We recently had a Ikea wardrobe fitted in an alcove next to a fireplace, with the gaps around it sealed so it had a built-in look. To make it as flush as possible, the skirting board at the back was taken out. A few weeks later while painting the room we noticed damp on the chimney breast next to the wardrobe, so took apart the infill between chimney breast and wardrobe to inspect the side wall of the chimney breast.
Looks like taking out the skirting at the back has left a gap between where the plaster ends and the carpet starts, leading to cold air coming up from the suspended timber floor and causing damp in the area that had been boxed in. The resulting damp has been so bad that the carpet fibers are coming off their backing in that boxed up area!
So I'm thinking I will have to pull out the wardrobe and seal the gap between the floorboard and the plaster, so the room is relatively air tight at that end. What is the best material to do this with? The carpeted area has building paper under the underlay stopping drafts, but this extends only to the gripper rods. What's the best way to seal this?
1) Caulk or Silicone sealant - only good if gap is up to quarter of an inch?
2) Expanding foam - any particular ones?
3) Plaster all the way to floorboards - will crack with movement?
Ideally would prefer to avoid anything that gives off noxious fumes as its in the bedroom.
Many thanks!
Looks like taking out the skirting at the back has left a gap between where the plaster ends and the carpet starts, leading to cold air coming up from the suspended timber floor and causing damp in the area that had been boxed in. The resulting damp has been so bad that the carpet fibers are coming off their backing in that boxed up area!
So I'm thinking I will have to pull out the wardrobe and seal the gap between the floorboard and the plaster, so the room is relatively air tight at that end. What is the best material to do this with? The carpeted area has building paper under the underlay stopping drafts, but this extends only to the gripper rods. What's the best way to seal this?
1) Caulk or Silicone sealant - only good if gap is up to quarter of an inch?
2) Expanding foam - any particular ones?
3) Plaster all the way to floorboards - will crack with movement?
Ideally would prefer to avoid anything that gives off noxious fumes as its in the bedroom.
Many thanks!