Damp penetration in upstairs gable end wall.

[dulciepreston]

Hi,

I have 3 south facing walls, the main being a gable end. Each upstairs wall has suffered from rain penetration this winter with the poor weather conditions. Ever since I bought the house 6 years ago, the gable ended wall has suffered from damp patches but this year the situation is far worse. The house is solid brick and was built c1890 and the upper floor is rendered with sand/cement pebbledash. I am pretty confident that the problem is not condensation as it is south facing but each wall is getting the full force of the rain and wind. I have checked for the obvious areas for penetration around the double glazed windows but everything appears solid. Also, the damp patches are very hap hazard and generally away from the windows.
Not sure what more can be done outside - can rain penetrate render? Last year I had the same problem but not so bad and I replaced patches of the crumbling plaster with sand and cement in an effort to address the problem. Could this still be a condensation issue, only one area has gone mouldy? Is there away of lining the walls from the inside?

Anybody here have any ideas as the problem this year is very bad.

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Have you checked for any cracks in the render ?

 

[dulciepreston]

Hi,
Yes, all appears solid and no cracks that I can see.

 

[ree]

As above.
have you searched for minute hairline cracks? Is the dashed stone starting to fail and drop off?

"patches of crumbling plaster with sand and cement" do you mean interior "plaster" or exterior "sand and cement"?

"south facing" is no guarantee of being condensation free.

If the render/pebble dash is beginning to fail here and there then its usually on its way out, and will need replacing.

Interior and external pics will help.