Damp on internal walls

[gubar]

Hi,

the following damp patches have appeared in my downstairs room. There are also a couple of patches upstairs in a bedroom. We only bought the house around 2 months ago (the home report didn't flag any issues) and these have just appeared after a week of heavy rain and wind.

Outside, the wall is rendered. The house was built in the 1930s - not sure how old the render is, but surely pretty old, and it has some signs of hairline cracking. The roof is also pretty old, although at a glance there appear to be no missing tiles etc.

I am going to check in the loft for leaks, and get a damp surveyor around, but wanted to post here to to see if anybody had any thoughts.

The red box indicates where the window is, and the blue box shows a detail view of the area next to the first patch, when the wallpaper is pulled back. This is obviously also damp.

Untitled

• gubar
• 13 Jan 2015
• 1

Thanks,

g

 

[KenGMac]

gubar, hi

Does the property have cavity wall insulation?

Is the mastic seal around the window in tact with no indication of deterioration, cracks, or splits?

You mention the age of the external roughcast render and that it has cracks, this condition can obviously allow rain to get in to the external leaf of the brick, that can cause problems, but only if there is a so called bridge between the external leaf across the cavity to the inner leaf.

The above poses another question I have assumed that your house has cavity walls, or are the walls solid brickwork?

 

[gubar]

Hi, thanks for replying. The walls are single brick, no cavity. The seals around the window look a bit worn and cracked. Also I've just been up in the loft - there are several damp patches on the wood in there, and an area above the upstairs damp patch which is very wet.

Could the leak in the roof account for the downstairs damp too? It seems to start mid-way down the wall rather than the ceiling.

I notice you're in Ayrshire. I'm in Glasgow. Do you know any reputable damp companies and/or roofers?

Thanks again,

G