Hello,
We have recently brought a two bedroom terraced house, built c.1880. The down stairs has been knocked through to create a longe/dinner and their is a single story extension on the back which is now the kitchen and bathroom. New PVC windows were also installed in April 2011.The house has also had 3 past damp proof courses injected in the past one in 1976, 1985 and 1987. Also some ' rising damp' treatment was done to the house in the dining room in 2004 but the company that did that did not do the replastering.
When we moved in ( 4 weeks ago) the walls that adjoin our neighbours on bothsides were wet. You could feel the water on your hand as you rubbed your hand down the wall. However, the carpet was dry and so were the skirting boards. The damp was in patches in some places but in others showin a tide mark. Also under the stairs was the worse, paint had peeled off, behind the radiator and the plaster was damp and crumbly. There is also a patch just above the first step on the 'old external wall'. I noticed the other day that there are also some patches on the chimney at the bottom- it looks the same as the walls.
After a week of opening windows and doors to create a draught and using a dehymidifyer, the walls started to dry out and were dry when rubbing your hand down the wall. Although the wall under the stairs and by the first step were dryer but still damp.
However, two days after some heavy rain and when we had humid weather the walls were damp again, but again after opening windows over the weekend and using the dehymidifyer the walls are now dry again except for the wall under the stairs and the wall by the first step.
Our external wall at the front of the house has always been dry.
I have cleared the air brick at the front of the house and opened the door of our coal burner to try and give some more ventilation. However nothing is getting much better. The second chimney has been blocked and the air brick at the other end of the house has been effectively blocked off because it is where the extension is. There isnt a damp smell in the house and their is no mould. However there is some evidence of efflorecence.
Please can you help as we are at a loose end as to what to do. There are so many dodgy damp companies out there and i dont want to get ripped off.
Thanks
Hazel
We have recently brought a two bedroom terraced house, built c.1880. The down stairs has been knocked through to create a longe/dinner and their is a single story extension on the back which is now the kitchen and bathroom. New PVC windows were also installed in April 2011.The house has also had 3 past damp proof courses injected in the past one in 1976, 1985 and 1987. Also some ' rising damp' treatment was done to the house in the dining room in 2004 but the company that did that did not do the replastering.
When we moved in ( 4 weeks ago) the walls that adjoin our neighbours on bothsides were wet. You could feel the water on your hand as you rubbed your hand down the wall. However, the carpet was dry and so were the skirting boards. The damp was in patches in some places but in others showin a tide mark. Also under the stairs was the worse, paint had peeled off, behind the radiator and the plaster was damp and crumbly. There is also a patch just above the first step on the 'old external wall'. I noticed the other day that there are also some patches on the chimney at the bottom- it looks the same as the walls.
After a week of opening windows and doors to create a draught and using a dehymidifyer, the walls started to dry out and were dry when rubbing your hand down the wall. Although the wall under the stairs and by the first step were dryer but still damp.
However, two days after some heavy rain and when we had humid weather the walls were damp again, but again after opening windows over the weekend and using the dehymidifyer the walls are now dry again except for the wall under the stairs and the wall by the first step.
Our external wall at the front of the house has always been dry.
I have cleared the air brick at the front of the house and opened the door of our coal burner to try and give some more ventilation. However nothing is getting much better. The second chimney has been blocked and the air brick at the other end of the house has been effectively blocked off because it is where the extension is. There isnt a damp smell in the house and their is no mould. However there is some evidence of efflorecence.
Please can you help as we are at a loose end as to what to do. There are so many dodgy damp companies out there and i dont want to get ripped off.
Thanks
Hazel