Brick gate post bridging damp course?

[AndyHazz]

We've had a problem with damp on this corner of our house, gut feeling it's this brick side-gate post that looks like it would bridge the damp course ... is that likely? We had a damp surveyor round who didn't mention this but I think he just wanted to sell their DPC injection ... he didn't even look round the outside.

We also suspect the cavity wall insulation may have failed as an additional/alternative suspect for the damp problems ... previous owner didn't have any records for the installation, and neither did CIGA

Any opinions appreciated. I don't have much experience but I'm sure I could knock that wall down by myself ... cavity wall insulation inspection/extraction I expect would be a bigger job. Thanks in advance!

 

[^woody^]

Looks like your cavity might be blocked, not related to that attached wall.

 

[JohnD]

There's too much, I think.

Stand back and take a wider pic of both sides of that corner, all the way up to the roof and gutter.

Show all nearby indoor and outdoor plumbing, downpipes, drains and manholes.

Where is the DPC in relation to ground level?

Do not allow anyone who sells silicone injections near your house.

 

[AndyHazz]

Thanks, here's some wider shots of the outside - there's no plumbing/drains or manholes anywhere round that side of the house, the kitchen/bathroom is all on the opposite corner.

Sounds like me knocking down the gatepost as an easy solution was a bit optimistic

 

[JohnD]

Can you see the dpc?

Does the gutter drip?

It looks to me like the house is wetter than the gatepost.

Have a look under the floor. Is it dry and well ventilated? Is there a radiator pipe nearby?

Lift the paving outside. Is the sand damp? Does the paving slope towards the house or away?

 

[AndyHazz]

The older house bricks are very craggy, and I think are naturally dark looking and maybe why it looks wet in the photo? The lighter bricks round the bottom corner are where I recently brushed off a load of efflorescence.

The DPC I can see in places I think, there's some black stuff a couple of bricks above the ground level. The block paving slopes slightly away from the wall, though I needed a spirit level to confirm.

I lifted one of the blocks, it's cement up to the wall underneath, not sand - seemed reasonably dry but hard to tell.

The gutter does drip a bit in front of the bay window when there's a downpour, not much though I wouldn't have said - we had them cleaned out last year.

There's no radiator or pipework of any kind on either floor in that corner of the house. The floorboards seem fine under the carpet, no obvious sign of damp there.

There is a chimney/fireplace nearby though, and the slate hearth has basically smashed itself due to what I imagine is damp coming from underneath. Here's a photo of that disaster area:

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I'd chop a brick or two out from the bay and that wall to its right. Go in just above DPC level, check if there is one and what it's like.

As suggested by woody, the cavity may be full of rubble.

The fireplace isn't relevant, that is more likely to be simple thermal expansion of the slate tiles. Nothing to worry about, it just needs replacing with something better.