Major damp in corner of room

[Stotty1]

Hi

I am hoping someone is able to offer some advice.

We have just started decorating our lounge and came across a severe damp issue in one corner.
The corner in question is behind a cupboard that was left by the past owners (4 years ago), so I have no idea how long it has looked this way.

I will attach some pictures below of the inside and outside of the effected corner.

We have contacted a damp specialist to also come and have a look, but if in the mean time anyone has any idea what could be the cause please let me know.

Thank you

 

[JohnD]

Is it a concrete floor?

Is it in a kitchen?

Stand back and take a wider pic

Include any radiators, sinks, pipes or other water-containing things.

The outside wall seems to have eroded mortar below the DPC, and the paving is uneven, which a long-term leak can cause, almost certainly from the downpipe gulley. The wall cavity may contain rubble.

We have contacted a damp specialist to also come and have a look

Do not allow anybody who sells silicone injections into your home.

 

[Stotty1]

Thank you JohnD for the reply,
It is in our lounge.
I believe it is a concrete floor as under the underlay is tiles.
The nearest radiator is around 3m away, there is nothing else in this corner at all.

It is a bit difficult getting better pics at the minute as we have shifted all the furniture around.

I did actually put a post up in the summer regarding the outside drainage, when cleaning it I noticed some of the blocks had raised and there seemed to be a void between the gulley and sewer, link to thread below.
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/advice-on-drainpipe-drainage-please.572472/#post-4983699

I ended up putting a piece of downpipe between the gulley and sewer so the water would hopefully miss the void in between.

As this is below the DPC could it still be the issue?

Do not allow anybody who sells silicone injections into your home

Thanks for the advice regarding the silicone injections, if you don't mind me asking why?
I am new to this so don't even know the different processes of fixing such problems.

Thank you

 

[JohnD]

common causes of damp are condensation (wet washing or steamy bathrooms)

leaking pipes

leaking drains

leaking gutters

earth or paving heaped up against the wall

Silicone injections do not cure or repair any of these faults

Looking at your photos I think most likely the ground beside the broken drain is sodden with water, as is the wall, and the floor will be if it does not have a good DPM (modern houses are usually better). See if the floor is wet under the carpet.

and if, as I suspect, there is rubble inside the cavity, it would enable water to make the bottom of the wall wet, even above the dpc.

A builder can easily dig out the broken gulley and drain and replace with new, or you could do it yourself, it is not complicated but using a spade can be tiring. While digging out, rake out and repair the pointing in the bricks. It is easy for a competent builder.

Raking out the cavity may need doing, it is possible to drill a hole and use an endoscope to look. If you have a biggish drill, you can drill a hole a couple of inches above the dpc and see if wet sand comes out on the drill or on your finger or prodder

I'd start with the drain

 

[blup]

See post #4 in your linked post.

Blup

 

[Stotty1]

common causes of damp are condensation (wet washing or steamy bathrooms)

leaking pipes

leaking drains

leaking gutters

earth or paving heaped up against the wall

Silicone injections do not cure or repair any of these faults

Looking at your photos I think most likely the ground beside the broken drain is sodden with water, as is the wall, and the floor will be if it does not have a good DPM (modern houses are usually better). See if the floor is wet under the carpet.

and if, as I suspect, there is rubble inside the cavity, it would enable water to make the bottom of the wall wet, even above the dpc.

A builder can easily dig out the broken gulley and drain and replace with new, or you could do it yourself, it is not complicated but using a spade can be tiring. While digging out, rake out and repair the pointing in the bricks. It is easy for a competent builder.

Raking out the cavity may need doing, it is possible to drill a hole and use an endoscope to look. If you have a biggish drill, you can drill a hole a couple of inches above the dpc and see if wet sand comes out on the drill or on your finger or prodder

I'd start with the drain

Thanks, sounds like the drain is the most likely culprit then, I will have to take the part I did last summer back up and re-asses the work I did.

Out of curiosity how does the cavity become filled with rubble?
How would you go about removing the rubble?

 

[Stotty1]

See post #4 in your linked post.

Blup

Thanks.
There was only 190mm between the top of the gully and the sewer so I was unable to fit a catchment, so I inserted a small straight pipe through from the gully to the sewer, avoiding the void.

I'm guessing what I did was not good enough, I will have to take it back up and re-evaluate the work I did.
Should the void be filled with concrete or something?

 

[catlad]

That looks like a cold spot exacerbated by having a piece of furniture in front of it for a long time. Celotex PL4000 will get rid of that problem, along with keeping the area clear.

 

[tell80]

OP,
1. Remove more of the wallpaper on both walls.
2. remove the skirting on both walls.
3. lift the gripper on both sides.
4. pull back the carpet and the carpet underlay to expose whatever is below - vinyl tiles?
5. then, please post a pic.
One airbrick can be seen on the front elevation, and one airbrick on the side elevation - suggesting that the floor is suspended not solid.
It also suggests that more air brick are needed for good ventilation.

 

[^woody^]

Classic condensation staining pattern.

 

[Stotty1]

Thank you all for the replies, sounds like condensation could be a possible culprit as well then.
It is naturally quite a cold house, although that particular side of the house is south facing so it is one of the warmer rooms in the house.

We had planned on stripping it all back further at the weekend (due to awkward work patterns in the week), so I will add some pictures once done to show what it looks like without paper, skirting etc.

Thank you all for your help, greatly appreciated.

 

[Nige F]

Think before you ease the skirtings off. Unless you wanted to fit different/larger skirting As to the rubble - mostly sand/cement dropped down when the bricks are laid.

 

[tell80]

What crass nonsense to attempt to give to a questioner.

So you rip skirtings off do you, how quaint - most people who understand these things merely cut the paint & ease skirtings, esp small skirtings, from the wall.
As I'm sure that Stotty1 was going to do, & will do.

So you "rip off skirtings" & damage the plaster, and then attempt to hide your rubbish skills in simple DIY by hiding the damage with more expensive & bigger skirtings?

 

[Deleted member 292770]

.

 

[opps]

What crass nonsense to attempt to give to a questioner.

So you rip skirtings off do you, how quaint - most people who understand these things merely cut the paint & ease skirtings, esp small skirtings, from the wall.
As I'm sure that Stotty1 was going to do, & will do.

So you "rip off skirtings" & damage the plaster, and then attempt to hide your rubbish skills in simple DIY by hiding the damage with more expensive & bigger skirtings?

What would be gained from removing the skirting if it is condensation?

If the skirting has been screwed on and the holes have been filled with 2 pack filler, how do you ease it off? At best, you would hope that you could pull the plugs and screws but there is still a high probability of localised damage. Granted, that damage is far less than pulling the skirtings in a Victorian house, particularly one that has been reskimmed.

Frankly, I agree with Woody that it looks like condensation. The cabinet in the corner has prevented free airflow.