Re plastering after window frame leak!

[simon23316]

Hi guys! First post here, so sorry if this is ground thats been covered before.

I've recently had a window frame that let a lot of water into an external cavity wall.. It has been leaking for well over a year, but the recent weather has finally got the better of me!

Long story short, Frames have now been replaced, and the fitters are confident the water was only coming in from the frame (no where else).

Now I need to sort the damp and plaster / render out…

Firstly I've sorted a dehumidifer out for a weeks hire… Just to dry the wall out...

Untitled

• simon23316
• 19 Feb 2014
• 1

Untitled

• simon23316
• 19 Feb 2014
• 1

The plaster I took off (see photos) came off very easily - What I want to know is if I should get rid of the render too? Its still very damp and has grown white fury mould.
Secondly how much plaster / render shall I remove? Just where I can hear its hollow sounding? Or all the way along the wall?
Thirdly how deep is the render? I don't want to hack at the wall!

I'll obviously get a pro to come in and plaster, but I want to remove the plaster and render if needed to speed the drying process out.

I appreciate the help!

 

[ree]

If you can, i should leave things as they are for some weeks.
See if any more moisture enters.

If leaking begins again, then examine around the frame, and the external render for any kind of cracking, and post pics on here.

Internally, it would be best to take off all plaster, down to brickwork or block, some 300mm to 500mm past the damaged area.

Come back if you want making good advice.

Its best practice to carefully remove the skirting and examine the back for rot - but that would be your site decision.

 

[NickB_99]

Its best practice to carefully remove the skirting and examine the back for rot - but that would be your site decision.

I'd agree it's worth taking this length of skirting off.
I'd want to know the state of the skirting and if any damp made it's way into the wood floor too.

A slight digression, but I recently took a length of skirting off in my conservatory to get access to run a socket spur. Skirting looked fine, took it off, found black mould all over back of mdf skirting and quite swollen at back.
Turns out previous owners had had work done and they chopped off downstairs loo overflow behind the p'board. Most of the drips thankfully gone down a gap at the edge of the concrete slab, but still a lot of mess.
I had no idea until the skirting was off.

 

[simon23316]

I was worried about that to be honest. The skirting does show some signs of swelling and cracking where it's taken ok water.

My worry, for not knowing the age of the skirting, is if I'll be able to find a skirting to match, or I'll have to re-skirt the whole room? Any eagle eyed people out there that's can help?

 

[Micilin]

Looks like a torus but hard to say if you will get a match.

Make a profile with cardboard and take it to local shed/merchants

 

[ree]

Thats a modern torus profile - i think that its a five inch skirting.

Cut the paint caulking bond, and lift the scotia bead, before prising the skirting from the wall.
Cut the mitres at either end.

If the skirting needs replacing, then keep the old piece as a template for the new piece.

The wall bricks behind the skirting will need a spray or brush on of anti fungal liquid.

 

[Flyboytim]

Travis Perkins may stock a similar torus skirting. I found a near match for my daughter's 1900 (I guess it was as old as the house) torus skirting in timber (double faced with ogee). This had a smaller radius half round like yours appears to be. TP also cut your timber to the length you need.

Modern Torus often has a larger radius to the convex curve, and the groove is square, rather than having a concave curve to meet the half round - but this is easily reproduced by creating a similar profile in the groove with acrylic decorator's caulk using a curved knife blade tip, allowing to set and dry thoroughly before cutting and fixing the board.

Point an ordinary desk fan at the wall, it will speed up evaporation and warm the wall up when it dries out, moving more humid air about for the dehumidifier to work on.

If you have a multitool with a plunge cutting blade, it is a brillliant tool to cut the skirting with, especiallly if the old board is mitred into both corners.