Help - Is this damp or a leak?
We have lived in this house for 8 years with no issues re damp. There have been no external changes which would affect the dpc and this is actually now predominantly an internal wall (there was an extension 20 years or so ago and so it was formerly the external wall).
This room was painted and new flooring laid plus new skirting about 2 years ago.
Over the past 2 months this has happened. Initially we noticed white fluffy mould on the skirting board and then there were some black mould spores. Then the tide line started to creep up the wall.
It looks like damp but would damp just suddenly appear like this? On the other side of the wall is a downstairs bathroom. Is it more likely to be a leak?
The very top layer of the plaster is sort of bubbly and lifted so that if you press it there is about 1mm of air underneath but once you flake that off, the wall behind it feels very dry. The bottom picture shows where I have flaked it off after it has bubbled.
Any views on whether this is a damp or a leak?
Comments (6)
shelleyuk
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Leaking shower disaster -help
Comments (6)Hi there, sorry to hear about the problems you've had. Ashton's have given good advice, and the flex-seals are a good option to reduce your risks of leaks further. I too would be interested to know what tray you used? The quality of trays can vary hugely, and over the years we've narrowed down what we use to a few suppliers we trust. It is not until you come to fit or, indeed, still later that you find that "bargain" was actually an expensive mistake. I'd echo mayfly's advice too - by splitting all the elements of your bathroom (different products from different suppliers, different builders/tilers etc), you leave yourself open to escalating problems with everyone blaming everyone else. If you go to a single independent, they'll put together a package based on products and tradesmen they trust, and if anything goes wrong you only have to deal with one company, and they'll normally move heaven and earth to fix it. And their tradesmen & suppliers will move heaven and earth to sort it too - they won't want to risk losing all that repeat trade where they might walk away from a single difficult job. It might look as though the up front price is a little higher than doing it all yourself, but when things go awry you may find it is a false economy. I hope you get the problem sorted and good luck with the kitchen too!...See MoreDamp concern - will it dry??
Comments (13)@ Gabby - you were told wrong as it is not okay! I have been building everything from houses to retail centres and the problem with damp/water penetrating the void is that it takes a very long time to dry out especially if a rockwool type insulation has been installed. What is more you can also end up with mould growing in the void. It was sloppy workmanship and for the sake of a few minutes work the builders have an issue to deal with that should never have been. The amount of water showing on the face of the blockwork gives you an idea of the scale of the issue so do not be kind to them about this as it could come back to bite you in the behind in the future. If I was managing your project I would insist that they use the water resistant plasterboard (green in colour) to line all of the walls. This is a strong recommendation on my part....See MoreHELP NEEDED Basement flat with rising damp issues
Comments (7)Batit (with a 't') - their site is Batitprotect.be. no we did not a separate builder, they did all the plaster work. We got a decorator later to repaint (treatment usually needs several months after for walls to dry out). Have not attacked the kitchen yet, but luckily is upstairs. Next year's project!...See MoreDamp help needed
Comments (1)Hi, Cant quite see where the damp course is in the existing building or the new extension. It could be a breach of the damp course in the existing building through the bricks on the new extension if it hasn't been done correctly. google damp course issues....See Moreshelleyuk
7 years agoshelleyuk
7 years ago
Luciana
7 years agoI think it's a leak as well. We had an almost identical problem in the kitchen, less than a year after complete renovation; it took another year until we had it sort it because the builder argued it wasn't his fault and wouldn't show up to have it fixed, etc. In the end, he finally came and I wanted to kill him: the pipe connection for the outside tap hadn't been tightened enough and it was dripping... all he did was to rotate the valve (or whatever that's called) and it was all sort it... ahhhhhm!!! Of course, we had to put up with re-plastering, waiting to dry, painting, etc, the whole thing took ages... So, whatever you do, don't leave it for too long, unfortunately it's only going to get worse.
shelleyuk thanked Luciana
Jonathan