Skirting-board Mold

[tanure]

Hi,

I just finished a complete renovation of my house, including a new floor, new pipes, etc.
I did a DPC in the external walls of the entire house.
Now, mould is growing only on the skirting board.

The external wall is brick, with no gaps. There is only one layer of bricks ( 1935 House ). Some areas have paint and rendering, but I don't know what paint was used or what kind of rendering was done. It was before my time with the house.

There is a gap between the house and the external pavement.
Should I fill the gap with cement? What kind of cement?
Should I paint the wall with waterproof paint or Masonry Creme (lets the wall breathe and is water repellent) ?

Thanks
Lucas

 

[JohnD]

Where is the DPC, relative to ground or paving height?

Are the floors solid concrete? Originally? Or wood with a void beneath, ventilated by airbricks?

 

[^woody^]

Thats condensation mould. Normally related to the paint or poor painting

 

[tanure]

Hi,
The DPC is 15 cm above the external ground.
The floors are mostly wood with a void beneath. The kitchen has a solid concrete area, but the remaining area is wood with a void beneath.

I don't know the area below the wall itself.

 

[tanure]

Thats condensation mould. Normally related to the paint or poor painting

The internal paint? The external wall has no paint.
Should I paint again with a specific paint?

 

[JohnD]

Hi,
The DPC is 15 cm above the external ground.
The floors are mostly wood with a void beneath. The kitchen has a solid concrete area, but the remaining area is wood with a void beneath.

I don't know the area below the wall itself.

You mean the original slate DPC?

And the damp is higher than that?

Unusual.

Is there damp in the void?

Is the mould in the solid-floored kitchen?

 

[tanure]

I mean, the Damp proofing course inserted in the external walls is 15cm above the external pavement.
The DPC (Dam proofing course) is the treatment where they drill a hole in the brick and insert some plastic.

No, the dampness is not higher than that.

I can't check the void. It is below my floor.

There is no mould in the kitchen.

 

[JohnD]

I'm not sure where you mean the real (slate) DPC is, relative to ground or paving level.

 

[tanure]

the external paving level

 

[JohnD]

That will be enabling watersplash into the wall. And I presume the original airbricks will be blocked.

Is there any scope to create a gap?

 

[tanure]

No, I don't have the money to do it. In the future, external polystyrene isolation will be done on the wall.
Right now, I will fill the gap with cement and paint the external wall with paint that allows the brick to breathe.
Also, the company that did my DPC said I can't have MDF skirting board so that I will replace with real wood ones.

​

 

[JohnD]

Filling the gap will make it worse.

If you think the wall behind the skirting is damp, I can explain how to isolate it.