Plaster / Internal Damp

[sunburyashes]

I am restoring a victrian cottage and have stripped the walls bare of plaster and am back to bricks, the brickwork is still pretty damp (9" walls). The external bricks are being replaced but I dont really want to mess around internally as well with bricks.

Do I wait for the bricks to dry out, if so how long could that take?

Or should I batten and board it, so to get the plaster off the walls or is there another way to tackle this by way of internal rendering then skim on top of that?

I don't want the damp returning so only want to do it once!

ANy advice would be appreciated

 

[regsmyth]

I think either of your options would be suitable.
If there is much water pressure, and I doubt that there is, a rendering coat could crack. If there isn't, a good waterproof render and skimmed over should keep the damp at bay.
Batten and boarding is also an option, but if you intend fixing lots of things to it, you might have a few problems.

Bear in mind that as it's a solid wall, you could get lots of condensation forming on the cold surface. If you batten it, this should avoid the problems.

 

[sunburyashes]

If I batten it then, should I put the battens straight onto the internal brick or does it need rendering firstl?

Then could I put some insulation between the wall & plaster board?

Would normal plaster board be suffice or is there something that would do a better job?

Many thanks for the advice so far!

 

[regsmyth]

You don't need to render first before battening, but it would be good practice to use a bituminous paint to seal the surface, or to fix polythene under the battens to keep the moisture back.
If the battens are fixed direct to the wall, they could get damp and smelly.
You should use stainless screws that won't rust.
You need to pack your battens so that they are all nice and level.
The best insulation will be rigid polyurethane foam (eg Kingspan/Celotex). You can get this in 25mm thick sheets (or thicker), fit it tightly between your battens.
Normal plasterboard will be ok, but since it is porous to water vapour, which might go both ways through the plasterboard, a layer of polythene behind the plasterboard would also be a good idea.

 

[sunburyashes]

Sorry for bringing this thread back up!

I have been waiting for the bricks to dry out for a while now & have been looking at alternative solutions as the bricks are quite bad.

I have found an external insulation (Alsecco) in the meantime. What are the benefits/comparisons between internal/external insualtion and what would be the recommendation?

 

[dano1779]

I am restoring a victrian cottage and have stripped the walls bare of plaster and am back to bricks, the brickwork is still pretty damp (9" walls). The external bricks are being replaced but I dont really want to mess around internally as well with bricks.

Do I wait for the bricks to dry out, if so how long could that take?

Or should I batten and board it, so to get the plaster off the walls or is there another way to tackle this by way of internal rendering then skim on top of that?

I don't want the damp returning so only want to do it once!

ANy advice would be appreciated

if i was you i would scratch coat 3/1 sand and cement with with a waterproof additive with a salt inhibitor incorporated and float out with 4/1 without additive to allow it to absorb atmospheric moisture then skim over for a more longer lasting and secure job. also make sure there are no external ground levels bridging the dampcourse level, this may cause for a different treatment for these areas.