damp walls

[Scarlett]

I have just noticed that the wallpaper on my sitting room wall (an external wall) has gone all crinkly. I felt it and it is very damp. What is the best thing to do about this? Will putting the night storage heaters on help?

Thanks

[weeal]

It could be rising damp or penetrating damp you will have to get it sorted.

[vivandorron]

weeal is right. Have your walls been cavity-filled?; if so there could be a capillary action which allows dampness to bridge across the wall ties; thats assuming you have cavity walls. If by chance you have solid construction walls( i.e. no cavity) then it could be understandable that dampness is penetrating them. Perhaps the only solution would be(purely my opinion) to have the walls exteriors treated with a silicon dressing of some sort or other........Ron

[Scarlett]

Thanks! The walls are very heavy, solid construction cos the building used to be a Bank, and its the outside wall! So no cavity. I spoke to my decorator and he said he would strip the wall paper off and coat it several times with a damp-proof coating, then re-paper and paint. Do you think this will do the trick?!

[weeal]

Are you sure there is no cavity? A decorator is NOT the man for the job except to fix the wallpaper but not the cause. Could it be condensation?
Some preservation firms will do a free survey, and they will test with a damp meter and will be able to tell you if its rising damp from the subfloor or penetrating damp through the brickwork. Either way you will have to eradicate the problem so it doesnt spread. Its better nipped in the bud !

[weeal]

I refrained from putting it like that noknow...are you just picking a fight you baddie

[eltelioni]

Damp-proofing the wall or putting the heaters are not solutions. That's just trying to hide the symptoms. It is best to track down the problem before any damage is done. It may be something trivial.

Has this just started or has it been like this for a long time? If it has just started it may be due to a blocked gutter, or a broken downpipe or even an overflow. Have a look outside. Is there any sign of water-staining. Is there a downpipe nearby? Is there a small pipe protruding from the wall - that would be an overflow pipe from a toilet cistern or a water tank. Have a look when it is raining, is water overflowing from the gutter?

It would help if you could tell us how much of the wall is damp. Is the damp part low down, or high up? Is it across the whole width of the wall or just a small part?

[Scarlett]

the damp goes up to about the height of the radiator- waist height. It is worse towards the floor. The wallpaper is creased. I think that there is no guttering at all on that wall. It is a big external brick wall, joined to a Co-op part way down. Also on the exterior wall is ANOTHER brick wall, a short one, attached to my wall, which could be the cause.
<img src="http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/lemonbade/Housepics.jpg" border="0" alt="House">

See the wall adjoining the co-op, that is where I have the problem.

[Scarlett]

I will try and do a measurement tomorrow. It could be that my wall is damp because the Co-op fridge is against the wall which is constantly cold. It could also be condensation because the room rarely has air, as the front window does not open. I have had all the windows open all summer, and this is the first time I've noticed the damp problem. The Co-op has quite recently replaced all it's fridges though!

[eltelioni]

The fact that the damp is low down normally suggests rising damp, but in your case I would be very suspicious of that small brick wall. You can see that your wall is wet around the top of the small brick wall. With the prolonged, heavy rain we have been having, that dampness could easily have penetrated through to the interior - I suspect the wall does not have a cavity. What I am not sure about is how far along the wall the water would travel. How far into the house does the dampness go?

[Scarlett]

The dampness is at it's worst approx 12 feet from the front of the building, so actually well into the Co-op, which is what made me think about their fridges. I put the heater on last night and it has already dried out a bit, but I'm still concerned.

[weeal]

The pic makes it look as though the co-op also has a flat roof? This isnt good either, I would think that if there is nowhere for run-off and no guttering the water may seep down the adjoining wall which is where it is damp. If its wetter at the bottom tho it does suggest rising damp, there may be no damp proof membrane in the subfloor. Some old buldings used slate and this will have had a limited lifespan. (can u tell I used to type survey reports? lol)

You need a preservation surveyor to give an expert opinion, some will do this free, ask around.

[vivandorron]

If the wall is cold because of fridges on the otherside of it, then you have a problem with condensation from the air within your property.

I get the feeling that you may indeed have rising damp, as suggested by eltelioni, because you have said that it is worst towards the floor.

weeal's advice is good.....Ask around about Preservation Surveyors.....Your Local Authority might even be able to help on the matter. Who knows, with the Government's supposed concern about our houses being warm in winter etc. there might even be a Council grant to help you fix matters.......Best wishes.......Ron

[Scarlett]

Thanks for your help. So I need to find a preservation surveyor? Any idea where I can find one of them?!