Replacing skirting boards on Damp walls

[Blunda]

Hello

there is a small corner in my room which is black due to rising damp. I have had a look and it appears the path outside is above the DPC. I have contacted our freeholder and he said he will get this fixed but nothing has been done as yet. I am currently fixing the room up and would like to get the skirting board down but with the damp in the one corner I am worried it will eventually effect the new skirting board. I don't want to hold up works any longer and would like to get the skirting down now so Is there anything I can do to the skirting board just in case the damp does effect it eventually?

 

[^woody^]

It may soften if it was constantly damp for the next five years.

But you do realise that you wont be able to decorate it until the timber and the wall moisture content has stabilsed?

I can't see that advantage of fixing the skirting until the dampness has been sorted - surely the dampness is holding things up and not the fixing of the skirting?

 

[JohnD]

if you feel you have to fix the skirting to the damp wall, put cling-film on the back of it to isolate it from the wall.

 

[^woody^]

But the wall will still be damp and local humidity will make the skirting damp too, and nothing can be done with with the wall (decorating) in any case