Damp through bricks/pointing?

[Sticklebricks]

we have a damp problem in our flat - the main problem area seems to be around the windows of the bedroom and front room.

We are getting mould on our inside walls under the windows - particularly in the corners. Also on the ceiling above the window in the living room. Observing from the outside the bricks under the windows look damp - there are even bits of moss in some places.

Is damp penetrating through? and what is the solution?

Many thanks!

(We try and ventilate the flat - it is one bedroom - always keep the kitchen, front room and bathroom windows open a crack, plus the front door opens on to an airy glass atrium)

BEDROOM

FRONT ROOM

 

[tell80]

Your flats were bad design from the word go.

The Bullnose bricks should have been custom sill bricks (ie. come with drip grooves) set at a slight angle to project & shed sill water.

The window frames lack original extended Pvc sills. This is probably your major defect.
Maybe a window fitter could OK retro fitting some kind of "extended sills" to your bottom rails? Taking the frame weep holes into account.
If not then you would have to deal with the bullnose bricks.
The bullnose bricks, & probably the course below the sill, would have to be removed, and rearranged & reset to discharge water beyond the elevation face brickwork.

The green algae: when the algae is dry, perhaps it could be removed with a dry scrubbing brush.
Strong chemicals such as bleach can sometimes cause knock-on problems?

Blown CWI holes can be seen - moisture might be able to cross the cavity, bridge it, and deface your decorated interior?
Water can be seen dripping down from the above flat's sill.

 

[Koolpc]

Probably condensation.

 

[Sticklebricks]

Your flats were bad design from the word go.

The Bullnose bricks should have been custom sill bricks (ie. come with drip grooves) set at a slight angle to project & shed sill water.

The window frames lack original extended Pvc sills. This is probably your major defect.
Maybe a window fitter could OK retro fitting some kind of "extended sills" to your bottom rails? Taking the frame weep holes into account.
If not then you would have to deal with the bullnose bricks.
The bullnose bricks, & probably the course below the sill, would have to be removed, and rearranged & reset to discharge water beyond the elevation face brickwork.

The green algae: when the algae is dry, perhaps it could be removed with a dry scrubbing brush.
Strong chemicals such as bleach can sometimes cause knock-on problems?

Blown CWI holes can be seen - moisture might be able to cross the cavity, bridge it, and deface your decorated interior?
Water can be seen dripping down from the above flat's sill.

Thanks for your reply. All your points make perfect sense.

The building was put up in 1970 - and looking back at old google street view pictures the original windows didn't have extended drip sills either! Shame this wasn't corrected when the pvc ons were put in.

CWI holes - yes we are getting mould on ther inside interior walls - the ones bellow the windows and also the ceiling by the window where you identified the water dripping down from the upstairs flat. Is that the problem with blown insulation? That by briding the gap it allows damp to get through?

Apparently the ceiling to the bulding is a problem ventilation-wise too! The building is very nice from an aesthetic point of view but seems the engineering detail is lacking

Thanks for your advice - I'll get incontact with the window fitter we used recently for a job

 

[Sticklebricks]

Your flats were bad design from the word go.

The Bullnose bricks should have been custom sill bricks (ie. come with drip grooves) set at a slight angle to project & shed sill water.

The window frames lack original extended Pvc sills. This is probably your major defect.
Maybe a window fitter could OK retro fitting some kind of "extended sills" to your bottom rails? Taking the frame weep holes into account.
If not then you would have to deal with the bullnose bricks.
The bullnose bricks, & probably the course below the sill, would have to be removed, and rearranged & reset to discharge water beyond the elevation face brickwork.

The green algae: when the algae is dry, perhaps it could be removed with a dry scrubbing brush.
Strong chemicals such as bleach can sometimes cause knock-on problems?

Blown CWI holes can be seen - moisture might be able to cross the cavity, bridge it, and deface your decorated interior?
Water can be seen dripping down from the above flat's sill.

Thanks sonce again. Going out and observing the building I think you've cracked the main problem with the building. I can walk round each flat and observe damp under teh bullnose bricks - especially at corners. And under each window the pointing is damaged, but is fine on the walls without windows.

There are plans to the the roof capped.

Incredibly one of the landlords in the block, who is a director for the block, has never pointed to this as a cause of the damp problems in the block