Help me breathe... *PIC*

[Anonymous]

I have read with much interest the debate on rising damp and agree that it is a very rare occurence.

I live in a 1920s home with solid 9 inch walls. The property is located on the North Kent seafront and benefits from plenty of cold northerly winds.

About 15 years ago the former elderly owners were conned into having damp remedial work carried out at exorbitant expense. It appears that all they did was to hack off, DPC, sand cement then skim plus the addition of fake wooden panelling. Needless to say the topcoat skim plaster beneath (both internal and external walls) is crumbly, with salt deposits clearly shown on the render (see photo 1). Where it was papered, there was moisture under the paper.

They also had the house covered with a nasty plastic coating caller Weathertax or Weather coat which, I assume, has removed any chance of mositure leaving through the external walls. The plasic coating has been put on the chunky original pebbledash (quite common round here) and the exposed brick bottom half of the house.

Some ground floor joists will need replacing as the floor is quite 'spongy' as the airbricks had also been covered with earth/paving above internal floor level.

Anyhow, have now lowered external ground levels, uncovered airbricks and, through dehumidifier and heating the house has started to dry out.

I would be gratful for some guidance on the following:-

1. Any ideas how much of a problem the textured coating is?
2. Internally, is it best for me to hack off render back to brickwork and apply lime plaster to the lower half of the walls to allow it to breathe. If so, do I hack off and wait for a period to allow the walls to start to dry before plastering?
3. If I apply lime plaster, how does this restrict subsequent decoration (was planning to apply Fired Earth/Farrow & Ball matt emulsion).
4. In one room, the party wall, there is evidence of dampness upto 6 feet high. Next door have recently had DPC. Would this have effect of 'pushing' any present moisture into my house?

Needless to say, local 'specialist' company recommended chem DPC, sand cement & skim with waterproof additive for princely sum of £4200!!

Thank you in advance for your comments.

 

[Anonymous]

Poor you! (And lucky house to have been taken over by a kindly new owner).

I don't think you'll go far wrong if you start off by hacking off all the cement from the inside and jack up the heating.
Then, while you're waiting for the bricks to dry out (could take ages, depending on how damp they are) I suggest you do a site search about damp. There's been so much about this topic that I suggest you settle down with a nice glass (or two) of wine to keep you company during the many hours it will take you to read all the threads.
And, of course, feel free to come back with lots more questions for the experts.

 

[Anonymous]

Very difficult to give specific answers at range. However.....
If you redo the internal plaster in lime and the outside is all sealed up the moisture has only one way to go which is exactly where you don't want it!
If you put emulsion over lime plaster you have just defeated the object of using lime. The vast majority of emulsions are virtually impervious.
If the nieghbours have screwed up your gaff by doing something to the party wall I would have thought that they have contravened the Party Wall Act. Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

Point taken, Mike. What do you suggest Dean should do?

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't say the party wall is particulatly worse than any of the others.

I would say that there has been a huge build up of condensation too, as it was virtually impossible to open the particulatly attractive aluminium framed double glazing. The elderly couple who lived here managed to modernise in the 70's! Is there a market for orange kitchen wall tiles and dark brown units??