VERY old house - 1700s if not before. Grade II* - stonework walls all very damp. How can I keep it dry?

[Henry123]

Dear lovely folks,

I found this wonderful site which is a credit to all the lovely people out there who offer helpful advice, tips and opinions to assist us.
There are several damp-related queries but these all relate to more modern properties with lovely things called bricks.

Unfortunately the walls in the property I am acquiring aren't brick but are stone and are constantly wet/damp. It seems to be from a leak in the roof according to the structural survey: so we're sorting that out first.
My question is:
Once that's sorted, how do I keep the damp at bay with very old stonework? Listing building control won't let me put dpc/chemically inject etc. for obvious (and sensible) reasons.
Any hints/tips or assistance gratefully received!

Many thanks,
H

 

[a twig]

Hi H,

Despite the preponderance of brick related discussion in recent months there are many of us who have or have had stone walled properties.

Broadly the rules are the same.
Externally
1) Check and resolve any sources of water ingress at the top (failed roof, gutters)
2) Check exterior vs interior ground levels and sort as far as possible (exterior should be lower, preferably at least 600mm but not always practical) and make sure all services, waste water, guttering down pipes etc are behaving and going where they should with no leaks
3) Address the walls themselves, remove any non breathable materials (masonry paint, cement render etc) and repair then repoint (or render) with lime based mortar/render

Then wait - this stuff takes a long time to dry, there are various theories on here, but between 1 and 3 months per inch of wall thickness will give you a good idea.

If there are still problems then move on to tackle the inside, again making sure that internal finishes are breathable and removing / replace where necessary, adding ventilation if needed and understanding your floors and potentially reworking those if required

 

[a twig]

In short though, you keep the walls in good nick by fixing the causes of the damp rather than mitigating the effects.

Do please add photos etc if you have any particular conundrums, makes it easier for everyone to pitch in

 

[88v8]

Our cottage is 1600ish... causes of damp... leaking or absent gutters and downpipes, high external ground level, impermeable interior paint, cement pointing inside and out, external cement render, internal concrete floor with dpm.

Once rectified, no damp.

Welcome to the damp and other things forum!

Ivor