The house is a 1869 semidetached townhouse, avg 24" solid stone (and rubble) walls, concrete rendered outside. Concreted all around the surrounding ground (which we will be removing and replacing with gravel). Damp in many areas has proved to be from 1-2"thick finishing plaster and cement mortars used in repairs
We are systematically removing the old repairs and redoing with lime plaster and clay paint. These seem to cope with any moisture ingress from cracks in the exterior render.
However, one basement wall under the driveway and front steps has wet stones and bricks. This wet wall is part of the kitchen and would be the only wall we can fit the dresser. It has been wet a very long time and is drying slightly with the good weather now that the plaster is removed but will still be wet when it rains. The damp is coming from above, the floor is dry, the grey stuff is old bitumen (looks like this has been an on-going problem).
Next to this wall is a small cellar which has been previously tanked and suffers some condensation.
We have reinstated blocked-up airbricks between cellars, will be installing a rayburn into the kitchen to provide constant heat and circulate the air.
I don't mind if this wall is not ever plastered and only painted, but at the moment even clay paint will be bubbling off. The rendering etc outside looks fairly sound and I can see no obvious places for water to get in:
The drain-pipe goes into an open drain which does splash up the wall a bit.
We are looking at using a barrier "izonil" as it is apparently breathable and may allow enough vapour through to avoid shunting the water elsewhere. I don't want to do this and would rather use a more sympathetic approach but I need to convince my partner. Has anyone got a better idea?
We are systematically removing the old repairs and redoing with lime plaster and clay paint. These seem to cope with any moisture ingress from cracks in the exterior render.
However, one basement wall under the driveway and front steps has wet stones and bricks. This wet wall is part of the kitchen and would be the only wall we can fit the dresser. It has been wet a very long time and is drying slightly with the good weather now that the plaster is removed but will still be wet when it rains. The damp is coming from above, the floor is dry, the grey stuff is old bitumen (looks like this has been an on-going problem).
Next to this wall is a small cellar which has been previously tanked and suffers some condensation.
We have reinstated blocked-up airbricks between cellars, will be installing a rayburn into the kitchen to provide constant heat and circulate the air.
I don't mind if this wall is not ever plastered and only painted, but at the moment even clay paint will be bubbling off. The rendering etc outside looks fairly sound and I can see no obvious places for water to get in:
The drain-pipe goes into an open drain which does splash up the wall a bit.We are looking at using a barrier "izonil" as it is apparently breathable and may allow enough vapour through to avoid shunting the water elsewhere. I don't want to do this and would rather use a more sympathetic approach but I need to convince my partner. Has anyone got a better idea?
