Damp in really old house (pics)

IvoryTower

Morning DIY'ers

I live in my aunts house while im saving for my own. It's a lovely but very old home that suffers from damp in various locations. Mostly around the chimneys but not in this case. We don't use this room because of the damp but id like to change that.

my plan was to follow this video from about 4.50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pN3AdBH9Vc

I was chatting to a builder who's working next door and he reckoned that middle layer of brick in the second pic is what's causing it. Do you think is there anything I can do(diy/affordable) to at least temporarily fix that? If not my feeling is if I follow the first video it should at least keep the room clear for a couple of years?

The gutters are being cleaned and cleared of plant next week also.

Victor

Is picture 1 ground or first floor level?

Are pictures 1 and 3 the same corner?

Is there a lead flashing on the cornice?

What condition is the roof in?

What condition is neighbour's roof in?

The plant and cables might not be helping. Having the facade cleaned and properly sealed might also help.

Open the window a crack and if possible, introduce a low level heat source.

IvoryTower

Victor wrote: »

Is picture 1 ground or first floor level?

Are pictures 1 and 3 the same corner?

its first floor, all pics are of same corner

Victor wrote: »

Is there a lead flashing on the cornice?

Not sure what this is, there is what looks like a metal plate along the neighbours roof

Victor wrote: »

What condition is the roof in?

I've been in the attic once, there was a broken slate which i tried to block up with a few pieces of slate lying around. The chimney is cracked. When we light a fire down stairs smoke leaks into this room which is directly above it(both have fireplaces)

Victor wrote: »

What condition is neighbour's roof in?

bad, the point at which it connects to my house is very damp looking.

Victor wrote: »

The plant and cables might not be helping. Having the facade cleaned and properly sealed might also help.

Open the window a crack and if possible, introduce a low level heat source.

Is the facade the section in the middle? Is this something I can do(basic DIY) or would it require a builder

The house is well heated(missus makes sure of that )

IvoryTower

I'll post a couple of closer pics later of the neighbour roof and general area

dathi

remove the bush from group alarms roof, check how your gutter downpipe finishes on their roof, check the lead flashing between their roof and your wall for damage and no drylining the inside of the wall with plasterboard will not solve penetrating damp

IvoryTower

dathi wrote: »

remove the bush from group alarms roof, check how your gutter downpipe finishes on their roof, check the lead flashing between their roof and your wall for damage and no drylining the inside of the wall with plasterboard will not solve penetrating damp

I don't expect it to solve it but is it what I should put in the inside anyway along with trying all the outside fixes

Evd-Burner

It looks like you have a cavity wall.

Maybe take a look at BASF Waltite, it's a polyurethane closed cell insulation foam. It was originally designed for improving the structural integrity of an old cavity wall but it has great insulation properties and supposedly is airtight and does not allow water permeate.

Not sure if it would solve your problem but it is worth a try if you were renovating anyway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3aUdSb-uRg

IvoryTower

I don't see a gap behind that lose brick, is that what you mean by cavity wall?


more pics, can't reach the plant with this ladder so it might become clearer once that's removed. 3rd is the neighbours roof

Evd-Burner

Yeah that's what I mean, it might have been helpful to go with if you were renovating and had a cavity so thought I'd just say it. You would have to fix the underlying problem first though.

bonzodog2

Removing the plant is a must. Also check out whats happening at the bottom of that gutter downpipe, and the joint a few feet above.

listermint

Take all the planting away first.

Then check the travel of the gutter on the neighbouring property. It should be going into the downpipe. If the downpipe is blocked in any way it will arc up over your end and down your wall.

I'd then check your own gutter downpipe it appears to have bene repaired before. As in it looks like a pvc pipe was added half way down the existing cast iron downpipe. Id check that junction and any junction below that one to make sure they are sound. And breaks will pour water down your front wall.

Finally check the the flashing behind all the planting that it has no breaks , it's continuous and complete.

None of the above will cost you anything to review.

Lumen

Cavity wall with headers? That'd be a bit odd, no?

Wartburg

As others suggested before - remove all greenery at your walls. Even the moss in the joints of the brick should be removed. It´s worth to consider a repointing of the brick wall (but please do not use cement based mortar) and a following treatment with a suitable water repellant.

IvoryTower

Got the gutters cleared and he removed the plant. He didn't see any holes from where the plant was. The gutter down pipe looks fine but he did say the gutter along the top looked cracked which may mean water running down the wall. The neighbours gutter looks good

Do the pics change anyones opinion? Ilooked up repointing there on youtube I may be able to do that myself, possibly...

dathi

Evd-Burner wrote: »

Yeah that's what I mean, it might have been helpful to go with if you were renovating and had a cavity so thought I'd just say it. You would have to fix the underlying problem first though.

there is no cavity the brick work is in english bond (one row length wise one row cross-ways accross the wall ) which makes it a solid wall.

tradesman

Looks like the corbelled brick feature at the LHS of the electric cable has perished. That is possibly the main cause of water ingress

IvoryTower

tradesman wrote: »

Looks like the corbelled brick feature at the LHS of the electric cable has perished. That is possibly the main cause of water ingress

A builder working next door reckoned that was a problem with these old houses in general.

What should i use to seal it?

Do you think between this and repointing the bricks should go a long way to protecting this room for a few years?

IvoryTower

Anyone?

Also what would you suggest for the inside, plaster again?

listermint

You would need to get up and see condition of the ledge. Are the bricks tapered for water run off . Is there mortar left in the joints.

I'd suggest there is gaps in the joints and that's where sitting water gets back into the envelope of the building

tradesman

You would need to visit a salvage yard to see if you can get the same brick or else ask a builders merchant ...their brick suppliers should be able to source the same or very close to the originsl brick. You might have to try the uk as they build their houses mostly in brick

Lumen

This really doesn't look like a DIY job to me.

IvoryTower

Lumen wrote: »

This really doesn't look like a DIY job to me.

I do have a man who is retired and does work as a handyman who could help. I don't think I could afford to pay builders seen as I don't own the house and I'm trying to save. Do you not think I could get it to a semi decent state without one and then get a builder in a few years if I own the house? Feel free to say no I can take it

IvoryTower

tradesman wrote: »

You would need to visit a salvage yard to see if you can get the same brick or else ask a builders merchant ...their brick suppliers should be able to source the same or very close to the originsl brick. You might have to try the uk as they build their houses mostly in brick

I was thinking more along the lines of just removing the few broken ones and cementing the gaps(or whatever is recommended), I assume it would have to at least be red for it to not look too awful. It's possible the handyman I know could do as you suggested and replace them

listermint

plenty of old red bricks on adverts or donedeal for sale in singles.

Handyman could make the repairs easily enough.

longgonesilver

As it is the last corbel in the line you might get away with chipping away the remains and slipping in a suitable reclaimed corbel or even a brick.

In the third picture in post 8, the picture of the neighbours roof, it is a pity that the evechute didn't run six inches more onto your property, especially with the extra water from the downpipe. The lead is bent up in the corner to try to steer the water into the chute but some is overflowing and getting onto the wall, hence the moss growing on the wall. Removing the plant might have helped. If not this could be improved by slipping another piece of lead under the one there and shaping it to improve the diversion.

The downpipe setup was wrong the day it was planned, putting a bend on the bottom to encourage the water further out onto the roof might he!p.

All this though would affect the downstairs room more. What is the corner of the downstairs room like?

The problem is upstairs?

There seems to be discoloration in the bricks halfway between the gable and the window. Is there water getting in through the roof there?

Overall it's not too bad if that is the original skirting?

riemann

It is possible any recent repairs were done with cement and not lime which would not allow the walls to breathe.

Ensure any further work is done using lime mortar, if someone suggests otherwise I would question if they are qualified to carry out any repairs.

riemann

Looking at the original photos it is likely the gutter was spraying water down the wall of the house for some time before the plastic piece was added. This would have washed out the mortar and damaged the bricks below etc. Repairs carried out with cement would have exacerbated the issue.

IvoryTower

longgonesilver wrote: »

The problem is upstairs?

In the downstairs room there's a wooden panel going from the floor to roof, it covers the gas meter, likely covers damp as well, can't see into it. My guess is they had to get the gas meter installed, stuck it in this corner and covered the whole corner to hide damp as well

Sorry I should really have mentioned this. I guess out of sight out of mind. I'll get a torch and see if I can see in behind the gas meter(it has a little square cut out for the screen)

IvoryTower

Okay so upon further inspection.

Looking at the gutters now while its raining I can see 3 issues. It's cracked at the corner leaking all down the corner of wall, where it connects to the down pipe theres water over flowing, then when it reaches the neighbours gutter its over flowing again

So it looks like overall

1. change the gutters
2. replace the broken bricks
3. re-point the corner of house
4. use lime based plaster in upstairs room

I checked behind the panel in the room downstairs thats covering the corner, it's just brick wall, there's actually no damp, I assume thats cause it has room to breath, and I also assume the reason they put it there was a quick fix for damp. I think I will need someone who does gutters for a living, maybe the handyman for the rest but I may price it all either way.

I must go into the attic and see what its like up there while im at it

Thanks everyone who replied, if you've anything else to add bang away, the help has been greatly appreciated