Hi there..
For some months we have had a damp mark in our kitchen, which is on the exterior wall, rising up about 12 inches at it highest point. Outside, the bricks up to a certain point show signs of damp. Our toilet and underground drainage all operate in this area, and as a result of the damp, I dug out our gulley to find the clay pipe had cracked at the mouth of the gulley and for goodness knows how long it had been leaking. The ground was saturated. I dug out all the pipe work and following advice from the awesome people here, replaced the underground pipe work, gulley and soil pipe. For some weeks between digging out and doing the work, we were emptying the hole out of water maybe twice a day, through either rain or household usage, so again, the ground has been saturated.
2 weeks after completing the drain works and the bricks still show signs that they are damp (although seem no worse - so I am wondering if they are just stained), and the marks in the kitchen again, haven't got any worse but haven't shrunk. We are going to decorate once all is sorted so I drew a line around the marks and it hasn't changed.
Our mains water supply protrudes through the ground in the kitchen, and I believe it to run parallel with the wall we are experiencing the issue. I have asked South Staffs water to come and have a listen for a leak just to put my mind at rest with a yay or nay regarding a leak from the supply which may be causing an issue.
I guess what I need to ask, is, from the pictures does anyone have any ideas what may be happening?? I was hoping the gulley would have solved the problem and everything started to dry out by now, so unless its stained, I think I may have an issue somewhere else. Regarding the plaster, should I pull it off the wall to help the wall to dry out or leave it in place to identify an issue? The pointing outside is again on the list of jobs to do, but, I didn't want that doing until I had completely sorted the damp problem we have. Excuse the mess in the pics, our kitchen is desperately in need of decoration, hence me wanting to get this sorted as soon as poss.. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
For some months we have had a damp mark in our kitchen, which is on the exterior wall, rising up about 12 inches at it highest point. Outside, the bricks up to a certain point show signs of damp. Our toilet and underground drainage all operate in this area, and as a result of the damp, I dug out our gulley to find the clay pipe had cracked at the mouth of the gulley and for goodness knows how long it had been leaking. The ground was saturated. I dug out all the pipe work and following advice from the awesome people here, replaced the underground pipe work, gulley and soil pipe. For some weeks between digging out and doing the work, we were emptying the hole out of water maybe twice a day, through either rain or household usage, so again, the ground has been saturated.
2 weeks after completing the drain works and the bricks still show signs that they are damp (although seem no worse - so I am wondering if they are just stained), and the marks in the kitchen again, haven't got any worse but haven't shrunk. We are going to decorate once all is sorted so I drew a line around the marks and it hasn't changed.
Our mains water supply protrudes through the ground in the kitchen, and I believe it to run parallel with the wall we are experiencing the issue. I have asked South Staffs water to come and have a listen for a leak just to put my mind at rest with a yay or nay regarding a leak from the supply which may be causing an issue.
I guess what I need to ask, is, from the pictures does anyone have any ideas what may be happening?? I was hoping the gulley would have solved the problem and everything started to dry out by now, so unless its stained, I think I may have an issue somewhere else. Regarding the plaster, should I pull it off the wall to help the wall to dry out or leave it in place to identify an issue? The pointing outside is again on the list of jobs to do, but, I didn't want that doing until I had completely sorted the damp problem we have. Excuse the mess in the pics, our kitchen is desperately in need of decoration, hence me wanting to get this sorted as soon as poss.. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
