Help/Advice on Victorian Basement Wall

[palgravia]

Hi all,

Newbie here.

First time buyer, just moved into a Victorian basement flat and have started the process of decorating.

Looking for some advice on what the fix is for this. I suspect it is caused by damp ingress from the stairs directly above (leading to the property above). I've peeled away the stuff that came away easily, leaving what is shown in the picture.

Any help on what has happened here would be much appreciated. Is this a layer of plaster that has peeled away? Is this due to moisture, or age of plaster?

What would you suggest as the best course of action to get the wall ready for painting?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

 

[ree]

OP,
1. Did the mortgage or private surveyor say anything about this issue?
2. Do you enter into your flat thro the house of from an areaway outside?
3. Pics of the outside, esp. "the stairs directly above" will help?
4. And a pic showing the extent of the interior damage will also help?

 

[palgravia]

Hi Ree,

1) Yes, higher than usual damp readings were recorded in this area during the level 3 survey.
2) We enter through an areaway - the door we enter through being the one shown.
3) See below picture for the stairs above the area this issue has occurred - you can see our doorway entrance bottom left of the picture.
4) The first picture I posted is the extent of the damage - there is no further damage outside of this area.

 

[ree]

OP,
"higher than usual damp readings" is a nonsense way of explaining what the many signs of penetrating damp show - the surveyor didn't need a meter, the damage is quite obvious. If you wanted you have a case against the surveyor - who recommended the surveyor?

The steps on your side have previous signs of remedial attempts eg. the original steps have been altered, & the original metal railings have been removed, to be replaced by undersized, unsuitable copings.
Fillets of S&C have been installed to seal abutments. Some have failed.

There's not a lot that you can personally do about water entering thro the steps & the landing at the top - however, you could clean all abutments and attempt to gun cartridge seal with polyurethane.
Its an issue for maybe a tenants group or any lease holder.

Inside, you could hack off all damaged plaster back to masonry.
And use a 3:1 sand & NH lime render mix with a remedial skim finish to make good - dont use any gypsum.

 

[palgravia]

Thank you for such a detailed response.

The surveyor was recommended to us by a friend who also used them for a level 3 survey - we have no allegiance to them. What sort of case would we have with regards to their comments on the issue?

I'm interested on your comments regarding the stairs - how are you able to tell that there were originally metal railings that have been removed? and what makes the current copings undersized/unsuitable?

Also, excuse my ignorance, but what is S&C?

Understood on remedial works.

Thank you again for your reply.