walls slightly damp...

SimoninEaston · 25 Nov 2014

In my 1900's-ish brick-built mid-terrace house, there is a space under the stairs which I use as a larder. The walls are brick and are permanently slightly damp, with the damp getting more noticeable the nearer the ground I feel.
At the mo' the walls are covered with lining paper, painted. But 'cos of the damp, the paper is a bit soft and tears easily, which is unsightly. What would be the best finish to put on the walls - I don't really want to go to the trouble of hacking off the plaster, but will if it means I'll get a good result.

Alastairreid · 25 Nov 2014

If its penetrating or rising damp you need to find out whats causing it and get it remedied .

If its condensation you need to air and ventilate the cupboard.. leave the door open for a while and see if that helps.

JohnD · 25 Nov 2014

does anybody drape wet washing round your home, or over radiators?

SimoninEaston · 26 Nov 2014

No draping going on, no door either, so always 'open'

just cheaply built miners' cottage dating from 1900's with no DPC, to speak of, other than a layer of pitch on the earth upon which the bricks were laid or to judge by appearances, simply thrown up in the air and allowed to lie where they landed... !!
Had similar sort of issue in bathroom (downstairs) but on external walls which I dry-lined.

SimoninEaston · 26 Nov 2014

Can't think of any way to deal with lack of DPC, other than dismantle house and start again, but being mid-terrace, the other properties have done a sterling job of holding mine up since they were built!!

JohnD · 26 Nov 2014

is there a gap under the floor, ventilated with airbricks?

can you lift a board, look and sniff for damp?

SimoninEaston · 26 Nov 2014

Have had a floorboard off nearby - as I say, the walls are brick-built and rise up from earth, which is covered in set pitch (the 1907 interpretation of a damp-proof course...?). No smell of damp, but methinks that any wall made of old-fashioned, porous clay brick, laid straight on the ground is going to be draw up moisture. I'm stuck with that ('till I move house!). I wondering how best to cover the dampish wall so that it feels drier than it is. ( I have to say that I don't want to over-stress the damp issue - the walls are only very slightly damp and even then, only near the base. I don't think, given the construction of the house, that this can be helped.
How about taking off the old dampish plaster and replacing it with sand/cement base layer?

Guitar_man · 27 Nov 2014

Yes that will provide a slighty more resistant barrier to damp. Could you batten and board the area to prvoide a small airgap say 10mm between the wall and the board. Perhaps put a door on it shut it and forget about it, old houses and all that.

SimoninEaston · 28 Nov 2014

I think I'll do the batten and board thing -as that's wot I did in the bathroom so I know how to do it. Thanks all

NickB_99 · 29 Nov 2014

SimoninEaston said:
I think I'll do the batten and board thing -as that's wot I did in the bathroom so I know how to do it. Thanks all

If you do batten out etc, then you can probably put a vapour barrier on the wall first and some insulation between battens too.
I think there are plasterboards with polystyrene or foil on one side too which may be another option.

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walls slightly damp...

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