Damp in Bay Window

[NickiNibbs]

Hi
I bought my first house in summer last year and decorated the living room first. All was well until as it was generally dry and warm but then winter set in and now we are getting mould in the corners of our bay window.

We've got beading around the skirting board and the nails have gone an orangey rust colour as though water or damp may be getting in.

We're not really sure what's causing the issue. We think its either the white air bricks as none of our neighbours have them and all of the houses are the same on our row of terraces. So we could take the out or fill them.

Or we think water may be bouncing up from the concrete and splashing the brickwork because you can see that the bricks are damp. The only strange thing is that the mould is only in the corners on the inside not along the whole length of the bay.

Can anyone advise?

 

[KenGMac]

NickiNibbs, good evening.

The "White air bricks" appear to be cavity ventilators, these things are installed to allow an aor flow into the cavity and keep the cavity dry [or drier??] given these devices were installed prior to your purchase? it suggests that this problem has existed for some time? and the prevoiue owner woud have been aware of them??

The cavity between the outer and inner leaf may be in some way blocked with debris, old mortar Etc, not an uncommon problem.

Cannot make out if there is a Damp Proof Course in the external wall?

Suggest you try to find out why there are these [long standing] splash marks on the external wall, it appears to be quite severe? check the gutters above the splash area, wait until it is raining, grab an umberella and have a good look to see where the splashing is coming from??

Given the nails are rusting this would tend to indicate Penetrating damp not just condensation?

Any chance of a couple of images that show the ground, an area of the wall plus the white cavity vent ??

Ken.

 

[A Trowel]

The white vents are knapen tubes, have a google

 

[ayrton532]

You need to keep the air bricks (not the white tubes) as that allows air to circulate like Ken said. Might be worth checking they aren't blocked though
I bet your right that water is splashing from the concrete, maybe removing it and extending the chippings up to the window would lessen that. Have you also checked there's no broken/ blocked gutters dripping down in that area that could be making the problem worse?

The white things are for damp proofing and do absolutely nothing.
https://www.heritage-house.org/damp...ction/the-schrijver-damp-proofing-system.html

 

[NickiNibbs]

A Trowel - google seems to suggest these are a load of rubbish so I may have them taken out if they aren't doing anything. No one else in the houses identical to ours have them so it appears they are pointless.

KenGMac - thanks for your response. There is a damp proof course, it is 3 bricks high, so up to the same height as the orangey air bricks.
I've looked through a few old pictures I took from before we moved in and it looks like the bricks were like that before we bought it. The people who owned the house before were pretty useless at DIY so it wasn't left in the best state of repair!

There is also a crack in the concrete that runs all the way around the base of the bay. We weren't sure whether this could be causing water to get in? But then we would have thought the damp proof course should have prevented that. Here's a link to a video of the bay, I hope this is helpful - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mx5Awslg9nzGTdusvZZ5befFZoftOhXL/view?usp=sharing

Thanks!

 

[mikeey84]

Corners of bay windows are prime spots for condensation.

The morning after a hard frost, run your hand over the paint work and see if its damp to touch.

If it is, I would wager that its condensation rather than penetrative damp or rising damp

 

[NickiNibbs]

Thanks will have a look in the morning as its been very frosty this week.

What can be done about that?

 

[KenGMac]

One easy fairly quick try would be to block of the "White" vents with [whatever] it is a temporary fix??

The white vents are allowing [cold] air into the cavity, if it is condensation, blocking the vents will possibly assist in reduction of condensation??

When you are removing the white vents, suggest you use a small mirror and a torch to have a look into the cavity to see if there is any build up of mortar, Etc within the cavity.

Ken.

 

[mikeey84]

If you can confirm its condensation, there are a number of polystyrene based insulating wallpapers that reportedly help.

I've fitted it myself in a mouldy bay, so I'll let you know!

 

[JohnD]

Have you photographed and inspected the gutter yet?

Please photograph the downpipe and gully too.

When you pour water on that wet black apron, does it run towards the house, or away?

As far as I can see, the outside wet bricks stop at the DPC, so it is working.

You might like to look under the floor. The void looks plenty deep enough to prevent 'rising damp' unless it is full of rubble.

 

[NickiNibbs]

Thanks everyone for your help. The gutters is the next thing to check but waiting for my dad...i mean tradesman...to come and check them with his big ladders.

Also, we are going to block off the white vents.

I'll report back once we've managed to do these things. Thank you all for your help and advice.