Our new home, possible damp?

[leakingroof]

We just moved into a new mid terraced property and have noticed some stains on the lower part of the inner walls that feel cold to the touch. One is by the front door and the other is by the back door. The house hasnt been lived in for a while and the heating hasn't been on either. We have noticed that the stain started to rise over the course of a week or two.

We borrowed a decent dehumidifier of the parents and the stains started to fade away. Here are some photos of it.

This is the patch by the front wall, i have outlined the patch as my camera is pants.

Here is a image to show the proximity to the front door

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Here is the patch by the back door, again i have outlined the patch due to poor camera

And here is a picture to show its proximity to back door

Are these problems due to the house not being lived in/had the heating on? Or do you think we have underlying problems here?

Many thanks

 

[joe-90]

is your heating system losing water?

 

[leakingroof]

There is no heating system by that wall in the front door and i have checked the back window and the heating system seems fine.

 

[joe-90]

In my opinion it looks a bit too severe to be just shrinkage.

You should have posted this in the building forum for the likes of Woody (surveyor) to look at.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Check the down pipe from the guttering, the outside floor level looks like it is higher than inside?

Also check the gully is not cracked or broken, that if there is one.

Andy

 

[leakingroof]

the levels are the same as the inside expect the back garden where there is a raised concrete platform about a meter out from the house itself.

the down pipe looks fine there is one in the corner by the back door but at the front there isn't one nearby part from next doors over the wall and there is no obvious signs of any cracks in them.

 

[stevethespreader]

In my opinion it looks a bit too severe to be just shrinkage.

You should have posted this in the building forum for the likes of Woody (surveyor) to look at.

shrinkage? your not looking at the lines that was drawn thinking they are cracks are you?

 

[joe-90]

Doh.

Yes.

 

[stevethespreader]

Doh.

Yes.

haha not to worry joe my gf just asked me what i was laughing at so i showed her and she said your laughing at cracks

 

[roy c]

If like you say the patches are near front and back door then that to me would indicate that the problem lies with with water coming thru from outside. We have had a lot of rain over the the last few months ,so either like HERTSDRAINAGE2010 said it could be gulleys or gutters. Or cracks where paths abut the walls.Have you got solid floors (concrete) or wooden floors if wooden then you can get some boards lifted and have a look underneath.If concrete then I would be lookin for DPC levels, depends on age of house what was used as a dpc( slate, bitumin or plastic )and what alterations have been done over the years (raised paths, rendering, slabs, or paviours) on the outside. Also I would go along the route of getting 3 quotes from Damp-proofing firms and be there when they come and check it out, and pick their brains and ask a lot of questions and compare the answers and prices and let us all know on here what they come up with so we can discuss their findings....

 

[roy c]

Doh.

Yes.

haha not to worry joe my gf just asked me what i was laughing at so i showed her and she said your laughing at cracks

Now we all know that joe likes the "craic"

 

[leakingroof]

I don't know if this helps but i have been tapping the wall and where the damp stains are the wall seems hollow behind whereas everywhere else is solid. What does/could this be?

 

[cajar]

It means the plaster is blown because of the water behind it. if you poked it with a screwdriver it'd dig right through.Doesn't help you find the source though.

 

[joe-90]

Classic case of damp to me. The internal plaster has to come off as it's full of hygroscopic salts.