Bubbling flaking paint on wall

[Liz Kershaw]

Hi all,
Problem number two has come to light and I'd be grateful for advice. Timber frame cottage, we're the new owners so not sure what type of paint/plaster has been used but top layer is flaking/bubbling for around a foot above the brick/earth floor. I'm presuming this means damp is lurking, and if so, is there anything we can do to alleviate it?

Thanks

Liz

 

[Zebra]

I would assume it also means that the paint used is not breathable. It wouldn't blister if it were. Is it all over or just in one area?
Your house has no dpc does it? Has it had an injected one at some time? (Telltale sign is a line of drill holes along the outside).
The damp only appears a foot above floor level, and not lower - has some sort of waterproofing layer, bitumen paint for example, or waterproofed cement render been applied to that bottom foot?
If it were me I'd do some scraping away and see what's underneath. As to what can be done to alleviate the damp, that depends very much on where it is coming from, and why. Are the ground levels higher on the outside for example? Has a cement render been applied externally, trapping the damp in the wall? Are any of the gutterings faulty and dripping in that area? Is there splashing from a hard paving outside?
Damp's a tricky b**ger, especially when it's lurking. If it would come out in the open and declare itself, it wouldn't be a problem. But the thing is to find out the cause, and address that, rather than doing anything else to the wall, other than removing inappropriate coverings and letting it dry out.

 

[elizabeth]

Hi Liz, I second what Zebra has said. Check ground levels, also that any rain doesn't pool in that area outside. Be aware of any pots or plants you may have up against the wall causing moisture to remain longer on the wall. Another check is possible leakage from radiator pipes, and other supplies so you can rule out leaks you cant see. It can help to move furniture away from a damp wall until you can understand the cause. We sadly left a couple of framed pictures up against a wall ( raised ground levels) when we first moved in and they were mouldy behind when we moved them away. If it has been damp for a long time then the plaster is probably breaking down. As Zebra said, scrape the flaking paint off and allow to dry as best you can in the meantime till you can work out the cause and how to approach it.

Elizabeth