Help needed with internal walls, thanks.

[LadyL101]

Hi All
I have recently bought a property thats turning into 'the money pit' with more problems than originally thought. So much for a good clean and a coat of paint! :-/

After having removed the kitchen units the plasterboard behind the sink was mouldy and has been removed. There is a membrane that looked mouldy that is coming away from the wooden frame(not sure of the correct term here) but after washing it down with a bleach solution its not mouldy but is ripped and the bottom is actually rotting. Polystyrene blocks have been removed from this cavity and so need replacing with insulation.On investigating the outside of the property where the rotting membrane is the airbrick has been pushed in slightly.

How do I replace the membrane and with what as I can only find floor membrane on the B & Q site. What insulation can I use? Is loft insulation okay? How do I get the airbrick back into the correct position to prevent damp coming through?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.
Lady L

 

[Burnerman]

This probably should be in the building section, and will likely be shifted there in due course.....
The rotten plasterboard will be due to years of splash and spillage from the worktop that was originally there - its a very common occurrence.
Not so sure what you mean next - was the plasterboard fixed to some timber laths, with a membrane between the timber and the plasterboard?
If so, you can use any heavy duty polythene sheet for this although its probably not really necessary as presumably you have a conventional cavity wall?
As for the air brick, is it actually loose? If so, it can be pointed up with some sand and cement but I've no idea why its loose or pushed in in the first place!
John

 

[LadyL101]

Thanks for the reply John!

Yes the plasterboard was fixed to the timber lathes. The membrane is between the timber lathes and the external wall, so not easy to get to if I need to replace it as the original material is nailed to the lathes from the external wall side.
Don’t think the airbrick is loose I will have to get on the floor and check it out. A bit difficult to see as the brick has been painted over. Not sure how it got out of place but nothing surprises me with this place!!

Lady L