Source of damp

[tobydog]

Well I think I've finally found the key source of the damp in the front plinth wall of the old kitchen. I couldn't understand why one end was relatively dry and the other very damp to the point where someone had already replaced a section of the sole plate near the front door.

In the first picture you we see where to whole outside of the plinth in encased in cement. Nightmare but along with the cement render it could be structural. This cement goes down 2 - 3ft and is for the entire length of this section, however, I saw a ***** in the armour at the weekend and started digging. It soon became clear that the supporting foundation wall for the front step goes right through the cement and probably butts right up against the plinth inside the main wall. The supporting foundation is damp and no doubt transferring this inside.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I could dry this out? My initial plan is to lower the ground level by about 6 inches to expose the brick but this won't stop it coming up from below and continuing into the house. Although the thatch overhangs by 2 - 3ft, any driving rain hits the lower wall and runs straight into the ground. It's not overly wet so I don't know what affect a French drain might have.

Thanks

 

[andrew gayton]

if it were me, I would have to take out a few vertical strips of render to see what the general section through is, so as to inform the remedial work - that itch really would need to be scratched.

 

[tobydog]

Andrew - thanks.

As you can see from the inside picture below, I can see what I have by looking through the gap between the plinth and the sole plate!. It's solid concrete beyond the plinth which is about 9" wide. The plinth has been drying out now for about 6 months and is showing a huge improvement. Will be rebuilding shortly. I will take out a strip of concrete outside where it meets the step so I can be sure if or how the step foundation butts up to the plinth.