Wet skirting... again

[retrocircles]

Update.

I've done some digging and also some measuring. The end of the render appears to be where there is a layer of mortar, which DOES have a dpm, which is visible. Where this dpm is, this is the internal ground level. The ground level is well below the internal floor on the outside (where the soil sits). I have dug down & reach a layer of concrete about another block depth below.

There appear to be some cracks in the mortar around the dpm, can my uneducated (diy) brain assume that this is the problem? Between that & there being no beading at the bottom of the render?

Note, the water on the blocks and concrete floor is me as I needed to wash off the soil to see what was actually on the block & floor.

 

[Burnerman]

There's the problem....the water is running down the render, and as soon as it hits the broken bit it's running inside the wall.
The render ideally needs to cast the water clear, do it drips on the ground, away from the DPC.
The DPC is there to stop rising damp, it won't stop water coursing in.
John

 

[retrocircles]

There's the problem....the water is running down the render, and as soon as it hits the broken bit it's running inside the wall.
The render ideally needs to cast the water clear, do it drips on the ground, away from the DPC.
The DPC is there to stop rising damp, it won't stop water coursing in.
John

Thanks John.
So, as a plan of action... would you say, sort the broken mortar, then sort the edging of the render with the appropriate bead?

 

[EddieM]

You really need to ascertain the following :-

What type of contruction is it, single or double skinned, if single... forget it, its never going to be bone dry.

What you have uncovered is a DPC not a DPM. do you know if there is a DPM and how so?

As has been stated previously there is no metal drip bead at the bottom of the render.

Have a look at the depth of the door frame / windows should guve you a good clue as to what type of contruction it is.

 

[Burnerman]

There's the problem....the water is running down the render, and as soon as it hits the broken bit it's running inside the wall.
The render ideally needs to cast the water clear, do it drips on the ground, away from the DPC.
The DPC is there to stop rising damp, it won't stop water coursing in.
John

Thanks John.
So, as a plan of action... would you say, sort the broken mortar, then sort the edging of the render with the appropriate bead?

Let's see if we can do the best we can here.....
You can see the timber strip that's in place......well, curious though it is,
thats allowing water to run down the wall, then drip clear - it'll sort of work, but it's now rotting. Where it's gone, that's the issue.
Ideally render should have a lip or flare at it's lower edge, to produce the same effect as your timber....obviously there's some skill involved in sorting that! So, where the render has gone, apply some sand and cement mix, trying to create that flare I'm on about.....but you don't want the render to bridge the DPC, if you see what I mean and allow water to rise.
This will give you a temporary fix, of sorts......that timber drip should really go, but there's expense involved on doing that and making good.
If it was mine, I'd run a good squidge of silicone along that DPC line, just to fill any gaps before making the render better.
As for the rest, well a single block wall can only be so good, and treating the damp internals with a special paint called Evercryl can't do any harm!
What do you think?
John

 

[retrocircles]

You really need to ascertain the following :-

What type of contruction is it, single or double skinned, if single... forget it, its never going to be bone dry.

What you have uncovered is a DPC not a DPM. do you know if there is a DPM and how so?

As has been stated previously there is no metal drip bead at the bottom of the render.

Have a look at the depth of the door frame / windows should guve you a good clue as to what type of contruction it is.

It's a single breeze block wall, that has been battened, insulated & plasterboarded. Well surely it can be bone dry, with work. Even to the extent of building another brick wall with insulation. There are MANY houses in the UK that are single skin.

A DPM where? In the walls? I put it there. In the floor... no idea. I didn't build it.

At the end of the day the issue is in that corner, where there appears to be damage. Nowhere else in the 200sqft building. So it's obviously that corner that's an issue.

 

[retrocircles]

There's the problem....the water is running down the render, and as soon as it hits the broken bit it's running inside the wall.
The render ideally needs to cast the water clear, do it drips on the ground, away from the DPC.
The DPC is there to stop rising damp, it won't stop water coursing in.
John

Thanks John.
So, as a plan of action... would you say, sort the broken mortar, then sort the edging of the render with the appropriate bead?

Let's see if we can do the best we can here.....
You can see the timber strip that's in place......well, curious though it is,
thats allowing water to run down the wall, then drip clear - it'll sort of work, but it's now rotting. Where it's gone, that's the issue.
Ideally render should have a lip or flare at it's lower edge, to produce the same effect as your timber....obviously there's some skill involved in sorting that! So, where the render has gone, apply some sand and cement mix, trying to create that flare I'm on about.....but you don't want the render to bridge the DPC, if you see what I mean and allow water to rise.
This will give you a temporary fix, of sorts......that timber drip should really go, but there's expense involved on doing that and making good.
If it was mine, I'd run a good squidge of silicone along that DPC line, just to fill any gaps before making the render better.
As for the rest, well a single block wall can only be so good, and treating the damp internals with a special paint called Evercryl can't do any harm!
What do you think?
John

Fab! I have a week off next week so hopefully can sort it properly.
Silicone essentially sealing the DPC line, that won't hinder things will it? Just want to double check.
I had 'damp sealed' inside & it's been fine apart from that corner. Fingers crossed this is the last damp related hurdle for a while.

 

[Burnerman]

If you look at your blocks that are standing in water, you can see that the DPC is actually working well.....absorption stops when it meets DPC.
So......if it was mine, I'd crack on with the silicone just as a gap filling exercise, and then render over the top - it can only improve things!
As I've said, ideally a pro would remove that timber lip, add some metal angle in its place (to help form that lip for drips) and then redo the area that's been chipped away......it really depends on how far you want to go, and how much you want to spend, etc.
Obviously we don't know how much moisture or vapour is coming up through the floor...it would have needed a polythene membrane to stop that. Out buildings didn't usually have that luxury!
Anyway, good luck with your project.
John