Cause of Damp Patch

[scrivomcdivo]

Good evening folks.

We started stripping the wallpaper from the living room in our new home and have uncovered a dampatch:-

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• scrivomcdivo
• 7 Apr 2012
• 1

There appears to be no damp below the raised patch and so it doesn't appear to be rising damp. I'm just wondering what the cause may be? The exterior of the wall is the front wall but it doesn't have any guttering directly above it. As you can see, the bay window is right next to the damp patch so I'm just wondering if that could be the cause - a poor seal for example?

We have a damp specialist coming out but he can't come out for two weeks and so, we're just trying to gain a few ideas as to what the cause may be and is it a big job to repair?

Many thanks

 

[masona]

Can you take a photo on the other side and above if you can

Is it damp above the picture rail?

Can you see any radiator pipe behind the wall?

 

[scrivomcdivo]

It is damp above the picture rail but only a cm or two before it stops. There is no visible radiator pipe behind the patch. I will take a further photo of the exterior tomorrow when I return for more wall paper stripping

 

[masona]

Also do you know if it's solid or cavity wall?

 

[scrivomcdivo]

I'll try and check tomorrow. The house was built in 1890(ish) and so I am assuming it won't be cavity walls but will try and check tomorrow

 

[foxhole]

Does the bay have guttering?

 

[scrivomcdivo]

As promised, here's a photo from the outside. As can be seen, it would appear that the walls are not cavity walls and the bay does have guttering but above the second floor (the damp patch is at ground floor level).

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• scrivomcdivo
• 8 Apr 2012
• 1

Thanks

 

[catlad]

Were on the outside picture is the damp.

 

[scrivomcdivo]

Were on the outside picture is the damp.

Where the green slabs are above the window, it starts mid-level across there and moves down the wall with the hanging basket hanger on.

 

[tony1851]

Is there any evidence that this part of the wall been re-plastered at any time?
If it has, its just possible that it could have been done in some hard material, possibly cement-based, which would be a colder finish than the traditional lime plaster. This would attract condensation and give the appearance of penetrating damp. Also, some salts in renderings can attract moisture from the air.


Seems odd that it appears to stop neatly at picture-rail level, and there doesn't seem anything untoward outside.

(by the way, if that's L'pool, I'll bet those bricks are Ruabons - know them well!)

 

[catlad]

You could get the garden hose and spray the wall working your way up slowly to try and localise the problem.