Old house new(ish) extension & dodgy plaster help (pics)

[Morgan in London]

Hi,

I had the decorators in to do some painting on a house i have just bought. During their prep some of the plaster in places started coming off, particularly in the lower areas. Most of it seems fine but there are a few problem areas such as most worringly:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79436684@N00/1322390611/
and:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79436684@N00/1322391347/in/photostream/
and:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79436684@N00/1322390991/in/photostream/

The first one is a worry because when i pulled back the skirting there is a gap between the cement floor supporting the existing laminate and the masonry wall. This gap is filled with sand/dirt.

Any remediation strategies?

 

[roughcaster]

Hi,
In all of the photos, it looks as though there might be damp creeping up the wall, especially photo no. 2.The wall in photo no.1 looks as if there is a tide mark 6" or so up the wall.I don't know what to make of the soil/sand! In photo no.3,somebody had a go at patching,and seemed to be following a crack in the wall.Doesn't seem to be much of a key on the wall.To remedy? If there is damp then that would be the first priority.It wouldn't be much of a problem to repair the walls.Cut back all the affected plaster,treat the wall and re-plaster.Going back to photo no.1 again,if you are unsure and worried about it,get someone to look at it to give you some advice.

Roughcaster.

 

[JohnD]

the sand and dirt might be the remains of wood that has rotted and been eaten by insects. Looks to me like a pier where two rooms have been knocked through. There's probably a beam on top of it, holdimg up the next floor and wall of the house.

 

[roughcaster]

Are all of these at ground level? and are photos 2 and 3 on outside walls?

Roughcaster

 

[Morgan in London]

Are all of these at ground level? and are photos 2 and 3 on outside walls?

Roughcaster

yes this is ground level. and to the other poster there was a little bit of rotted wood in the "sandy" gap.