Damp and musty smell.

[Cubist]

I'm fairly sure that pipe has nothing to do with the CH system. One end of it seems to be buried in and under one of the brick walls and is covered in what appears to be sandy, mortar like material. Unsheathed copper would have failed dramatically by now in those conditions so I would suggest it is likely to be either lead or steel feeding gas or water into the house. Lead would not corrode at all noticeably but steel would and, being colder than the void around its exposed surface, it would attract condensation from the atmosphere. Also, if the exterior of the pipe is some kind of sheathing then it would be very unusual and would suggest a much more recent installation. This though raises the possibility that it could prove to be the sheathing of an armoured cable supplying electricity into the house or from the house to say external lighting or power outlets.

Frankly Mimi whoever tries to investigate and perhaps act against that pipe needs to exercise some caution and establish where and to what it connects further inside the house.

BTW - Golden Wonder crisps were withdrawn from the market sometime around 2002.

 

[Stevers]

It's very likely to be the cold water feed to the house from the road. Hard to tell from the photo but it looks like it is wrapped in whatever iron pipes were wrapped in to protect them. The water will be cold as it comes off the road and the dampness could just be condensation.

 

[Stevers]

BTW - Golden Wonder crisps were withdrawn from the market sometime around 2002.

Ah yes, Golden Wonder 'Worcester Sauce' flavoured crisps - an old addiction. Luckily 'Yorkshire Crisps' make a very acceptable substitute - arriving every few months in a box of 24.

 

[Mimi0037]

Oh crickey, I've opened box Pandora herself would be loathed to open !

the water main was on my pathway but some years ago, a new one was sited on the path just outside my gate - it's shared with the others in this block of terraces.

( I naïvely assumed earlier on, that the cold water came in through the bay window under the living room, through the wall to the dining room and then towards the kitchen where it goes along the inside wall and under the window in the kitchen- standard Terrace property with kitchen and bathroom at the back)

Tomorrow I'll pull up some other floorboards which are near radiators and see if I can trace the correct pipe for the water!

Then I'll need to think how I can insulate the ground in the bay window - google here I come.

Thanks all

 

[Cartoonist]

I may know very little about lime plaster, leaks and the like, but I still buy Golden Wonder cheese and onion crisps from Tesco every week!

(I think the packet dates from the mid 1980s.)

 

[Mimi0037]

After more investigation, the pipe was for the electrics and there is no visible sign of damp under the floor. It was noted that the air brick under the front door has been blocked by a piece of PVC after the front door was installed but the floor under the hallway was dry. I will reopen that vent.


Because of the temperature in the bay window and the issues with odd mold spots, I qm considering hacking off the brickwork and replacing it with insulated plasterboard and then re-skimming although I'm actually going to put a radiator in the bay window so my question is, do I actually need to put insulated plasterboard in there or shall I just accept the radiator will be warm enough

Asking a builder, as i have done, their option is to install insulated plasterboard, but are they doing that because they're right or doing that because they wanna make money.

Answers on a postcard too I really don't want to be an adult.com!

 

[DaveG]

Have a look at wool fibre board as a more breathable option than plasterboard . You’d use a lime based finishing coat or 2 then and a breathable paint to allow moisture to move through the wall fabric more easily rather than condensing on the plasterboard.

Before you do any of that though I’d personally be actively managing moisture levels down with more natural airflow.
If moisture levels get below 60% RH you may find there’s no rush with the wall and the mould stays away after a good clean.

Are there any nearby kitchens or bathrooms to this room?

 

[Mimi0037]

It's a terraced house, the front is north facing and the kitchen / bathroom are at the back of the house.

Someone has quoted me £1400 to do the work and based on my gut instinct, I am really reluctant to do anything so I'll insulate under the floors before relaying the laminate.

Thank you for your help

 

[Cubist]

Glad to hear no-one tried to cut that pipe without checking. Setting aside ground-water levels as the source of damp in that room, it occurs to me that you may need to do nothing more than move the rooms radiator and site it under the window as you planned. That, and the now un-blocked air vent beneath the door, should be sufficient in my view to eliminate the cold spot that induced the condensation that in turn permitted the mould to form.

Frankly, any suggestion of hacking off the plaster and insulating the wall would in my opinion be pointless and wasteful. Also, installing underfloor insulation can be a challenging task where there is little to no easy access to the void to allow the insulating materials to be fixed in position between the joists and its underside kept well above the soil below. Personally, I wouldn't bother, at least for now, as you may be better off simply completing the radiator move and then observing the effects over a year or so.

 

[Mimi0037]

To everyone who has given me advice, thank you!