Frustrating damp patch

[Jen1]

Looking for advice….it’s a long one!!!!
So I had a new front door fitted which resulted in a wall needing to be replastered. 2 weeks on one large area didn’t dry.To cut a long story short I ended up having a new mains waterline moled in as the internal stopcock was right the other side (I have a downstairs bathroom). My home insurance sent leak detection that detected the leak from the mains water. The new mains waterline now goes round the side of my house as opposed to through the front.
4 weeks on this damp patch has not dried. I leave the front door open when I can which does dry it but it’s all reaccumulates and is as bad if the door isn’t kept open. Obviously with winter not too far off keeping the door open isn’t going to be feasible.
My home insurance sent a different leak detection company out and after 3 hrs they ruled out any plumbing leaks. I was suspected something as last year I went from a back boiler to a combi.
My question is ….am I being too impatient? I have put my little dehumidifier on it which again helps but by the morning it will be as wet.
Am I missing something?
I don’t think it’s water coming in from gutters etc as there hasn’t been much rain and even when it’s really dry by morning the damp patch is as dark and large.
I do suspect that something had been going on a while (mains water leak?) but I confess I ignored it.
I have attached a picture….aware some of the plaster is blown

 

[JohnD]

am I being too impatient?

Yes

Brickwork dries out at about 1 inches thickness per month.

Strip off the wet plaster to speed drying

Put an ordinary domestic fan (not a fan heater or dehumidifier) to blow on the damp patch. Draw a pencil Iine round it. You should see it shrink in a week.

Photograph the outside of the wall. Indicate the DPC with a chalk mark. Show all drains, pipes, gullies, gutters.

How far above ground level is the DPC? Photograph it all along the wall to show the extent of damp. What is on the other side of the wall? Photograph it.

Do not allow anyone who sells silicone injections near your house.

How do you know the radiator pipe is not leaking? Is it a concrete floor?

Do you have access to a young person with sharp hearing? (Not a biker, builder, shooter or rock fan)

 

[Jen1]

I assume it’s not the radiator pipe surely that would have been discovered by the leak detection company

 

[JohnD]

assume

H'mmmmmm.