help........mould/condensation

[Martynrbell]

Anyone got anymore advice or insight?
I think Woodys suggestion to get some advice from a suitable building surveyor or a member of the PCA www.property-care.org
Seems like a good call

 

[Martynrbell]

Just bumping this thread.

Ive recently had two people come out to take a look at the issue and both give me a rundown of work and a quote.

Person 1

9 square meters of pointing to the outside wall of the kitchen.
Supply and install 7 circle kick board vents
Drill and inject the walls with damp proofing silicone.
This work should take approx 2 days to complete.
A third day on site will be necessary to seal the outside walls.
If you supply the new base unit for the kitchen, we will fit this
free of charge while on site.
Total £1740

This guy said that the outdoor brickwork was an issue, and that the previous work where someone had injected looked rushed and unprofessional.
He said pointing up outside along with injecting both externally and internally should sort the rising ramp.(he took damp measurements from the walls inside)
Fitting vents to the kickboards along with the existing allday running fan and PIV unit should draw airflow and hopefully sort the condensation.


Person 2

To drill under previous dpc. Then Inject damp proof course/dpc around the side of house and full back of house and will guarantee for 10 years No rising damp will come with invoice
Total £600

This person took a look at the pervious injecting work and said that it should have been injected on the same level as the existing DPC not a course or 2 above it.
Said the brickwork didnt look bad and all i needed was injecting around the house.

Now do people have any opinions after reading this thread as to whether these are decent quotes, based on the cost and the suggested work?
Is there any questions i should be asking about the work been carried out.

Cheers all

 

[JohnD]

Did no-one warn you about silicone injections?

 

[JohnD]

. (Previous owner had left rotting floorboards where the sink pipes were leaking, he had replaced one section with a crap bit of ply wood so i had the whole thing replaced)

I think i found the DPCView attachment 327096View attachment 327097View attachment 327098

Looks to be really close to the floor as you mentioned.


.

how far were these previous sink leaks from your damp patch?

can you mark your pics to highlight where the dpc is

if you have a source of water, then whether it is condensation from kettles and washing, , or a broken drain, or a leaking pipe under the floor, silicone injections will not repair it.

you showed us pics of a wet patch at the bottom of a wall under a cabinet. I can't believe this is an isolated patch of severe condensation. It looks to me like water in the wall from a pipe leaking under the floor, or possibly a broken drain, where the new floor has a DPM so the water cannot escape up through the floor.

Did you ever test for condensation? Water from some other source will increase humidity and contribute to condensation. You need to find and fix the source.

 

[Martynrbell]

how far were these previous sink leaks from your damp patch?

can you mark your pics to highlight where the dpc is

if you have a source of water, then whether it is condensation from kettles and washing, , or a broken drain, or a leaking pipe under the floor, silicone injections will not repair it.

you showed us pics of a wet patch at the bottom of a wall under a cabinet. I can't believe this is an isolated patch of severe condensation. It looks to me like water in the wall from a pipe leaking under the floor, or possibly a broken drain, where the new floor has a DPM so the water cannot escape up through the floor.

Did you ever test for condensation? Water from some other source will increase humidity and contribute to condensation. You need to find and fix the source.

The leaks were 5 meters away from the area of concern.

On the images of the brick work, the DPC is 1 course lower then the grey injection circles.

Ive checked behind every cabinet in the kitchen and mould is only present behind this corner.
It is the wall furthest away from the house as the kitchen is extended.(if this is relevant)

I cannot account for leaking drainage.
And i dont really know how or who to ask to check.

But internally, that floor where the wall is, is solid concrete and the pipe work inside ends about 3 meters away from the wall.

I did test for condensation, it was slightly wet first thing in the morning but was dry again an hour or so after checking.

 

[JohnD]

On the images of the brick work, the DPC is 1 course lower then the grey injection circles.



I did test for condensation, it was slightly wet first thing in the morning but was dry again an hour or so after checking.

how far above paving level is the dpc?

was the damp on the plastic, or on the wall?

you mentioned a water meter. Is there a bubble under the glass, and does it ever stop moving?

 

[Martynrbell]

The paving in that area is 1/2 a brick to a full brick below the DPC.

The tape tests i did 2.

One above the counter top was not wet on the wall but was temporary wet on the plastic

The one below the counter top was wet both sides.

I think the water meter is out the front of the house. Its not something i have access to.

 

[JohnD]

You can pry the lid of the meter open and look at it.

A teaspoon handle often works, or a very large screwdriver. You will also need a torch

how do I read my water meter uk - Yahoo Search Results

uk.search.yahoo.com

 

[Martynrbell]

You can pry the lid of the meter open and look at it.

A teaspoon handle often works, or a very large screwdriver. You will also need a torch

how do I read my water meter uk - Yahoo Search Results

uk.search.yahoo.com

Ill give this a go when i get in,
Ill try to get a good photo of it too

 

[Martynrbell]

You can pry the lid of the meter open and look at it.

A teaspoon handle often works, or a very large screwdriver. You will also need a torch

how do I read my water meter uk - Yahoo Search Results

uk.search.yahoo.com

These are the best images i could get.

Not too sure what im looking for

 

[JohnD]

Rub the glass clean and see if there is an air bubble under it. If so, it turns all the time water is passing through, which helps confirm (or not) a leak.

 

[Martynrbell]

Rub the glass clean and see if there is an air bubble under it. If so, it turns all the time water is passing through, which helps confirm (or not) a leak.

Hi John.
I watched the meter for 10 mins and it didnt move.

I have some people coming to give me quotes to do the brickwork and pointing up around that corner.

Anything else that could spring to mind?

 

[JohnD]

Buried or bridged DPC and/or drain leaks or overflows.

Check for roof or gutter drips.

Do not allow anyone who sells silicone injections near your house.

 

[catlad]

Printed concrete path/drive looks high from what I can see and will trap water against wall, not to mention any damage that may have been caused when installed.

 

[Martynrbell]

Ive been out and look whilst raining,
The gutter does drip but at a different end of the building.

Ive had two people to take a look at the brick work.
Both said the pointing wasnt the issue.
A few bricks needed changing that had be come weathered and possibly pourus.

Both suggested installing vents into the cavity to dry out the brickwork.

1 suggested venting right through to behind the cabinet ( reduce humidity? )

1 suggested grinding out the moss between the drive and the brickwork and pointing there.

I have bought a hydrometer and put it behind the cabinet.

I assume if humidity is always high, then its a condensation issue internally?

Would installing a vent behind the cabinet really lower the humidity?