Skip to main content

Ready to hire?

Post your job in minutes, browse real reviews and choose who to speak to.Post a job

Need some tips or advice?

Ask a question
Damp Proofing

Damp on wall in centre of 1930s house

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.30 PM

I have a large patch of damp on bottom of the wall, starting at the floor and rising about 40cm up and 50cm wide. This wall is the wall dividing the hallway and the living room of our 1930s home. So it also has a suspended floor underneath. We moved into the house a year ago and the damp has been visible for about 3 months. The water tank etc is housed under the stairs so I’m assuming pipes run under that area of floor to the radiator in the living room. We also have underfloor heating in the hallway (water not electric). So how do I work out if the damp patch is rising damp, a leaking pipe, or leaking underfloor heating, or something else? Who I’m do I need to call out? Any advice? Thanks!

Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?

Log in

5 Answers

A G Builders

Rating: 5 out of 5
Gloucester
I’d only know the answer if I saw it myself. Too Many factors and trip up points of a question.
Answered2 March 2020
0

Anonymous user

Suggest take up floor boards to investergate. Water pipe might need lagging to reduce sweating. Any new windows flitted to area wall. As infill could be expanding foam. Check guttering to that area. Looking for water ingress to wall
Answered2 March 2020
0

Anonymous user

Hi my name is Calum. 1 You could check the pressure on your underfloor heating system to see if the pressure is dropping. 2 make sure all the taps are off in the house and check your water meter if it’s still running then you no there is a leak some where. 3 would be to take the floor up to have a look. Hope this helps. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks Calum
Answered2 March 2020
0

Paul Geary Plastering and Building

Rating: 5 out of 5
Rochford
First check to see if the wall is load bearing. Load bearing walls tend to have a foundation in the ground which can draw moisture up if the damp course is ineffective. Water heated under floor heating will be a pressurised system so if it was leaking your pressure would drop and fail to work. Alternatively dampness could be laterally drawn through a wall from an attached load bearing or external wall. Hope this helps
Answered2 March 2020
0

Damp Investigations

Rating: 5 out of 5
Southall
You could pay many ‘damp specialists’ for misdiagnosis so be vigilant. First thing is to remove the skirting , see if the plaster goes below the floor level , if so , cut that section off so there is a 20mm gap at the bottom of the wall, then leave it to see if it dries slowly . If it dries, it’s hygroscopic damp and nothing else . Once that’s determined, you’ll have a better diagnosis.
Answered2 March 2020
0