Possible problems with damp after new plastering

[lee666]

Morning all, I hope this might be in the right section but if not please can a mod move it.

Earlier in the year we had a lot of replastering done due to it being blown, all part of a big redecorating project. Part of this was done in our hallway near our front door.

I've noticed recently that there are yellow stains coming through the emulsion which I know can be signs of damp. This makes sense as next door, that part is an external porch.

My question is, if this is indeed the source of the damp problem, is there anything I can do to stop this as I don't want the plaster blowing again. Does my neighbour have any obligation to rectify their porch so that it doesn't affect my property?

I get on with my neighbour so don't want to fall out but curious to know if they should do something seeing as it affecting my house.

I live in a terrace and my neighbours house is the only once that hasn't extended their front door out so it's obviously open to the elements. I have advised them that their guttering is blocked which is causing water to overflow into said porch as well.

Thanks!

 

[vinn]

Photos of inside and outside including a shot of the neighbour's gutter would help.

Is the wall in question a solid or cavity wall?
Is the floor solid?

 

[lee666]

Photos of inside and outside including a shot of the neighbour's gutter would help.

Is the wall in question a solid or cavity wall?
Is the floor solid?

Hi vinn, will grab some pics. The walls are solid, as for the floors I'm not 100% sure but if I remember correctly when we did the floor in our hallway the bit by the door had old tiles and underneath was just the ground, no concrete or anything which the rest of the house has.

 

[foxhole]

Is the stain on a re-plastered section or original?

 

[JohnD]

Yellow stain is not "damp" it's "water leak"

 

[vinn]

I dont know what your definitions of damp or water leak are but over the years I've seen yellow water damage stains on ceilings, high up on walls and low down on walls, in true rising damp tidemarks and on contaminated chimney breasts.
I've also seen yellow condensation staining below bedroom window boards.

 

[lee666]

Hi there, sorry for the delay in getting the pictures. The staining is on the replastered section, it was hacked right back to brick first of all as it had completely blown, I presume because that section is open to the elements on the other side.

 

[vinn]

"the bit by the door" is the vestibule, and if your vestibule flooring is not protected by a membrane (DPM) and some concrete under whatever floor covering then damp will rise.

The garden wall is butting up to the vestibule wall and possibly allowing penetrating damp to enter.
Your neighbour's shared vestibule wall shows signs of damp & decay - being open will allow wind swept rain to wet the render/plaster(?)

FWIW: I asked for more info on sunday?

Typically, you will have to go back to brick, and then render in lime and sand - the hall and vestibule flooring will have to be checked for damp.
Likewise you should examine the suspended floor joist tails for rot.
If possible do this in conjunction with your neighbour?

 

[lee666]

hi there,

Our house doesn't have a suspended floor, it is all concrete due to the house getting flooded some years ago (before we moved in). The only bit that isn't concrete, if my memory serves me right, is the bit by the front door which would have been the old porch. Basically when we moved in the bit by the front door had some crappy wood effect flooring, when we pulled it up we found the original tiles underneath for the old porch and if i'm right we used that as a base for some new floor tiles (it was done some years ago by my father in law).

The plasterer guaranteed the work a year but i know plastering with a lime mix is a bit more niche so i'd have to see if it's something he could do.

I don't know if she plans to extend the front door like everyone else has as, like you mentioned, her porch is open to the elements.

cheers

 

[foxhole]

From what you have said I would say the damp is purely down to the damage caused by guttering problem, without that the neighbours porch would remain dry.

 

[lee666]

I have told her about it as the other week we had some bad thunderstorms and it was gushing over her guttering into the open bit by the porch. I had a look earlier and I know ow you can get a membrane of sorts that can be plastered over if you have a problem like this, are they any good? Was thinking of something like that until hopefully she puts another doorway in to keep the elements out.

 

[JohnD]

Put up a photo of the porches, gutters and downpipes please.

You could reasonably put up a shield to protect your property.

 

[lee666]

Just got home from work so will take some after I get up. Her house doesn't have a downpipe as in our terrace there's a downpipe every 3 houses or so, I have one but it's the opposite side of the house.

 

[lee666]

Morning, tried taking some more pictures of the neighbours porch, apologies on the quality, she is in so count get right it to photograph. The render looks quite damaged in the 1st pic which is halfway up the wall, I do have a small yellow mark pretty much where that is but I assume that hadn't got any wors due to how high it is. I couldn't get a decent one of the bottom, but it is just as bad as damage halfway up and my guess is that's where the rainwater is getting in with it being at floor level and not being helped by the guttering being blocked and overflowing into the porch.

 

[conny]

Looking at the first pictures it looks like your neighbours porch area is rendered down to floor level. This will be bridging any damp course there is and will be a possible cause of your internal damp. The render needs to be hacked off to about 6", (150mm), above ground level.

To a lesser extent, if the dividing path wall is bonded into the house brickwork this too should have a dpc in it.