Internal Damp Wall

[Yanni]

One of my kitchen's wall is always slightly damp. This wall is a continuation of an external brick wall in the back yard that devides the two properties. I will repoint the external wall but have no access to the neighbour's side which is a renting accomodation to an African lady that is never around ( benefit fraud ! )

I'm thinking of damp proofing the kitchen wall( is bear brick right now ) with something like a 2-1 sand cement mix before skimming over. I'm just wondering though, what's the best additive to the cement mix, a) waterproofer & retarder or b) SBR ?

Thanks.

 

[JohnD]

you should be identifying and correcting the cause

a couple if possible causes, especially in a kitchen corner, which, over time, will get worse:

leaks, drips and splashes from sink, pipes and drains

eroded water pipe in kitchen floor (this is common if house is over 50 years old and steel pipe is buried in earth or concrete. It is most likely to hole in the elbow where the horizontal pipe turns to come up through the floor. You can test for this using a glass of water...

broken or overflowing gully outside

 

[Yanni]

The property is 1906 build but can' t see any of the possible faults you have identified. The sink is in the other corner of that wall, all the waste is sound and the drains well cemented.

The only other thing might be a buried water pipe in concrete floor. I belive the pipe underneath the floor might actually be lead ...possible ? ( as I bought another property on the street with no work done since 1906 and saw the original features).

What exactly do you do with the glass of water, how do you test for leaks ?

 

[JohnD]

nice trick...

you hold a glass of water under the (mains) kitchen tap so the spout is immersed. Turn the tap on. While holding the glass in place, turn off the outside stopcock.

if there is a leak betwen the tap and the stopcock, water escaping will cause suction in the tap, and the level in the glass wil drop.

 

[Yanni]

Great..thanks....there is no leak between stopcock and tap...

The damp I describe is at around 1.5m from floor. Could that possibly be rising damp ?, that's why I'm looking at the possibility of re pointing the fence wall.

To go back to my original question....what's the best additive for internal render mix, waterproofer or SBR ?

Cheers...

 

[Softus]

The damp I describe is at around 1.5m from floor. Could that possibly be rising damp ?

No.