Does my wall have damp or is it as a result of a leak?

Hi Mr Stubbs, There are many possibilities it could be that; The wall needs time to dry out. you still have a leak you have a leaking gutter that is saturating the wall on the outside or you may have a problem with damp. i think the best cause of action is to employ a damp specialist that will do a survey of your home with a damp meter then give you a report of his findings and advise within the report as to the way forward. Good Luck. Chris

Hi The building research establishment (bre) suggest that a damp wall takes approximately one month per inch of thickness to "dry out". There are certain factors that can make this longer or shorter but it is a good rule of thumb. As a consequence painting too soon often occurs as thus inhibits the process and the paint flakes off or blisters as it disrupts the evaporation of the moisture from the wall. It also sounds that the wall in question may have become "wet" beyond the visual staining you are observing. Bearing in mind that gravity and the porosity of the brickwork is going to influence the spread of the moisture behind the visable finishes. Another issue that can occur with leakages is the wall can become "contaminated" so to speak which can occasionally inhibit the drying out process. This is dependant on building materials, age of property, longevity of leak etc. I would suggest you allow a good four months or so to dry. If no change then get an independent assessment of the area which will advise you on what is occurring and how to resolve the problem. Hope this helps. Joe

I have heard that sometimes * old plaster* can be the cause, it is organic & has a shelf life, perhaps have wall re-skimmed with new plaster ?