Wet Wall

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Kim Marin

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As you may see from the attached imaged we have come across in our sitting room a wet wall, which is located behind our sofa.

I have also attached an image showing the outside area of our home, which maybe the problem to our wall being wet?

Please can someone help and let me know your thoughts?
 

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I doubt it’s from that air vent. Any concealed pipework in the area? Is the vent the other side of the wall? Was there a chimney on the same wall at any point?
 
Our chimney is on the other side of the room and unsure of hidden pipework?
 
The vents outside are not blocked, but should there be any inside? Also, not sure if they are cavity walls. Is there a easy way I can check?
 
measure the thickness of the wall (easiest at an opening such as a door or window). It might be around 9" or around 13"

also stand back and take a photo of the wall showing more of the bricks. The brickwork pattern is different for cavity wall

looks to me like the floor is wet. Is it a concrete floor? Lift the floor covering and see how wet it is.

I'd be thinking of a leaking pipe. Might be a radiator pipe unless you are close to the kitchen or bathroom when it could be other plumbing.

Does your boiler have a pressure gauge?

Do you have a water meter?
 
Just looked at pick again, the vent looked like it had been blocked off because of the paint.
Those are subfloor vents for suspended floors.
Could be a problem further up..eaves/roof spilling water into cavity.
 
Also to note, we have noticed that our neighbours gutter does spill over to our walls when there is a downful of rain which may affect this?

Plus, to answer your questions John I will take another picture in the morning. However, in the meantime we're you asking about the congret floor outside, if so it's just stones. I am also unaware of any nearby pipes to this wall as it is not near any boiler, radiator, kitchen or anything else.
 
I meant the floor in the room. A water leak can make a concrete floor wet, and the damp may rise up any wall from it. If the floor is covered you may not see that the concrete is wet.

Your wet pattern looks to me like it is coming from the floor. A wooden floor won't do this unless there is a lot of water underneath, soaking up the walls faster than it can evaporate off the bricks. Clean, unplastered walls are resistant to "rising damp" much better than plastered walls. and the brickwork under the floor will be unplastered.

If you have water in the cavity, that's unusual and serious.
 
How long has the external wall been painted? Did you do it, if so with what paint?

Condition of the wall above the area?

How long has that gravel path been like that?

How long have you lived there, how long has the settee been there and is this the very first time you've either looked or noticed it? How old is the house?

That is typical staining of either rising damp, or damp settling on the DPC and then moving upwards.
But as part of the elimination process, you need to determine is if anything has changed - whether work has been done to the structure or externals recently, or changes to the room layout or even heating and usage patterns.
 
you have a cavity wall -
roughly speaking, solid walls show headers in the bond.
i presume you have a suspended floor?
can you show where the FFL line would come on the outside wall?
the DPC appears to be in the bed below the air brick - which is where it should be if the FFL is just above the air brick.

the damp pattern suggests true Rising Damp.
there are indications that damp on that wall has received previous attention.
why not pull the carpet back and examine the edge of the floor for signs of damp.
can you get access to go under the floor?
can you detect any peculiar smells?
 
John, if I remember correctly we do have concrete floor when we had our carpets laid a few years ago. However, not sure how easy it will be to check without damaging the carpet?

As you say if we have water in the cavity, that's unusual and serious. How's best to look at this and could it covered by home insurance?

Woody-

The external wall was painted a few years ago, maybe 4 years or more. And yes we Did did it, with outdoor external paint?

Condition of the wall above the area - no issues of what I am aware of.

The gravel path has always been like that since we moved here 8 years ago.

Lived here for 8 years, settee been here for 2.5 years, first time we noticed the wet wall and we think the house was built in the 7os/80s.

As you say that is typical staining of either rising damp, or damp settling on the DPC and then moving upwards.
But as part of the elimination process, you need to determine is if anything has changed - whether work has been done to the structure or externals recently, or changes to the room layout or even heating and usage patterns.

However, as you see there is been no change fow many years. So please met me know your thoughts and if this could be covered under home insurance?
 
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