Damp repair/ quote advice.

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Hi all,

Moved into our house just over 2 years ago now and have a small area of damp near the back door in the kitchen. This was present when we moved in and was noted on our survey but it wasn't deemed a major issue. This wall in question would have been the old external wall/window frame prior to an extension being built way before we moved in.

I'm not 100% if it's condensation or rising/penetrating damp. I suspect it's more likely to be rising damp based on the surveyors suspicion of the old external wall being plastered over with a potential failing DPC of some sort.

I've had someone out to provide a quote to repair the area, He's quoted £375 to 'Tank' the area. The method he described to me would be cutting the plasterboard back around the affected area, Putting in place a particular type of studded membrane/sheet and then replastering the area with plasterboard/pins before smoothing over. It seemed rather than just do a straight section of wall he was looking at kind of cutting out the affected area. he said this is the same method he would use if it was damp or condensation.

I am potentially looking at getting someone else out for a second opinion but i'm conscious of wasting contractors time just yet so thought someone with a bit more knowledge than me may be able to offer an opinion? the area in question is barely 2 metres wide by 80 cm high so really just want to ask if what is being offerered seems likely to do anything and if so is £375 a reasonable amount for a small area like this?
 

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is the wall a brick and plaster wall or is it some kind of framing and plasterboard?Have you had a good look around the other sides of the wall for aany other damage?
 
is the wall a brick and plaster wall or is it some kind of framing and plasterboard?Have you had a good look around the other sides of the wall for aany other damage?

Hi Tell,

It is a solid brick wall with what i presume is plasterboard over the top of it. It was originally the outside wall prior to the extension being built. Originally would have had a window where the worktop is now and the backdoor to the side of it. The otherside of the wall has no issues and there's nothing apparent on the outside of the wall either from what i can see.
 
could be plasterboard dot and dabbed onto the brickwall to cover damp damage.If you remove the skirting and then go about 300mm outside the affected area and cut out a neat panel of plasterboard you should see the bricks or solid plaster or whatevers there. Take a pic for here after removing the board.
 
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Can you take a pic from outside please.
Is it a blurred fence post or down pipe you can see through the glass?
 
Can you take a pic from outside please.
Is it a blurred fence post or down pipe you can see through the glass?

hopefully attached some photos from the outside, the fence post is the boundary fence but i have just noticed when looking at the wall more closely it does look like there may have been a fence post/gate on the wall to the side of the door at some point in the past, Can see a couple of Rawl plugs and a line and marks from potentially an old post. some of the pointing in fairness doesn't look great!
 

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I reckon the ceramic gulley has cracked.

Very common with old glazed drainage.

if you have a wet hoover, remove the grate, suck out the water and inspect.
If you don’t have a hoover, use a can or something to get the water out.

I bet if you can replace the gulley, you won’t need any work inside. (y)
 
I reckon the ceramic gulley has cracked.

Very common with old glazed drainage.

if you have a wet hoover, remove the grate, suck out the water and inspect.
If you don’t have a hoover, use a can or something to get the water out.

I bet if you can replace the gulley, you won’t need any work inside. (y)

Now you mention it the drain/gulley is broken near the top. I remember having the drains inspected and from what i remember we were told it should be ok but now you mention it i guess it's quite probable the gulley is the problem. We did get a quote to have it replaced but the guy never came back to us, I think it was deemed a bit more difficult because we have an imprinted concrete patio/walkway which would also be destroyed in the process of putting a new gulley in.
 

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Your interior finished floor is level with the outside patio surface - the walkway was raised by whoever did the imprinted concrete. this is bad.
This raised surface could be providing a passage for water from outside to inside and showing as damp on the wall in your pics.
What purpose does the gulley serve - does your patio/walkway discharge its surface water into the gulley? There's what looks like a leaking (condensate)pipe?
The gulley hopper head didn't just accidently break. When they raised the walkway surface they purposely detached the gulley hopper head to come up level with the surface.
Its easy enough to fix, one way would be to dig out the old gulley, and install a new plastic gulley connected to the gulley drainage pipe.

The inside damp damage has to be fixed or it will get worse - i think its on one skin of a cavity wall so the damp isn't showing on the other side of the wall.
At some time you will have to take care of the water entering at the doorway. maybe a kind of brief French drain across the doorway width, at least as a temporary measure.
 
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This doesn't look right to me - surely in heavy rain that will fill and soak into the ground - and then rise up into that wall. Maybe first job before lowering the whole path (I had to do this myself...) would be to fix this.

Is it suspended timber floors - if so, that path might be covering air bricks, and that might be causing even worse problems below the floor.

In my 1930s bungalow, a concrete path was made along the side of the house, covering air bricks complete, and also meant that wet soil was permanently against the bricks of the house, which although was below damp course, was bringing dampness into the subfloor that wasn't being dried out because of covered airbricks. Hopefully I fixed it by removing the path, digging out a french drain, and opening all air bricks. PITA.
 
Thanks for all the responses,

I think the photo from outside might be a bit deceptive. I've checked and the floor in the kitchen is a good 3 - 4 inches higher than the concrete patio/concrete. there are also a couple of airbricks knocking around the outside walls of the extension. The broken gulley is at the end of what would have been the original wall. I've been keeping an eye on it and it doesn't appear to be backing up, we had a lot of rainfall overnight but i do think once we've had the wall inside sorted that the gulley is going to have to be the next job.
 
Don't you need to stop the water getting into the house, rather than tank an internal wall - that water will surely just go somewhere else in the house?
 
you need to measure from the bottom of the door cill to the walkway surface for a true gap measurement.
i knowwhy the gulley was thereBut what purpose does the gulley servenow?
your gulley is retaining water in the trap as it should, thats not a back up blockage neither is the trap cracked.
could you post pics showing the air bricks atthe rear and theside of the house?

what do you intend to do about the damp damage?
 
The broken gulley is at the end of what would have been the original wall. I've been keeping an eye on it and it doesn't appear to be backing up, we had a lot of rainfall overnight but i do think once we've had the wall inside sorted that the gulley is going to have to be the next job.

It will only back up if it's blocked. If the gulley is cracked and leaking however, the level will slowly go down. See if it goes down with no water input to it, over several hours.
 
I've had someone out to provide a quote to repair the area, He's quoted £375 to 'Tank' the area. The method he described to me would be cutting the plasterboard back around the affected area, Putting in place a particular type of studded membrane/sheet and then replastering the area with plasterboard/pins before smoothing over.

that's not a repair.

It's an attempt to conceal the water.

The water will be coming from somewhere, frequently a leak in plumbing or drains. In your case, the gulley is sure to be leaking. So it needs to be dug out and replaced.
 

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