Damp on inside wall?? Help...

[jurassic86]

Hello,

Wondered if anyone could give me some advice. I have an inside wall which is showing damp above skirting board level. To be honest I have only been in the house for 6 months and it only become apparent when I painted the walls.

Previously the wall was almost magnolia and it is now a darker colour the damp is clear to see.

The other side of this wall is the downstairs toilet, and it is important to note that the porch and toilet is 6" lower down.

Would this damp be "rising damp" and how is the best way forward?

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• jurassic86
• 23 Sep 2013
• 1

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[Alastairreid]

Looks like a leak coming from the toilet.

 

[jurassic86]

Hello,
The wall with the leak is the wall opposite the toilet.
The waste / soil pipe from the toilet goes into the floor of the toilet, and appears to go directly into the sewage pipe under the house.

You think maybe its leaking from their?

The only thing the other side of the wall where the damp patch is- is the water pipes carrying the water upstairs to the upstairs toilet.

J

 

[Alastairreid]

Is it solid or stud walls?

Suspended or concrete floors?

Age of house? i ask this as more modern houses tend do be plumbed in polypipe with pushfit connections.

My sis in law had the exact same problem a few months ago which was caused by a weeping cold water inlet to the basin.

 

[jurassic86]

1930's house
Floors look pritty solid to me.
Walls are solid as a rock. Wouldn't want to try knock a hole in them

 

[Alastairreid]

You will need to remove the skirting and flooring to find out whats going on.
I would start in the bathroom.

 

[jurassic86]

Ive done that and it looks bone dry, lots of salt on the brickwork- and also all the paint behind radiator is peeling off

 

[Alastairreid]

You need to dig below and track back to get to the source of the leak! is the bathroom floor tiled?

 

[jurassic86]

The downstairs bathroom?
Yes its got tiles on top of tiles! The original ones are like a red stained one

 

[Alastairreid]

Try isolating the hot and cold water from the downstairs bathroom and stop using it to see if the patch dries up.
If it does turn the water supply back on, if it remains dry then you have a leak from either the basin or soil waste.

 

[jurassic86]

Ironically in that corner the wall sticks out and I think its where all the pipework travels upstairs and where the hot water comes in to the downstairs bathroom...

 

[Alastairreid]

Thats the first port of call then.

Remove a brick or two and see if it is a pipe run and if its dry in there.

 

[jurassic86]

It looks as if someone has took a pce of the skirting off in that corner- hows best to take a brick out? Angle grinder?

 

[Alastairreid]

No that would be some dust!

Hammer and chisel.

 

[jurassic86]

Guys,

I've removed some tiles from that back corner now (Opposite side of the damp patch) and pictures are below.

All seems OK at top of wall but bottom their is like black brick? Is that normal?

Untitled

• jurassic86
• 23 Sep 2013
• 1

Untitled

• jurassic86
• 23 Sep 2013
• 1

Untitled

• jurassic86
• 23 Sep 2013
• 1