Plastering damp brickwork

[mattp94]

I have just started stripping the wall paper in preparation for fitting a new kitchen. Problem was the vinyl paper came off vey easily and the plaster behind was falling off the wall. I have now hacked it back to the brickwork but it's still damp. The house is circa 1900 and has the old black mortar. I can't see where the moisture has come from but the wall was behind a dishwasher and freezer. At the moment I'm trying to dry it with a fan heater.

Could anyone give me some advice regarding wether I can plaster over it etc. I'm not too concerned about my plastering skills as 90% will be covered by units, splashback etc. I would really like to sort it out myself but is this something where I need to call in the pro's?

 

[mattp94]

Having read more of the posts on this forum I am beginning to wonder if my girlfriend is to blame for this. She always dries the washing next to the radiator just feet away from the wall in question. The damp is only at one end of an exterior wall. The other end had some old pipe work boxed in so the moisture wasn't able to get to the brickwork. It also appears to be worse lower down the wall where we have a concrete floor that's been tiled.

Could condensation from her washing really be responsible for so much damage?

 

[noseall]

if you are overly concerned about damp within the brickwork, use a sand/cement render. cement loves water and will even set UNDER water

but, you will always have the problem of efflorescent salts eeking through.