House of Horrors

[Nemesis]

I think we've gone over this a million times here though! Cement renders etc are not a great idea, in the long term.

Were the bricks porous, or was it the pointing?

Rising damp - was it rising? Had you had it tested?

 

[Edz]

The bricks are very porous. The house was built using bricks that were made from a small brickyard that used to be in our village until the end of the 19th century. They are quite soft and often have lots of quite large stones in them too!

The damp was present in all of the walls, internal and external. The pointing is reasonable though it could benefit from being re-pointed at some time in the future. When I inspected the down pipe I found that it was a plastic replacement and actually terminated in the ground, missing the clogged up cast iron elbow below ground by 6"! I'm sure that gallons of water directly under the house has been the result and it has been like that for at least 20 years.

Some of the damp ran from the floor up the walls to a height of 4'. In other areas there were spots of damp about the size of tennis balls around the 5' mark. Presumably these are due to salts.

 

[Nemesis]

Did you seek any advice from someone (apart from a dampproofing firm...) before doing all this work about leass interventionist methods and sorting out the causes of damp?

Waht's the house pointed with?

 

[Edz]

I did not speak to any damp proofing firms although I did speak to several suppliers of dpc injection products and even considered electro osmosis. I did however gleam as much advice as I could from various internet forums and also spoke to come local builders who have been involved in rennovation projects.

As far as the pointing is concerned, the building has never been repointed it is all original lime mortar. 2 1/2 of the three sides of the building are now surrounded with new extensions all of which have 7' deep trench fill concrete.

My damp issues have been about damp coming up through the ground rather than being driven against the walls

 

[Nemesis]

Years of water being pumped into the ground and you didn't think that maybe that had something to do with the damp? Even if damp does rise at times (and that's a bone of contention...) it isn't usual for it to rise four feet under normal circumstances.

If it wasn't coming through the walls, why the hard cement render instead of the appropriate lime plaster?

It all sounds, I'm sorry to say, rather astonishing. Local builders involved in renovation projests - mmmm. Possibly not the most informed people to talk to where period buildings are concerned.

Not what anyone on this internet forum would recommend I think for a period property really. but there you go.

Not what SPAB would recommend either I think!

At least you didn't waste cash on electro osmosis as well.

 

[Edz]

I most certainly did think that the rainwater being pumped into the ground was a major part of the problem. It was the first thing I remedied when I moved in. However 2 years after I corrected that problem and with no sign of the damp abating I assumed that the damp is coming up with even normal levels of ground water.

The idea of the render is obviously to provide an impermeable barrier. Maybe lime plaster might have been better.

At least I didn't take up all the quarry tiles and concrete the floor! The surveyor who didn't like the floor being uneven said that I should get it up and concreted. We have a bit of damp coming through in the lounge but not much so hopefully it will take a carpet OK.

 

[Gervase]

Blimey :shock:
...and so the damp industry welcomes another victim to its bosom!

 

[NT]

The cause of the damp? 150 old walls made from local soft red bricks and with no dpc is probably the cause.

I really doubt that

The bricks are very porous. The house was built using bricks that were made from a small brickyard that used to be in our village until the end of the 19th century. They are quite soft and often have lots of quite large stones in them too!

Quite normal. Houses are still being built with porous bricks, and it still doesnt cause damp problems.


The Damp FAQ was written to introduce people to the basic concepts. It isnt perfect, but would be a good place to start.


NT

 

[Edz]

Thanks for the comments Gervase and NT.

Here are my final words on the subject:-

"Another victim?" .. well I'll wait and see. If the impermeable covering fails then I'll have a go at lime plastering.

"Houses are still being built with porous bricks" .. yes they are but they have also invented something called a dpc

NT .. I read your Damp FAQ. I found it too wordy but I still trolled through it. Guess what? Couldn't find any specific solution to my problem. Surprise surprise. I was also surprised to see gyspum plaster getting a mention as I have been told by numerous persons NEVER to use gypsum products on previously damp walls. I see that the Damp FAQ post came in for a bit of flack though.

BTW .. General comment: I have also noticed on this forum that there seems to be quite a lot of terse remarks flying around. Is this a site for Hippies with attitude? I like many others I guess try to do the right thing but I must confess I eat meat and do not make my own clothes.

 

[Nemesis]

Well, some times terse(ish) comments fly around, no-one has any control over what people post really.

No, we aren't hippies with attitude - simply trying to guide people into doing what is generally accepted sound practice for dealing with period buildings.

I'm afraid much of what you seem to have done is not really what would be recommended. It may also be that many of those from whom you sought advice were not those with genuine expertise in conservation and period properties. It's surprising how many builders etc claim that they have experience of dealing with period buildings but without actually any real expertise.

Cannot simply leave it without saying so, as others may read the thread and follow suit.

 

[Penners]

BTW .. General comment: I have also noticed on this forum that there seems to be quite a lot of terse remarks flying around.

You are, of course, absolutely right. Sometimes people do get a bit barbed with their comments, and in a perfect world I don't believe this is the right way to win people over to a cause.

But quite a number of the people on this forum believe passionately in the conservation of our architectural heritage, and wherever you get passion you'll also get intemperate language. For the most part people's hearts are in the right place, so - while I understand if you feel slightly "ear-battered" - I hope you'll just take it in good part.

 

[Nemesis]

Sometimes too people are short of time and it can come over as terse, when it's simply plain unvarnished info, although it's hard not to be terse at times when, over a long period of time, many with some pretty major expertise keep posting about how NOT to treat buildings with damp, period buildings in general, etc etc, and still the poor old buildings are given all manner of expensive 'treatments' which may in the long term do more harm than good.

Oh well.