Repairs to lime render and plaster

[vinn]

OP,
"The mastic outside" or anywhere else is doing nothing - it certainly hasn't "solved" anything.
All wood with any indications of wet rot is fungal damaged, and needs replacing & treating according to Remedial best practice.

As far as I can tell, I've not seen pics of the outside wall surface showing the other side to the mush etc?

Why are you concerning yourself with lime plastering when you have far more urgent details to attend to?

 

[diyjamesk]

The purpose of the mastic was to seal up the large cracks around and near the window where water might have been getting in. By 'solved' I mean that I'm trying to work out whether they were the root cause of the damp in the first place by seeing if the wall dries out with them sealed up. If it continues to get wetter then the damp must be coming from somewhere else. That's my logic at least.

The wood shouldn't be a problem as I'm fairly experience in repairing windows using the 'repair-care' resin system. It's masonry that I've never dealt with before.

The outside of the wall is rendered and painted. Apart from the cracks I posted pictures off, it looks completely fine. The paint is not coming off or bubbling.

I'm just asking about lime plaster for future reference. I realise that it's irrelevant until the wall is sorted

Thanks,
James

 

[diyjamesk]

I've now had time to have a look under the floor. I've found what I think is dry rot. The wood is dry and crumbling like a biscuit and there's a white powdery substance all around the area. Two of the joists and four of the boards are rotted in the area but there's no obvious sign of water getting in anywhere. I've attached some pictures of the affected area. I'm starting to think that I may have to call someone in as I can't find the source of the damp. Water seems to have stopped coming in around the window but I doubt that that's the cause of the dry rot.


Thanks

 

[vinn]

OP,
I've tried to ease you into what I suspected from your initial posts.

Until you know the full extent of all damage you dont want to be calling anybody in - AAMOI, who exactly would you call in?

If you want me to continue to advise you then it will involve quite a few more questions and pics?

 

[diyjamesk]

I'm thinking of calling in a surveyor as he may find it easier to find the cause.

Your advice is, of course, very much appreciated. I can post more pictures as needed.

Thanks,
James

 

[vinn]

What kind of "surveyor"? Opening up enables any surveyor to "see through" walls and floors.

OK, can you review my Q's for pics and post such pics - also pics of the outside walls/render and the whole elevation in question. Please annotate or label the pics - so that I know what I'm looking at. I'd like to see the whole area around the window from the outside and the interior

Could you remove the two wall panels and pull up a couple more floorboards - keep lifting boards until you come to good wood in the joists. Have you opened the floor towards the left of the window - you should.


From what I can make out, the joists are sitting on wood plates that are resting on the soil. The joist tails are resting on a brick ledge.

Just a tip but as you remove debris or anything else, such as carpet grippers, then take them out of the room, and give yourself space.

 

[diyjamesk]

Okay, I'll get that done as soon as I can. It might not be until the weekend as I have work all week but I can hopefully get a bit done before then. The panelling under the window is a bit of a problem as it has a large radiator attached to it. I'm not quite sure what to do with it.

The joists are sitting on wood plates on top of bricks on the soil with the joist tails, as you say, resting on a brick ledge. The joist tails at the other end of the room have been cut back from their slots in the brick and now rest on an RSJ (visible from the cellar). I'm not sure if that's of any relevance or interest.

Thanks

 

[vinn]

It is of interest. Is it open, can you see all that room joist tails, sitting on the rsj, from the cellar? Or just a few of them?
Then leave the panels alone for now.
Have you noticed a peculiar smell - mushrooms for instance?

 

[diyjamesk]

The cellar goes under one half of the room for the whole width. All of the joist tails are visible sitting on the RSJ and then disappear over the wall to the other side of the room (where the problem is). I have noticed a smell in the room for quite a while, a sort of faint, earthy smell.

 

[vinn]

I dont understand the layout but it will become more clear with pics.
Open sub-areas are well ventilated if there are air bricks on the far wall.
You could probably smell some kind of rot for sure - smell is a good indication of what to expect when we go into void properties.
Dry rot usually has a faint but distinctive smell of mushrooms.

 

[diyjamesk]

I'll get some pictures up at the weekend and do a quick sketch of the layout. I wouldn't say it was distinctively mushrooms, more just earthy and damp.