Circular damp patch inside new door

[cilldara]

Hi,
I'm confused by a recent damp patch in our house.

We had a small window in our dining room replaced with French doors about 11 months ago. Earlier this week I thought one of my kids had thrown a damp tennis ball at an inside wall, today the patch is still circular, but looks more like someone has thrown a beach ball...

The house is 1970s in Ireland, built of rendered breeze block.

No recent modifications to that part of the house.

There has been driving rain from the North (it is a North facing exterior wall).

Some photos to give you some idea (as I mentioned, I have none)...
//media.diynot.com/194000_193595_50622_31681840_thumb.jpg
//media.diynot.com/194000_193595_50623_64501090_thumb.jpg
//media.diynot.com/194000_193595_50624_12949236_thumb.jpg
//media.diynot.com/194000_193595_50625_18701094_thumb.jpg

 

[foxhole]

Could be penetrating damp, render is a poor exterior surface for a wet climate any minor defect will allow water to enter and breeze block is like a sponge.
Any external pics? Preferably not thumbnail size.

 

[cilldara]

Hi Foxhole,
thanks for the interest.

I think you're right - now we've had a dry day the circle is getting smaller again.

Odd that it comes through in one part of one wall only - and as a perfect circle.

Unfortunately this image is on it's side & taken with a flash:
//www.diynot.com/network/cilldara/albums/13634/50624

You can see that there is a slight difference in the texture of the render (where the new, 1 year old meets the original), painted with Weatherseal soon after the new work was done.

I think that I have to accept that the house is rendered breeze block - would there be a "PVA & paint again" idea to overcome the problem?

 

[TheVictorian]

I bet the cavity is bridged exactly where that circle is, it would be a circle as the moisture is just coming from one point and then soaks outwards in all directions over time.

 

[JohnD]

btw

Nevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernever put PVA on a surface which you hope one day to paint.

 

[cilldara]

So, the wind has backed from North to West, the rain has died down & the patch has almost totally disappeared.

In the outside picture you can just about see that the inside of the door surround isn't painted

Untitled

• cilldara
• 26 Sep 2012
• 1

. Would Weatherseal paint be enough, or would it require a sealant?

Cheers.