Terrible damp…

[kingandy2nd]

Hey guys,

Looking at moving to our next project house and found one that’s a possibility, but it’s got a terrible damp problem.

Not been inside the house yet, but here’s some photos from the estate agents. It’s a 1905 brick farmhouse, so I assume solid walls.

The worst of the damp is around chimney breast (both upstairs and down):

But also on an external wall with no chimney there’s damp all around the doors and around the sockets:

Only got one decent shot of the outside but, as you might guess, the damp corresponds to the discoloured bricks:

We’d never be able to afford this place if it wasn’t for the damp issues, but I’m just wondering what routes to resolving the damp might be?

Someone’s done the interior up recently, and the pointing looks pretty good in my opinion…so I think any ‘cheap’ fixes like a dpc would have been done.

Im wondering if things like external insulation and then rendering, and/or more invasive installation of a real dpc (removing sections of wall)….any suggestions like that would be welcomed?

I’m not afraid of some hard graft or getting the pros in where needed

Thanks
Andy

 

[kingandy2nd]

Oops…should have posted in the Building section. I’ve asked the mods to move it.

 

[Swwils]

Would need more photos of the outside, if the external ground level isn't immediately problematic then your issues are comming from elsewhere.

Usually simple things like roof, gutters, drains.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Would need more photos of the outside, if the external ground level isn't immediately problematic then your issues are comming from elsewhere.

Usually simple things like roof, gutters, drains.

Thanks for your input:

Roof, gutters, drains all look recently replaced.

Ground level fine too, the room with the French doors has 3 steps down to the ground level below.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Sorry, here a pic from the other side where the doors are

 

[Swwils]

Unfortunately recently replaced means naff all if the issue persists.

It's hard to tell from these photos but if you can confirm the drains are actually OK then you have kind of narrowed it down to the roof and chimney as the suspects.

Personally I would budget to remove or extend the roof and do a full EWI on it.

The gravel around the place certainly shouts "undiagnosed damp" type issues with someone unfortunately throwing whatever they could come up with at it.

These things can be tricky especially if the house is left empty for periods, you'd be surprised how much being lived in helps dry out places, but this does look more than that.

It's also a very long shot but if this is a really exposed location then you could be really driving alot of moisture into the windward side of the house, which won't help.

First photo shows standing water algae outside? Is the drainage in the location that poor?

 

[RandomGrinch]

Just a thought, it may not be relevant and is definitely not the only issue, given the photos. However, I had a problem with solid stone walls - the previous occupiers had skimmed with gypsum and the external walls were rendered.
There was no way for any trapped water to escape and the walls were sopping wet behind the blowing plaster.
After removing the plaster and repointing in lime, the damp has disappeared.
I still have external render, but any moisture in the wall now has a clear path to evaporate away.

 

[Old Salt]

It could just be the photos but the last two show a dark patch around and behind the drain pipe and a diagonal line from a black box up near the roof on the right hand side running down to the waste pipe before it enters the downpipe.

I am not a builder or anything but it could indicate something or nothing?

 

[kingandy2nd]

Unfortunately recently replaced means naff all if the issue persists.

It's hard to tell from these photos but if you can confirm the drains are actually OK then you have kind of narrowed it down to the roof and chimney as the suspects.

Personally I would budget to remove or extend the roof and do a full EWI on it.

The gravel around the place certainly shouts "undiagnosed damp" type issues with someone unfortunately throwing whatever they could come up with at it.

These things can be tricky especially if the house is left empty for periods, you'd be surprised how much being lived in helps dry out places, but this does look more than that.

It's also a very long shot but if this is a really exposed location then you could be really driving alot of moisture into the windward side of the house, which won't help.

First photo shows standing water algae outside? Is the drainage in the location that poor?

Agreed re the replacement stuff but for the purposes of eliminating causes, I’d be confident the pipe work/gutters aren’t the problem.

The house is an old farmhouse so all around the property is hardstanding for practical purposes.

Definitely seems to be algae as you point out, I didn’t look at it closely when I viewed outside but that’s the north facing wall so it could be moss. I think the ground was more like tarmac to that side of the properly, but the worst of the damp is on the south side (the one with the French doors).

Most of the rooms are only damp around the chimneys with the exception of that room with the French doors….but it is a very exposed property so it could be driving rain.

I am thinking render might be the solution, but as RandomGrinch has mentioned, I do have a worry it might exacerbated the damp.

Just a thought, it may not be relevant and is definitely not the only issue, given the photos. However, I had a problem with solid stone walls - the previous occupiers had skimmed with gypsum and the external walls were rendered.
There was no way for any trapped water to escape and the walls were sopping wet behind the blowing plaster.
After removing the plaster and repointing in lime, the damp has disappeared.
I still have external render, but any moisture in the wall now has a clear path to evaporate away.

I agree that could be a challenge if the house was rendered, but at the moment it’s just brickwork. You have got me wondering if the pointing has been done incorrect as, I’m reflection, it’s looked like cement mortar… but the visible damp is largely only around the chimneys except in one room, rather than a problem everywhere.

It could just be the photos but the last two show a dark patch around and behind the drain pipe and a diagonal line from a black box up near the roof on the right hand side running down to the waste pipe before it enters the downpipe.

I am not a builder or anything but it could indicate something or nothing?

Good eye Old Salt… that is a strange diagonal line. Re the patched behind the drain pipe, that pipe is to the right of the French doors when you’re inside the house, so is on the side of the room that doesn’t seem to be damp.

…the plot thickens

 

[hllns]

Agreed re the replacement stuff but for the purposes of eliminating causes, I’d be confident the pipe work/gutters aren’t the problem.

...

Most of the rooms are only damp around the chimneys with the exception of that room with the French doors….but it is a very exposed property so it could be driving rain.

They're both the gable ends, southern side just isn't as bad?

 

[foxhole]

Only one visible pot on chimney , old farmhouse would have several so may be bodged sealing of the rest which explains all the chimney damp especially if left unvented.
Poor install of door frame would explain leaks around door , you can see it’s letting in moisture top left and spreading as it descends .
Second photo seems to show remains of a parapet wall ? or at least a poorly finished roof edge to the rear wall .
There seems to be nothing over the doors to cast off any rain running down the wall so tracks straight in around frame.

 

[kingandy2nd]

They're both the gable ends, southern side just isn't as bad?

Very true

Only one visible pot on chimney , old farmhouse would have several so may be bodged sealing of the rest which explains all the chimney damp especially if left unvented.
Poor install of door frame would explain leaks around door , you can see it’s letting in moisture top left and spreading as it descends .
Second photo seems to show remains of a parapet wall ? or at least a poorly finished roof edge to the rear wall .
There seems to be nothing over the doors to cast off any rain running down the wall so tracks straight in around frame.

Yes good shout. Only a single chimney pot on each and closed up fire places in nearly every room.

Looks like a capping stone has been lots on that parapet wall too - good eye.

 

[George_engineer]

Chimney flashing, flaunching and ventilation all key suspects number one.

Farmhouses generally need good ventilation - this can be replicated with mechanical ventilation systems (not very expensive, esp in the context of a house). Longer term, insulation, vapour permeable materials (aka breathable) abd heating systems all need work.

Well worth it though and damp is always fixable - it just needs patience and proper advice. Unfortunately the damp industry is built on a foundation of charletons and chemical goop.

 

[jeds]

All sources of water ingress obviously need to be resolved. roof, gutters, RWPs, etc. Apart from that I'd say most of these issues are down to poor ventilation and incorrect plaster, which could be resolved with a lot of re-plastering. Once you start thinking about re-plastering, you should also consider insulation.

What's your intended scope of works?

 

[kingandy2nd]

All sources of water ingress obviously need to be resolved. roof, gutters, RWPs, etc. Apart from that I'd say most of these issues are down to poor ventilation and incorrect plaster, which could be resolved with a lot of re-plastering. Once you start thinking about re-plastering, you should also consider insulation.

What's your intended scope of works?

Good question. Depends on the damp.

Part of me thinks exterior wall insulation and then render, but also think maybe raising/reconfiguring the roof to allow for attic rooms (and extending the roof width at the same time). Maybe both of these things.

Another part of me thinks it could be a grand designs type jobby where I build around three sides of the property so all the problem walls become internal walls, maybe it gets a flat roof in a modern villa style…