Temporary damp solution

[DeKerf]

Hello all.

A quick query regarding an interior wall in our kitchen which seems to suffer from damp towards the bottom every now and then (probably once every 6 months for a day or two). A strange recurring problem which I can only think is due to the earth the house is built on becoming wetter at certain times of the year. (200 yr old house so no DPC).

The age of the house and the hotch-potch of building materials within the walls make me question the likelihood of a chemical DPC working well, so for the time being at least I have decided to do my best to redecorate.

What would anyone recommend as a process here? I have some Polycell Damp Seal, was going to

1. brush down any loose plaster in the corner there

2. fill the shallow defect where the bare plaster is (any help on what to fill with?? - a bit shallow to get Polyfilla to grip, its only 1-2mm deep - caulk not very useful in damp?)

3. Paint on the Damp Seal as directed,

4. Paint over.

Any tips appreciated now before I start making mess!!

Cheers!

 

[dcdec]

There is no such thing as a temporary damp solution as far as paint and plaster are concerned, you need to identify and fix the source of the problem

 

[DeKerf]

Yes, we've tried to do that as far as possible.

It's a terraced cottage and the damp is on an adjoining wall. So far to source the problem we have:

Dropped level of back yard 8 inches
Re-paved back yard, with correct falls including fitting new ACCO drain against back wall.
Surveyed drain pipes and soil pipe to check for leaks
Stripped render off front and back walls of house, sealant applied agsinst stone, re-rendered and re-painted.
Spoken with neighbours to see if they have any ideas...

Not sure if there's anything else we can do. The whole exercise has cost a significant amount and still cannot locate the source. I am of the opinion it is simply connected to levels of moisture in the ground.

So, any advice with the Damp Seal?