Damp, Salt and PLaster?

[activist3]

Hello All,
Having an absolute nightmare! Over several years we have had black mould grow on the walls in certain areas in the house and we had an injected damp course put in to try and help with the problem. However this has not done anything. I have cleaned off the mould in all the rooms but it is an ongoing issue.
However the worst problem is downstairs. When we had the damp course done we had the wall hacked, damp course and then skimmed. We painted the wall and after a few weeks salt came through the walls and the paint bubbled off. I have left this like that for several years but recently went to redecorate. I scraped off the bubbled paint and salts and have repainted in one of the corners but the salt has come through again and bubbled through the paint. In the other corner of the room we have hacked off the plaster and replastered but the plaster isnt drying very well and is also cracking.

Can anyone help? I know nothing about diy, painting or building but am really worried about what to do as hoping to put the house on the market soon.

 

[joe-90]

You are not supposed to post the same post in different forums.

It should be posted in the roofing and guttering forum anyway.

 

[activist3]

You are not supposed to post the same post in different forums.

It was suggested i move it towards the building area?

 

[peaps]

Hello All,
Having an absolute nightmare! Over several years we have had black mould grow on the walls in certain areas in the house and we had an injected damp course put in to try and help with the problem. However this has not done anything. I have cleaned off the mould in all the rooms but it is an ongoing issue.
However the worst problem is downstairs. When we had the damp course done we had the wall hacked, damp course and then skimmed. We painted the wall and after a few weeks salt came through the walls and the paint bubbled off. I have left this like that for several years but recently went to redecorate. I scraped off the bubbled paint and salts and have repainted in one of the corners but the salt has come through again and bubbled through the paint. In the other corner of the room we have hacked off the plaster and replastered but the plaster isnt drying very well and is also cracking.

Can anyone help? I know nothing about diy, painting or building but am really worried about what to do as hoping to put the house on the market soon.

Could do with alittle more info.

Are the walls outside walls?
How old is the house?
Is it a brick or stone construction. Cavity or not?
Are your windows in good condition?
Is there much condensation?

 

[activist3]

[/quote]

Could do with alittle more info.

Are the walls outside walls?
How old is the house?
Is it a brick or stone construction. Cavity or not?
Are your windows in good condition?
Is there much condensation?[/quote]

The walls are internal walls but are facing the outside ie not shared. The ones that are shared with the house next door have no problems. The house is over 100 years old and is made out of stone i believe with no cavity. The windows are in good condition and were new around 8 years ago. There is a lot of condensation in the house. We have now have a dehumidifer running which is originally showed 100% humidity but is now showing around 50 but is running almost none stop.

 

[Possel]

Could do with alittle more info.

Are the walls outside walls?
How old is the house?
Is it a brick or stone construction. Cavity or not?
Are your windows in good condition?
Is there much condensation?

The walls are internal walls but are facing the outside ie not shared. The ones that are shared with the house next door have no problems. The house is over 100 years old and is made out of stone i believe with no cavity. The windows are in good condition and were new around 8 years ago. There is a lot of condensation in the house. We have now have a dehumidifer running which is originally showed 100% humidity but is now showing around 50 but is running almost none stop.

If it's 100 years old and of stone construction then there is no cavity. I'd bet that your problem is indeed the condensation - partly caused by your recent windows (DG, uPVC?) which have eliminated one source of ventilation. You could also check your gutters and downpipes to make sure they are not damaged or blocked, and so pouring water down the walls when it rains. You've also had a damp proof course done (at best a waste of money, at worst it damages an old house), and skimmed it (with something pink and modern, no doubt). These are all things which prevent an old house working the way it should as all the (lime mortar) walls are unable to breathe.

Try Googling for "period property" +dampness and look at the results. Then go round your house and see how many walls are covered with non-breathable plaster, paint or paper. Do you actually have any ventilation at all? The amount of moisture from just a couple of people plus bathroom and cooking is huge and it has to get out somewhere. If it doesn't then black mould is a very common result. Sadly, if you want to sell quickly, all you can do is a temporary fix to hide the issues and sell it to some other poor unsuspecting soul.

See my blog at http://houseintheenchantedforest.blogspot.com/ to see how I have turned a damp pile of stone into a lovely dry and warm house.

 

[peaps]

Above is good advice.

It's a shame you have had this experience but if done correctly it will sort the damp out.

One thing you should never do with stone is seal it.


On another note, you need to get rid of the mould and take care with it. Put a mask on and use bleach 50/1 water. It's bad for children to be around also. keep the windows open alittle until you can sort out some vents. You need air flow and the walls need to breath.

Lime plaster is the way you need to go, it's a must with stone.