

[noseall]

I've really enjoyed looking at old posts re Damp

Yourself, JohnD, Woody and PerryOne ought to have a get-together.

Damp, for goodness sake!

 

[PerryOne]

You may well find this helpful

Using the law to secure access

It is possible that there is already a right of entry to neighbouring property, specifically for the purposes of inspection or repair under the property's title documents or lease. Specifically, title deeds may well contain a right to go onto your neighbour's land to maintain drains, pipes and wires, particularly if yours is a house on a new estate.

If there is no such right, or no agreement can be reached, use can be made of the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992. This allows a person to apply to the county court for an access order allowing them to enter the neighbour's land to carry out repairs. There is a fee for the application.

Written notification must be given to the next-door owner and it is enforceable by Court Order if access is denied.

When applying for an access order a person must show that:
the work is reasonably necessary for the preservation of all or part of his/her property/land; and
the work cannot be done, or it would be substantially more difficult to do the work, if the person cannot get access to the neighbour's land.

Access will be granted to carry out 'basic preservation work', which includes:
maintenance, repair or renewal of any part of a structure or building on the land/property
repair, clearance or renewal of drains, sewers, pipes or cables
work to trees and other growing things, which are insecurely rooted, dead or in danger of becoming damaged, diseased or dangerous.

Access may also be granted to carry out alterations, improvements and demolition work that are incidental to the preservation work. Permission may, in addition, be given for any other work that is reasonably necessary in order to carry out the main preservation work.

The Act does not apply to party walls, which are the subject of separate legislation.
PLEASE NOTE: These notes are not intended to be a definitive guide to the law. Where appropriate, independent legal advice should be sought.
Thurrock Council
Civic Offices
New Road
Grays
Essex
RM17 6SL
Call Centre: 01375 652955
Fax: 01375 652780
Messageline: 0800 581281
E-mail: [email protected]

 

[VenetiaDarling]

I know I'm a sad person!

 

[mointainwalker]

@ PerryOne

How is that helpful ? It all refers to repairing/maintaining etc.

The OP wants to construct something new and he has no right of access to do that if the owner refuses.

 

[PerryOne]

The key thing here is preservation of the existing structure.
The wall is in danger of deterioration due to damp, the people living there are in danger from potentially high concentrations of mould caused by damp. Mould can cause headaches, pneumonia, allergies and lots of other illness's
Given these circumstances I think research at the lady's local council may well be received sympathetically.