raised groundlevel on outside wall - damp

[mickthetree]

Hi

We have a 120 year old house which has a raised ground level on one of the external walls, approx 3ft high.

The house was built like this originally and you can see the wall is 4 brick thick where the ground level is raised. Above this it is 2 brick thick.

There is no visable evidence of damp or smell, but we recently tried to sell the house and a raised moisture level was detected in this wall. The structural engineer who carried out the survey for the mortgage company said it was probably like that since day 1 and nothing to worry about.

However, they buyer sent round a 'specialist' damp company come in and they put in a massive quote to rip off all of the internal plaster and render and redo it with some special stuff. The sale fell through as the buyer was scared off.

I dont think we have an option of digging a drainage channel on the outside as the land belongs to the church and forms part of a graveyard.

I can take the internal wall back to brick and rerender and plaster if necessary, but are there any other options? Or a specialist product I would need to use in rerendering?

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[joinerjohn]

I do hope it wasn't "Cathedral Damp" of Derby (as featured on BBC Watchdog last Thursday) Apparently they could detect a damp patch on the moon.

 

[Nige F]

Hi

I dont think we have an option of digging a drainage channel on the outside as the land belongs to the church and forms part of a graveyard.

Cheers

All those rotten corpses would be enough to put the buyers off - obviously they are long dead. But the rainwater percolates through and against your wall

 

[joinerjohn]

At least the neighbours are quiet.

 

[theoldun]

Google this link. Have a good read of 800 abd 803 Newlath.

Newton 803 Newtonite Damp Proof Membrane | Newton
newton-membranes.co.uk/newton-803-newtonite/Cached
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
BBA Approved Newtonite damp proof membrane for treating damp walls. Buy ..

After being up 6 months Will fool any damp meter.
Any respectable spread should be able to do it.
Any questions come back
oldun

 

[mickthetree]

I dont want to name them publically, but they did cost us the sale of our house, so not best pleased with them.

Cheers for the sugestion oldun, really appreciate it. I'll have a google.

Many thanks

 

[Nige F]

Well it is a buyer`s market - soon it`ll all crash and burn anyway

 

[mickthetree]

Afternoon all

Sorry to dig up my old thread again, but looking to get this work done now (well the misses is. I've managed to put it off this long )

I've had a read about the Newton product and it seems like it would do what we need.

Has anyone any experience of using this? Would I need to do the entire wall, floor to ceiling? or just up to the level of the ground on the other side of the wall?

There is also an internal load bearing wall connected to the external wall. that appears to be dry as a bone, but as it connects to the external wall, would moisture seep into that? Therefore should I do that wall as well?

Thanks in advance

 

[mickthetree]

I've managed to get round the other side today and possibly found the issue.

There is water dripping off the gable end roof onto the soil pipe that runs horizontaly (well on a small slope) along the bottom of that wall.

Where it hits the soil pipe it is splashing onto the wall and causing two damp patches, exactly in line with the damp patches on the otherside (albeit higer).

Is there any reason why I couldn't put a gutter on the gable end wall? This is the only way I can see of stopping the dripping.

Many thanks for any advice you can give.