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Bricklaying & Repointing

Repointing & alleviating rising damp in mid terrace victorian property.

Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 3.58 PM

Hi We have a mid terrace Victorian house, when we moved in a few years ago we had a damp survey done and replaced and treated the rotten timbers under the floor of the downstairs front bay window. We would like to get the front of the property repointed and renovated but also wondering if putting 1 or more extra air bricks in the bottom of the front bay will help with airflow through the property and help with the rising damp we have in the internal walls downstairs. Also would like to remove the concrete around the front of the bay in the front garden as believe this may be the cause of excess water getting into the timbers under the property as there is no where for the standing water to go apart from to soak down through the timbers, but would like advice from someone as to whether this concrete can be removed without affecting the stability of the house and the best drainage to put in to help with the rising damp. Many thanks Sarah

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3 Answers

ADR Property Maintenance

Rating: 5 out of 5

Boston

I am presuming it is a solid brick building,and as such will have been constructed with lime mortar which allows your building to breathe if the outside ground level is to high it will allow pentrating damp to access through the bricks creating dampness and rot, the concrete should be cut back from the house wall by at least 4-6 and ground level reduced to at leat 150mm below the floor level, the building should be re pointed with a N.H.L. to allow the building to breathe thee are no addatives or cement in lime mortar, and is more a spring summer job as the outside tempetures have to be right, these types of propertys very seldom suffer from rising damp but are prone to dampness causes by the wrong materials used for repairs or the outside ground level being to high. what you want is someone who understands older houses and how the materials used in there construction all worked together to keep the property dry, unfortunalley most of todays tradesmen are trained with modern materials and dont understand older propertys. ood luck alex

Answered9 March 2021

Anonymous user

If it was up to me I'd place a few air bricks around the worst areas just to be safe theres no harm in that

Answered10 March 2021

Weighill Builders Ltd

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Croydon

Just to clarify the points Alex has made which in themselves are all correct, the idea of installing additional air bricks is fine providing the underfloor void is clear for the air to circulate and circumvent, moist air under the floor can also create fungal decay/rotting timbers in addition to any rising damp Establish that the wall regardless of age or condition has a suitable damproof course and that the external ground level is at least 150mm below the dpc

Answered31 March 2021