damp again

[Sal]

as i mentioned on another thread (plastic wallpaper) the front of the house is lower than street level - and therefore no access, and we have a damp problem. by problem I define this as its wet to touch, smells just a bit, the carpet is rotted (pretty old carpet tho) and the wooden skirting boards are mostly mush. oh and I suspect the dampness is encouraging the active DWB

The walls are about 2' thick.

so - what, if anything, would you do abou it?

 

[Matt Green]

as i mentioned on another thread (plastic wallpaper) the front of the house is lower than street level - and therefore no access, and we have a damp problem. by problem I define this as its wet to touch, smells just a bit, the carpet is rotted (pretty old carpet tho) and the wooden skirting boards are mostly mush. oh and I suspect the dampness is encouraging the active DWB

The walls are about 2' thick.

so - what, if anything, would you do abou it?

DWB? You have an oak/elm floor, or oak joists then...? Cool.

Given you can't do much about the street level, dry lining would seem to be the best long term solution. Lift the edge of the floor, isolate the joists if they bear directly into the wall (they may not). Relay of cut the boards back so they are not in contact with the wall either- the gap will be hidden by the lining.

Isolate the lining battens from the wall with a membrane at low level.

Remove any timber debris from the sub-floor void whilst you've got the boards up.

That should do it.


Matt Green

 

[Sal]

i should have mentioned we have a solid floor in the room affected.



the DWB is in various places in the hosue - not in direct contact with damp - however I understand bringing the moisture level down in house willl make for less ideal conditions for the beetly beasts. sot eh damp problem is not ruining the floor noticably, the only wood in contact is the skirting board.

must admit I am not keen on dry lining.. as will lose character in the room.

 

[Penners]

must admit I am not keen on dry lining.. as will lose character in the room.

Regretably, Sal, this is one of the compromises that one has to consider in a situation like yours. Basically you have two choices - damp character or dry blandness!

You can live with the damp, and its consequences, or do as Matt has suggested. There really aren't any other effective choices (assuming you can't excavate outside).

A "damp consultant" would probably tell you that you need to tank the wall with an impermeable internal rendering. However, this is of questionable efficacy. It can simply drive the damp further up the wall, and the treatment (which ain't cheap!) has a short expected life. I have seen damp-proofing companies offer a 30-year guarantee for an injected dpc, but only 5 years on tanking. (OK everyone - we all know what these guarantees are worth!).

 

[Sal]

ok thanks for your replies. least I am not missing something obvious.

I think next I will approach the conservation area bods/council and see if they will let me lift the slabs outside...... can but ask...