storm damage/leaking

bugsntinas

after some advice.wiyh this storm the wind and rain are driving directly into the front of the house,usually from the back,and we've sprung leaks around the windows at the front.it's an old stone cottage that has had the render removed from the front exposing the stone and the 3 courses of bricks above the windows.the water is coming thru the plaster board around the insides of the windows.i've pulled a bit of and it's running or the concrete lintle.there's also a wooden one that looks rotten.would i be right in guessing that the rain is penetrating the bricks rather than the stone?can it be sealed or would masonry paint seal it(the wife likes the exposed stonework)what's the best way of replacing/attaching new plasterboard?

CJhaughey

bugsntinas wrote: »

after some advice.wiyh this storm the wind and rain are driving directly into the front of the house,usually from the back,and we've sprung leaks around the windows at the front.it's an old stone cottage that has had the render removed from the front exposing the stone and the 3 courses of bricks above the windows.the water is coming thru the plaster board around the insides of the windows.i've pulled a bit of and it's running or the concrete lintle.there's also a wooden one that looks rotten.would i be right in guessing that the rain is penetrating the bricks rather than the stone?can it be sealed or would masonry paint seal it(the wife likes the exposed stonework)what's the best way of replacing/attaching new plasterboard?

Those old stone cottages were never meant to have the plaster removed from the stonework, the render was to waterproof the building and with that gone you have the resulting leakage and damage to the interior.
You need to replaster the wall as it was originally.
Use a breathable paint to finish, or the wall won't be able to breathe and will cause dampness problems inside.

bugsntinas

thaks for the reply.unfortunately we are not in a financial position to replaster.

CJhaughey

Maybe wait till summer and try and save for a plasterer, they can be quite affordable now compared with a few years ago.
It will have to be done sometime or your house will get more damaged from the action of water and fungus.

bugsntinas

as the other walls are rendered would this wall have to be done in lime or would a cement mix do the job?thanks for your advice.

CJhaughey

Lime plaster would probably be ideal but normal sand and cement would be better than nothing.
Lime plaster will allow the wall to breathe, stopping the usual condensation problems.
My FIL house has a big damp problem caused by using modern plastic paint on an old >200yr house, this is effectlvely like wrapping it in clingfilm and the problems are just manifesting themselves now.

MicktheMan

CJhaughey wrote: »

My FIL house

CJ, looking to learn something new every day so what does "FIL" mean?

RKQ

Cement in old stone buildings isn't good. Lime mortar moves, it breathes. Cement won't move without cracking!

A lime render will breathe and move with the walls. Stone walls expand & contract without movement joints whereas conc block walls require movement joints every 6m.

Check and replace the lime pointing of the stonework and brickwork around windows and doors. Waterseal on the bricks (only) might help in excessively wet weather but really, without render, stone walls can allow water penetration!

Why was the original timber lintol left in place when the new conc. lintol was installed? Traditional timber lintols were usually yellow pine - tend to rot badly. This timber must be removed completely.

Can you post afew photos of the damp problem?

bugsntinas

RKQ wrote: »

Cement in old stone buildings isn't good. Lime mortar moves, it breathes. Cement won't move without cracking!

A lime render will breathe and move with the walls. Stone walls expand & contract without movement joints whereas conc block walls require movement joints every 6m.

Check and replace the lime pointing of the stonework and brickwork around windows and doors. Waterseal on the bricks (only) might help in excessively wet weather but really, without render, stone walls can allow water penetration!

Why was the original timber lintol left in place when the new conc. lintol was installed? Traditional timber lintols were usually yellow pine - tend to rot badly. This timber must be removed completely.

Can you post afew photos of the damp problem?

tried to load pics but me camera's decided to not work!
i haven't removed too much of the plasterboard but looking up there seems to be a concrete/stone lintel above the aliminium window.next to that(inside edge)there is the wooden beam which is crumble i hope it is thru damp and not woodworm now.i ask myself why to alot of things done to this house,previous owner,the pointwork looks to have been redone but with cement and not very well.
is this the sort of thing that the insurance would cover as we don't have any spare money at present or unlikely to in the near future.can lime render be brought in bags already mixed for the diy'er?

bugsntinas

bugsntinas wrote: »

tried to load pics but me camera's decided to not work!
i haven't removed too much of the plasterboard but looking up there seems to be a concrete/stone lintel above the aliminium window.next to that(inside edge)there is the wooden beam which is crumble i hope it is thru damp and not woodworm now.i ask myself why to alot of things done to this house,previous owner,the pointwork looks to have been redone but with cement and not very well.
is this the sort of thing that the insurance would cover as we don't have any spare money at present or unlikely to in the near future.can lime render be brought in bags already mixed for the diy'er?

update.
i've just gone and pulled the plasterboard down.what i thought was a lintel over the window frame just appears to be a skim of lime render underneath the bricks which are not touching the frame with a gap of about an inch.the wooden lintel is just crumbling in may hands managed to break of at least an inch off the window side.this is going to be expensive isn't it?

CJhaughey

MicktheMan wrote: »

CJ, looking to learn something new every day so what does "FIL" mean?

FIL = Father in law
MIL = Mother in law
BIL = Brother in Law
SIL = Sister in Law
MILF = ahhhh Never mind:D

stapeler

FIL had a dry rot problem in a basement room a few months back. The room had been dry lined about 4 yrs ago and the original walls weren't able to breath. Gutter leak dripping down penetrated the wall and caused dampness and dry rot, not a pretty sight. All plastered walls were stripped down and rotten timbers stripped out. Treated all surfaces for rot and had to lime plastered walls in two rooms.
I dealt with a company called Irish Building Chemicals (http://www.ibcltd.net/) who supplied treatment for the rot. While discussing this product they proposed a sealant product that protects stone walls and prevents water ingress. They have a range of products and a wealth of experience who might be able to give advice.
I've no connection with the company, just a customer.

bugsntinas

this picture shows the grey that i thought was a lintel just above is the brick course.to the right is a piece of wood that they used to fit to the wooden lintel to attach the plasterboard.note gap above window.



this one shows the otherside.tha gap between the bricks and the wood lintel is where the timber has just crumbled away.if i remove the side bits of plasterboard could i slap on cement mix to build it up and then plaster doing away with the plasterboard?