Alternatives to modern damp proof methods

[OceanRain]

Hi Guys,

We have recently bought a Victorian Terrace, built around 1860. We didn’t get a survey as felt they can be a bit of a con…

We have water marks in our dining room – a tide line running about 3ft up from the floor. We initially put this down to poor ventilation (blocked up chimney, windows painted shut). However the damp proof man that came earlier was very insistent that it is rising damp caused by the DPM under our concrete floor pushing the water up into the walls. He doesn’t feel that any amount of ventilation will make it go away and has recommended expensive damp proof treatments.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the internet I’m aware of this idea that rising damp is a myth…

My understanding is that in Victorian days they would have had a flag stone floor built straight onto the ground which would be more breathable and the moisture would evaporate thought the floor and into the room. Myself and my partner love flagstone floors, would it be an option to remove all the concrete and DPM and lay stone instead? I know it would be cold, but I’d prefer a cold dry room to a warm damp one.

Alternatively, i’ve also heard that limestone plaster is more breathable than modern methods. I was thinking that maybe we could hack off all the old plaster and re-do it in limestone, then put some wood panelling over the wall leaving a small gap between the two. Could this work?

What do people think we should do? I’m really reluctant to use modern damp proof methods as I’ve heard so many bad things.

Picture of the wall attached (I hope)!

Oh one more thing - if it's RISING damp, why are the water stains running down from the middle of the wall?!

 

[OceanRain]

Forgot to mention - the walls are bone dry to the touch

 

[catlad]

You can rake mortar out of the joints of the bricks, 2 or 3 at a time and insert lengths of slate for another alternative. You could do a small section as a trial.

 

[tony1851]

I’m aware of this idea that rising damp is a myth…

That's rubbish.
The water rises in porous materials by capillary attraction.
The tide mark 3ft above the floor is the classic sign of rising damp.

The dpc man is right, though you wouldn't jump in and do what he suggests - get an independant view of the problem and what needs to be done.
(And don't start faffing about with alternative remedies such as lime plaster and stone flags on earth etc. Those things may have been OK years ago, but not suited to modern life).

 

[Alastairreid]

It can take months for the moisture in the walls to dry out once you move in!
It looks like condensation to me and nothing to do with rising damp.

 

[catlad]

Crikey! I have just seen the photo, thats not rising damp.

 

[Safety First]

Hi Guys,

We have recently bought a Victorian Terrace, built around 1860. We didn’t get a survey as felt they can be a bit of a con…

We have water marks in our dining room – a tide line running about 3ft up from the floor . We initially put this down to poor ventilation (blocked up chimney, windows painted shut). However the damp proof man that came earlier was very insistent that it is rising damp caused by the DPM under our concrete floor pushing the water up into the walls. He doesn’t feel that any amount of ventilation will make it go away and has recommended expensive damp proof treatments.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the internet I’m aware of this idea that rising damp is a myth…

My understanding is that in Victorian days they would have had a flag stone floor built straight onto the ground which would be more breathable and the moisture would evaporate thought the floor and into the room. Myself and my partner love flagstone floors, would it be an option to remove all the concrete and DPM and lay stone instead? I know it would be cold, but I’d prefer a cold dry room to a warm damp one.

Alternatively, i’ve also heard that limestone plaster is more breathable than modern methods. I was thinking that maybe we could hack off all the old plaster and re-do it in limestone, then put some wood panelling over the wall leaving a small gap between the two. Could this work?

What do people think we should do? I’m really reluctant to use modern damp proof methods as I’ve heard so many bad things.

Picture of the wall attached (I hope)!

Oh one more thing - if it's RISING damp, why are the water stains running down from the middle of the wall?!

-Just to be clear; the wall is a party wall, not exterior? If exterior, there is a chance that it is cold and this is condensation- though the pic does look more like a dog has stopped off to mark it's patch- running with water?! Alternatively if exterior, then is there water ingress from poor drainpipes etc.

-Once ground water is pulled into your plaster the water evaporates and this leaves the mineral (salts) behind. These are the crunchy crystals beneath the wallpaper? Anyway, even after damp source has gone, these call pull moisture from the air (leave a bowl of salt out in any room and it will eventually become moist) and make a wall *seem* damp to a meter.

-Avoid paying anyone for anything. Further research this problem yourself. Explore and eliminate causes, before paying anyone to 'fix it'. I am not in the trade, but have paid a number of people in 4 homes so far to fix 'the problem' when often they just get cash for doing 'x'. When 'x' does not work, they are not very interested. They will of course tell you all about *why* 'x' is the sensible thing to do, but when you have diff firms selling 'x', 'y' and 'z' (all different $olutions, with different theories); they cannot all be right!

-Yes the lime plasters are breathable, but you then need better ventilation all over. Victorian houses did have limeplaster on the inside and the outside- or lime mortar between bricks, but they also had big gaps around window and a lot more air flowing about. They also had more to worry about than a bit of damp, and there were no meters either!

-You could hack off the plaster to above the wet (the plaster probably is full of salts anyway) and just see how wet the wall is. There are salt inhibitors that can be added to render if you find the wall itself is not pulling up water

-Are there any ground level differences? i.e. is the terrace on a hill?

-Finally- and I am absolutely not selling this stuff- cannot even remember the name, but I have my own damp problem, and I was considering buying (and DIY applying myself- cheaper!) the gel stuff; a bit like a mastic gun. Pump the stuff into drilled holes and it uses damp in the wall to pull the chemicals out into the water, before 'going off' and becoming waterproof? I am bust myself trying to reduce the 'available' water.

- By the way, what are the expensive treatments your man recommended? I would avoid cementitious tanking. Bad past experience...
[/i]

 

[spannerzone]

I found useful info here:
http://www.heritage-house.org/pages/managing-damp-in-old-buildings.html

I have damp issues in my 1906 end of terrace cavity walled house (with concrete floors) - I get about 2 - 3 feet of moisture on my ground floor walls but only when it's humid weather. I'm certain that improving house ventilation and possible removing the modern plaster and foil backed wall paper (yes!) and my walls will breath and the problem will go.

I'm probably going to install one of these:
http://www.rhldirect.com/store/warm-air-dehumidifier-kitchen-fan/