Damp alcoves

[ArronR]

Hello all.
This is my first post. Generally I'm guide competent with diy/ building but am unsure on a damp issue. I have one very wet and one fairly wet alcove. When I bought my house 5 years ago a gutter was blocked and I thought it the likely cause of a bit of damp in the alcove. But it's is still wet. The house is 1920/30s rendered. The wall is cold and gets little sun. The outside pics attached show the outside of the worst bit. The render is a little cracked in places. In between the 2 alcoves there is adarker area about 1m up the wall although it is patchy. The plaster is wet in the alcove all the way up one corner. I'm sure condensation is part of it but am not sure weather it's rising damp and or penetrating in the one bad corner that's causing condensation on other cold parts of the wall. Any advice on what to do would be appreciated. Pics attached a sap Thank you.

 

[bobasd]

take pics showing bigger views. inside show all the chimney breast wall with both alcoves and outside a bigger picture of the walls.
where are the loose pebbles from?
is the floor a solid slab?outside looks like you have a concrete plinth or is it edge og slab?
do you know where your dpc is?
thers lots of condensation and what looks like damp which can attract condensation

 

[ArronR]

Hi thanks for the reply. they are slabs outside. the floor is suspended. the loose chips are gravel I put down a couple of years ago to loose it but removing now I thought they probably don' t help the damp. not sure about the dpc. here are more pics. thanks again

 

[bobasd]

what you show outside is a sand and cement plinth thats in ground contact, probly blocking the vents for the suspended floor and probly bridging the damp course.if the wall is cavity it may be the cav's full of rubbish and also bridging damp.
remove the plinth,the lot.maybe open up the inside wall a few bricksto see the cavity.

thers a vent below the window to high for below the floor ventilation, if you dont have a gas fire or conventional boiler in that room then the vent should be shifted.
the corner near the window looks like it hs splash from the guttering.

all the plaster in the alcoves and on the chimney breast should come off to a height of about 1m.plaster back up with lime and sand.
the flue needs opening an sweeping and venting top and bottom.look at the other walls in that room, all that dark shadow is damp.
examine the joists under the floor for wet rot, youve had no throgh ventilation

 

[ArronR]

thanks very much for your help. I was thinking of opening the fireplace anyway (assuming there is one). all makes sense re the plinth, I did wonder about where the dpc was hopefully it will be obvious if I remove the plinth. regarding the lime plaster. I can plaster normally reasonably ok. is lime harder to work with? thanks again

 

[bobasd]

all plastering or rendering is pretty simple.if you can mix and get it on a spot board or hawk and then on to the wall your on. then its a matter of practice no matter if your using gypsum or render.