Pictures before and after I scraped it back a bit. Removed some plaster and along the skirting there is pink foam material behind the wall. Maybe insulated plasterboard!? This is an internal wall where the damp is showing. It may not have been injected when the chemical damp course was done perhaps. Not sure on its history having only owned it 6 months. RICS survey said signs of isolated damp, nothing that sounded horrific and we had the damp course guarantee, (me being young and nieve perhaps wasn't put off by it) this area had been plastered and painted over and has literally appeared over the winter months.
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Was that utility ever a cellar access?
That's an odd shape and looks too high for rising damp. And can't be associated to the external paving level.
And if it is plasterboard lining, it would not normally be getting damp.
Have you checked for water supply or drainage leaks? From the utility and from the bathroom.
And if it is plasterboard lining, it would not normally be getting damp.
Have you checked for water supply or drainage leaks? From the utility and from the bathroom.
The damp identified seems to be restricted to the internal wall between the living room and utility room. Doubt that is anything to do with an external dpc, maybe longstanding damp in wall which was plastered over by your seller, and is coming to light now. And/Or new concrete floors have blocked air flow and drawn up damp from sub floor to plaster.
Blup
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I've cut an access panel in to the boxing in to check the internal soil pipe behind that wall and it's not wet, next check would be the bathroom above. Unfortunately, it's beautifully tiled and 'cleverly' fully boxed in so I'd have to do a lot of damage to explore that. Hence my hope in it being the the patio or drains and an outside job. Willing to fix it whatever it is though. (Don't judge my acces panel skills, haha! I'm a 30 year old, unskilled female trying her best. 
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I dont think so, well not to my knowledge. Nothing on any plans I've seen or have.
A WC contains pipes and drains. Can you see them all?
What is that alcove?
Have you got a water meter?
The shape on the pink wall looks to me like a chimney, or a leak at the top of the column running down and spreading.
The column seems to correspond to cracks in the plaster, which might be a flue, or historic plaster damage hacked out and replastered prior to sale. Could there be a pipe inside it?
What is that alcove?
Have you got a water meter?
The shape on the pink wall looks to me like a chimney, or a leak at the top of the column running down and spreading.
The column seems to correspond to cracks in the plaster, which might be a flue, or historic plaster damage hacked out and replastered prior to sale. Could there be a pipe inside it?
The alcove above the toilet is the external wall 'over looking' the patio area. All pipe work in the utility is behind plasterboard boxing in behind the toilet and sink, but I guess pipes could be buried in that wall showing damp, from the bathroom above.
The plaster on the damp wall definitely has to come off anyway, so I think I may have a go at removing some of it myself before calling anyone in again. See what I find. It's just this initial diagnosis that's bugging me, immediate response from damp specialist is full damp course as I've said, they don't even bother looking outside. I just want a proper diagnosis and fault find. I know if I pay for the original damp guarantee to come out, they'll say it's not the DCP, so that avenue seems a waste of money.
The plaster on the damp wall definitely has to come off anyway, so I think I may have a go at removing some of it myself before calling anyone in again. See what I find. It's just this initial diagnosis that's bugging me, immediate response from damp specialist is full damp course as I've said, they don't even bother looking outside. I just want a proper diagnosis and fault find. I know if I pay for the original damp guarantee to come out, they'll say it's not the DCP, so that avenue seems a waste of money.
Builders or damp proof specialist don't have x ray eyes, they will advise from the perspective of their own experience. Hence the advice to tank it all. A builder would probably batten the wall and fit the plasterboard with an air gap, again not a permanent solution but maybe enough for you. A building surveyor would speculate in a report on the possible causes but would not chop anything out.
As a first stage you could hack off the affected plaster and let it dry out for a few months, lime plaster is recommended in these situations to help the wall breathe. This will also expose leaking pipes or other causes of the historic damp.
This website has some useful pointers to the issues surrounding damp in buildings.
Heritage Survey - Chartered Surveyors - Maintaining and restoring old houses (heritage-survey.org)
Blup
As a first stage you could hack off the affected plaster and let it dry out for a few months, lime plaster is recommended in these situations to help the wall breathe. This will also expose leaking pipes or other causes of the historic damp.
This website has some useful pointers to the issues surrounding damp in buildings.
Heritage Survey - Chartered Surveyors - Maintaining and restoring old houses (heritage-survey.org)
Blup
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A little bit more digging and exposing has revealed this. Really dark/black mortar and wet bricks. No pipes as yet, tiled bath panel now off and no leaks under the bath from above.. All looks ok there... think I can see signs of an injection damp course and a lot of slurry on? 2 inch thick in places. Removed two flags from up against the wall for now. What next? is the question! 
