Dampness Advice?

Tin Monkey · 16-07-2007, 21:09

I've had a problem with the rear downstairs wall of my house for the last 12 months. The wall doesn't feel very damp (but there is a slight sticky feeling to it) but the wallpaper has wrinkled to a height of about 3 feet (1 metre). The wall isn't exactly an outside wall, as there is a kitchen built onto the back of the house, but it has been an outside wall originally. There is no sign of discolouring, just the wrinkled wallpaper. The wallpaper isn't coming off and there is no mold anywhere to be seen.

I've had a DPC company to look at it and they say that it's rising damp due to there being a concrete floor in the room, which is fair enough as the house is over 100 years old and has never had a DPC.

The question I have is, if i was to leave the work on the DPC for another year, would it cause problems? I have a lot on my plate at the moment and don't really want the upheaval of this work, plus I can't really afford it right now either. If I was to leave it for 12 months and then sorted it out, could I find that other problems have arisen?

Anyone know about these things? Thanks.

WillowTheWhisp · 16-07-2007, 22:33

I remember having a damp bit of wall in a house where I lived with my parents. It wasn't even an external wall. It was the wall at the bottom of the stairs and was a diving wall between us and the next door house. No matter what we did it still did the wrinkled paper thing. No discolouring, no mildew, just wrinkled damp paper.

cashman · 16-07-2007, 22:36

if yer stuck at the moment TM, slap some kitchen foil on the wall and return to it when time/funds allow.

dont prevent it,but stops it coming through for a while.

garinda · 16-07-2007, 23:02

Surely it's just the downstairs staff that'll be affected?

I'd leave them to it.

carpon · 16-07-2007, 23:32

Had the same sort of problem in my kitchen on the rear wall (which is an external wall). The D.P.C. was supposed to have been done six months prior to me moving in(8 years ago) but has now failed. Surprise,surprise, the firm which put in the D.P.C. has since gone bust (or changed it's name) and the guarentee isn't worth paper it's printed on.
Had someone in to look at it (surveyor) who said it wasn't much of a problem, but something that would need attention if I was going to sell.As I'm also a little financially bereft at the moment,He also said it wouldn't pose too many problems if I left it twelve months or so.I try and keep the room well ventilated as condensation also plays a part.
But if you're gonna get the D.P.C. done i'd suggest shopping around and getting a few quotes,ask friends if they've any recommendations 'cause there's quite a few cowboys knocking around in the building trade.

katex · 16-07-2007, 23:37

Unfortunately, sounds like a stitch in time to me Tin Monkey.

beechy · 17-07-2007, 05:21

you could try a de humidifier
and see if it will take the dampness away

Tin Monkey · 17-07-2007, 06:11

Thanks for the replies everyone.

As I say, it isn't damp enough to bring the paper off, discolour it, mould to grow, etc. Apart from the wrinkled paper you wouldn't even know.
When the DPC company came out he knocked on the wall to check if the plaster was crumbling, but he said it was all sound. I believe that it is too, so I can't really see the problem being very severe.
I just wondered if it was causing a problem that would become worse over the next 12 months? To be honest, I have a sofa on that wall and you can only see the wrinkles when the sun shines a particular way and I stand at 180 degrees to the wall.
I have someone else coming out on Thursday to look at it. I'll see what they say about leaving it for 12 months.

lettie · 17-07-2007, 08:36

I don't see a problem leaving it for 12 months. I left mine for 8 years and it made not a scrap of difference..

Tin Monkey · 17-07-2007, 10:08

Was yours severe Lettie, or did it look similar to how I've described my damp?

If I was planning on moving, then I'd obviously have to get it done. As it is, I'm not going anywhere for a good while.

lettie · 17-07-2007, 10:16

It sounds like it was pretty much the same except one small patch in the kitchen used to grow a bit of mould which wiped off easily. I left it for years because I couldn't afford to have it done at the time.

Tin Monkey · 17-07-2007, 10:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by lettie

It sounds like it was pretty much the same except one small patch in the kitchen used to grow a bit of mould which wiped off easily. I left it for years because I couldn't afford to have it done at the time.

That sounds fair enough. Thanks.

I could get it done, but as it's going to cause alot of mess/disruption, I thought I'd strip all the walls in the living room and get them skimmed at the same time.
The thing is, I have so much on at the moment that I don't really want all the upheaval. I have a few weeks off every summer, so hopefully things will be more settled next year and I can get it all done then.

derekgas · 26-07-2007, 19:47

Just to confirm that it is rising damp, i used to be sovereign approved damp proof installer, rising damp does not rise above a metre, if you leave it for now, it should'nt cause anything major, keep the room ventilated as if you get mould, it produces spores which can cause health problems. Hope this helps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

I've had a problem with the rear downstairs wall of my house for the last 12 months. The wall doesn't feel very damp (but there is a slight sticky feeling to it) but the wallpaper has wrinkled to a height of about 3 feet (1 metre). The wall isn't exactly an outside wall, as there is a kitchen built onto the back of the house, but it has been an outside wall originally. There is no sign of discolouring, just the wrinkled wallpaper. The wallpaper isn't coming off and there is no mold anywhere to be seen.

I've had a DPC company to look at it and they say that it's rising damp due to there being a concrete floor in the room, which is fair enough as the house is over 100 years old and has never had a DPC.

The question I have is, if i was to leave the work on the DPC for another year, would it cause problems? I have a lot on my plate at the moment and don't really want the upheaval of this work, plus I can't really afford it right now either. If I was to leave it for 12 months and then sorted it out, could I find that other problems have arisen?

Anyone know about these things? Thanks.

Tin Monkey · 26-07-2007, 19:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

Just to confirm that it is rising damp, i used to be sovereign approved damp proof installer, rising damp does not rise above a metre, if you leave it for now, it should'nt cause anything major, keep the room ventilated as if you get mould, it produces spores which can cause health problems. Hope this helps.

Thanks Derek. I've had a few more people in to look at it since I first posted, and I think I'm going to get it done in the next couple of weeks.

It does only come up about a metre from the floor, so it seems pretty certain that it's rising damp.

Thanks again for your advice.