ragingbull
Member
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We purchased a 1910 victorian terrace house about 3 years ago. It needed a bit of renovation but not too extensive and we thought it would be well on its way to completion now. However we have had a few problems.
The room that was the breakfast room we intend to be the new kitchen and the tiny kitchen is to be the utility. When we first moved in we were recomended to have a damp course installed for damp present in the breakfast room. Being very naive we went ahead and spent a considerable sum on a dpc. The guy from the company we employed (recommended by the estate agent) said that as the wall was so wet it could take up to 18 months to dry out completely. We trusted his word and set about renovating the bathroom.
After 18 months we were dismayed to find the wall still damp and tried to contact the company, however surprise surprise they were not in busines anymore ( so much for 30yr guarantees which in this economic climate are not worth the paper they are written on).
I decided that I was going to have to tackle the problem myself and did a lot of reading on the subject. I hacked off the plaster and the bricks were sodden. I lifted the floor and found that there was what looked like black soil? blocking the airbricks. I removed this and put a membrane at the recommended height. I also had to replace some of the bricks because they were crumbling. Now it as been about 6 months and although it has dried out to some extent in some places some of the bricks are still damp. I would be interested in your expert views as this is the first time I have renovated a property of this age and any advice will be gratefully welcome.
I have added some photo's. This is just after Id stripped the plaster off
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View attachment 2
Working on the wall with a little help!
The room that was the breakfast room we intend to be the new kitchen and the tiny kitchen is to be the utility. When we first moved in we were recomended to have a damp course installed for damp present in the breakfast room. Being very naive we went ahead and spent a considerable sum on a dpc. The guy from the company we employed (recommended by the estate agent) said that as the wall was so wet it could take up to 18 months to dry out completely. We trusted his word and set about renovating the bathroom.
After 18 months we were dismayed to find the wall still damp and tried to contact the company, however surprise surprise they were not in busines anymore ( so much for 30yr guarantees which in this economic climate are not worth the paper they are written on).
I decided that I was going to have to tackle the problem myself and did a lot of reading on the subject. I hacked off the plaster and the bricks were sodden. I lifted the floor and found that there was what looked like black soil? blocking the airbricks. I removed this and put a membrane at the recommended height. I also had to replace some of the bricks because they were crumbling. Now it as been about 6 months and although it has dried out to some extent in some places some of the bricks are still damp. I would be interested in your expert views as this is the first time I have renovated a property of this age and any advice will be gratefully welcome.
I have added some photo's. This is just after Id stripped the plaster off
[
View attachment 2
Working on the wall with a little help!