Hi,
My mother's house is a mid-terrace 100 year-old property with a strange damp problem.
The ground floor rear wall has been damp for years and was skimmed a few years back. When decorating recently, we found the paper was damp and came off easily, as did the plaster beneath. I had a look at the gutter on the brick shed that butts up to the rear wall and found that not only was the fall was towards the house, the crud in it meant that the thing drained onto the rear wall of the house. I've replaced the gutter, making sure it drains correctly, and I'm happy I've sorted the cause of the damp. It seems that in the past, the symptoms had been treated rather than the cause.
Nothing unusual there but for the fact that there are signs of damp on the inside of the adjoining (party) wall in the same room. There is also mould on the party wall in the front room, about 5m away. When the nice neighbours let me have a look from their side, I found no signs of damp or any obvious cause for the moisture on my mum's side.
My question is this: When water penetrates a building, how far can it travel horizontally?
I'm wondering if damp can appear in two or more places with dry patches in between from a single source.
I hope so.
I would appreciate your thoughts.
P.
My mother's house is a mid-terrace 100 year-old property with a strange damp problem.
The ground floor rear wall has been damp for years and was skimmed a few years back. When decorating recently, we found the paper was damp and came off easily, as did the plaster beneath. I had a look at the gutter on the brick shed that butts up to the rear wall and found that not only was the fall was towards the house, the crud in it meant that the thing drained onto the rear wall of the house. I've replaced the gutter, making sure it drains correctly, and I'm happy I've sorted the cause of the damp. It seems that in the past, the symptoms had been treated rather than the cause.
Nothing unusual there but for the fact that there are signs of damp on the inside of the adjoining (party) wall in the same room. There is also mould on the party wall in the front room, about 5m away. When the nice neighbours let me have a look from their side, I found no signs of damp or any obvious cause for the moisture on my mum's side.
My question is this: When water penetrates a building, how far can it travel horizontally?
I'm wondering if damp can appear in two or more places with dry patches in between from a single source.
I hope so.
I would appreciate your thoughts.
P.