Potential damp?

[lg_diy]

Hi guys, Apologies if this is not in the correct category, wasn't too sure what it would come under.

I moved into this house about a year and 3 months ago. And ever since there has always been a damp patch in our dining room, to be more precise about 5 ft off the floor and to the side of a door frame. (The door frame was installed after the damp was noticed so nothing related here) It initially started out as just that, a bit of a dark mark. We then painted the room, obviously looked fine for a bit then the dark mark came back. I have since then sanded it back to the bare plaster, primed it, sealed it and painted again. Which now brings us to attached pictures. It has slowly got to this stage since sealing and painting. The first lot of pictures is in the dining room and the second lot of pictures is on the other side of the wall in the kitchen. Now this is in the middle of the house, with no internal pipes or external guttering sitting above it. So not entirely sure what's causing it.

My only other thought is that the boiler is on the other side of the wall ( in the kitchen) but as far as I can tell none of it's pipes run above the damp.

The bottom of the wall is very soft and you can see a clear bubbling / distortion to the shape of the skirting and surrounding wall which I assume is from this damp.

My next idea was too physically removed all plaster / plasterboard within the affected area and take it back to the bare brick. Potentially on both sides. I was just wondering if this would be worth while or if anyone else had a better idea?

 

[lg_diy]

Also may be worth pointing out this is dead above a radiator that is on for the majority of the day.

 

[blup]

It could be historic leaking from pipes and/or damp in the wall from another source. I think you have worked out what to do in terms of chopping out the plaster etc,

 

[lg_diy]

It could be historic leaking from pipes and/or damp in the wall from another source. I think you have worked out what to do in terms of chopping out the plaster etc,

Cheers for the reply blup. How would I potentially go about eliminating a leak that is still there, and potentially in the ceiling above? Only as the issue has obviously come back multiple times over a year. Don't think that would particularly be a job I could do. There is minor damp at the bottom but think this may all be from the same source.

 

[blup]

Cheers for the reply blup. How would I potentially go about eliminating a leak that is still there, and potentially in the ceiling above? Only as the issue has obviously come back multiple times over a year. Don't think that would particularly be a job I could do. There is minor damp at the bottom but think this may all be from the same source.

If its still there, identify the source of it. Even if you have to get somebody in you can specify what and where is the problem so potentially saving money.

If its not residual damp that is drying out and getting wet again, you could lift the boards in the ceiling above to trace pipes. An inspection camera that fits to your phone is a cheap way of achieving this if access is difficult, but you might have to drill a/some holes in the floor

 

[lg_diy]

If its still there, identify the source of it. Even if you have to get somebody in you can specify what and where is the problem so potentially saving money.

If its not residual damp that is drying out and getting wet again, you could lift the boards in the ceiling above to trace pipes. An inspection camera that fits to your phone is a cheap way of achieving this if access is difficult, but you might have to drill a/some holes in the floor

Hiya mate, sorry for the late reply on this. Finally got around to taking the plasterboard off. The wall underneath looks and feels very dry. The only thing I can point out is where the damp was, was where the grey area is in the picture. I've marked a line as to where the damp roughly was on the plasterboard. Whether or not that material (no idea what it is) is causing it. No idea.

The only other thought is the evenly spaced holes that look like they are filled with some sort of sponge material? These may be normal to have just had no idea what they are! Cheers bud

 

[blup]

Maybe some kind of damp injection holes? The cement might have been added to keep damp at bay but it found its way through.

 

[lg_diy]

Yeah just gave it a quick Google and they're dry rods. So obviously an existing issue. Would just plasterboard back over it but it's bound to come back. Will have to get someone out more than likely

 

[opps]

Does it feel damp?

You could tape some bacofoil over the area, leave it for a few days and then remove the foil and see if it is damp on the reverse side.

If you are lucky, it might just be the case that you have salts coming out of the old plaster.

Oh, and yes, they do look like DryZone rods.

 

[lg_diy]

Doesn't feel damp at all which is the weird. And I'd say the back of the plasterboard I took off the wall wasn't damp either. But there's obviously something going on for someone to have put the dry rods there previously.

I'll try your cling film idea cheers.

I would have agreed that it was just salts coming out, but the plasterboard started to become a bit "bouncy"? Almost. In the most affected areas, like it was losing its rigidity.

 

[lg_diy]

@blup @opps Hiya both, been a while on this one but only just got around to looking at it any further. Left it a while how it was in the picture, and noticed the white powder coming through the cement / grey area in the picture. The same white powder that was showing through the plaster.

I've now chipped all of this cement out and it is currently how it looks in the attached picture. Do you think I could fill the space with mortar and then go over with some finishing plaster? I assume the powder was coming from the grey stuff as when chipping it away it was everywhere! (See the first image, it was almost all white)