Damp

[joelk2]

so rather than overtake the condensation thread i thought id post my own thread.

outline.

victorian house
solid brick walls.
lime mortar presumably

previous owners have replastered a number of times using normal plaster.

getting damp on some walls. which i can only presume is penetrating damp.

would something like this be a bad idea?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/thompsons-water-seal-clear-5ltr/52043

 

[joelk2]

nope, don't do that. You need to find out where the water is coming from and deal with the source of the water. Ventilation,Ventilation and more Ventilation is what is needed especially in an old solid brick Victorian house.

If you seal the outside of the bricks the water that is in the bricks doesn't have anywhere to get out which then in this weather will mean it starts to freeze, this is ok for a season or two but it will eventually start to push the front of the bricks off and cause them to spall.

check the whole of the external of your house and ensure that there is no way for water to get anywhere near the walls of the house. Check all the rain water goods and ensure they are all working and ensure there is no splashback from water hitting the floor and splashing on the wall. Check that the windows have been fitted correctly and there are no crack or anything externally that might let water in.

Cheers

Were in a semi and it's on the gable end of the house. We have a small path down that side of the house and then the neighbors house.

Its the upper levels which seem the worse. Maybe needs repointing?! Hmm. Sounds expensive. Especially with lime mortar.

 

[joelk2]

Cheers and noted. Might bite the bullet and order a scaffold tower when the weather is better and repoint the house. I doubt for a second it's ever been done. I've still got the original roof tiles on the house.

I'd read all about the chemically injected dpc and won't be going for that. The in-laws live up the road and have 1 small damp patch and they were advised to go for it but I've said not too.

 

[joelk2]

If you don't have any mechanical ventilation then add a drimaster before anything.

I bet you have plastic windows in a house designed for timber and no ventilation. If its Victorian it probably had open fires which produce a flow and heat the fabric now probably blocked off.

I stuck one of those in my house last month and it seems to have solved my damp problems. Windows that always had condensation on them now have none. I'd definitely look into these yourself.

Thanks both. Just looking into them now. Is the heat version needed? Do you just diy install it?

Damp upstairs is deffo an issue. Pvc windows with no trickle vents either.

 

[joelk2]

Heat version will be more expensive to buy and run so it's up to you really.

I fitted mine with a jab saw for the plasterboard and the power was no more difficult than wiring a plug but it depends on what you have in the loft. Luckily I had a lighting circuit up there.

Problem solved overnight really.

All properties need ventilation of some sort. Good quality modern have a heat recovery system keeping the heat in and moisture out.

The drimaster you can keep turning down till you see moisture again then notch it up one to keep it working as you like.

Cheers.

Have power in the loft for the alarm so that's no bother.

Do I need any of the controls or humidity sensors?

 

[joelk2]

im sold, thanks for the help guys. showed the wife a youtube video of it and she was instantly sold too. so much for my no DIY over the festive season.

we've decided on the heated version. the house is cold enough as it is without pumping more cold air in.

 

[joelk2]

Just bare in mind the heated version only heat the air up by a few degrees so over winter it's still going to be blowing in cold air. I went for the normal one for this reason.

Any heating is better than none. Have yuo found that it's helped with your condensation?

 

[joelk2]

It's helped a lot, all windows being permanently free of condensation is the biggest change. The damp walls have improved a lot too. I'm leaving it for longer before I declare them fixed.

I've read it takes 6 weeks to dry out the house.

Now. How does it work exactly? Its just pumping air into the house. Do I need to leave a window open, leave them closed? What's the deal?

 

[joelk2]

Cool. Will get it installed while I'm off work for sure.

 

[joelk2]

Having read the thread, it seems repointing is still a good idea no?

Yeah. Still a good idea for sure. This will have to wait for the weather to get better though.

 

[joelk2]

I have a 1922 Detached, solid brick, condensation aplenty, it would be pooling on the windows and ledge, fusty smell throughout. Fitted a Drimaster Heat early November and it has completely solved all of the issues, air feels fresh, zero condensation anywhere. 100% recommend, I was sceptical but it is absolutely fantastic.

In addition to this make sure pointing is sound, brick faces havent burst and mastic seals around windows are intact, make sure gutters etc. arent blocked.

cheers thats reassuring to know. i dont expect it to 100% cure all issues but the mrs is convinced the windows need replacing. before i go down that route this seems like a great thing to reduce it a lot.

we tend to get damp walls/mould in 3 places.

1. main bedroom chimney, the back wall inside the builders opening. (when its raining really hard i do hear drips in the chimney though - has been capped)

2. the 2nd reception room corner of the building. this could be guttering related, ground isnt high outside here and no pooling of water or anything.

3. the 3rd bedroom wall. guttering seems fine, roof seems fine (original roof all over which could probably do with replacing but thats something ill do when i get the loft converted) . this room is my least favourite room in the house. super cold in the winter, super hot in the summer. sloped roof (not insulated corretly) basically has rolls of insulation in the plastic still.

has no loft access but when renovating i removed a light switch so could see up in the area partially.

 

[joelk2]

Regarding the chimney, is it ventilated on each floor where the fireplaces would have been? And if its capped, is the cap vented? Or literally capped with a slab? If so this can cause issue.

External wall corners are particularly bad, we had issues with mold behind furniture on external walls - Drimasters solved this (mold still needed to be cleaned, but it hasnt returned).

Regarding your 3rd bedroom - if its an old house, it should be a naturally vented roof, loft insulation should be above the rafters only and not stuffed into the eaves/soffit to allow ventilation.

As said check your gutters, roof flashings etc. Just because a roof is 'old' it shouldnt make a difference if it isnt leaking, ours is on the original tiles and is watertight.

As said though 100% recommend the Drimaster, I was sceptical and it is expensive, but well worth it. If you are even remotely competant you can install it. Wiring isnt that difficult either, it can be taken off a lighting circuit with a junction box. I would also go for the 'Heat' model as this takes the chill off the air coming in.

ive found the heat model with hall control for £391 so not particularly expensive in the grand scheme of things, if it improves the dampness and some mould then its paying for itself in health benefits alone.

the 3rd bedroom is the one i need to concentrate on the most. my 2 daughters share a room currently but its going to be sooner rather than later that they'll want their own space and im not comfortable them sleeping in a room with reoccurring mould.

have been tempted to just paint the wall with bathroom paint but then thats just masking the issue rather than solving. have also though about forming a wall inside the existing one with a cavity and then insulating but then again this is covering the issue and the mould would still form behind.

roof https://imgur.com/gallery/azXvpVK

 

[joelk2]

Also - be careful it isnt the 'landlord' model that doesnt have hallway controls on the diffuser - look for HC in the model number.

this was the model number i will be buying.

Drimaster-ECO-HEAT-HC

 

[joelk2]

Bring a cold house I don't mind spending the extra to take the chill off the air being pumped in.

 

[joelk2]

what you really want is to make you house more airtight and get a proper MVHR unit to exchange air but keep the heat

Cheers. Basically impossible as I have open fireplaces so the drimaster will hopefully help.

 

[joelk2]

I suppose some kind of hepa filter box would be possible, no way I'm earth im removing all that loft insulation! For the price of the unit I'd have expected a better filter though, especially when considering where the air is being circulated from.

G4 grade from their literature..

http://nuaire.info/catalogue/NuaireHousebuilderCatalogue-PIV-ECO.pdf

Page 12

 

[joelk2]

Finally got around to ordering mine. Delivery Monday and no doubt installed by Monday night.

 

[joelk2]

My drimaster has arrived. Will be fitting tomorrow.

 

[joelk2]

check the fan is intact before you cut the hole out, mine arrived just before xmas, when i went to fit it it didnt work, it had been damaged in transit and the fan was loose, should get my replacement this week

Cheers. Have checked and everything seems ok. I'm not looking forward to the mess it's going to create cutting the hole.

As far as location goes. I'm cutting half way between the loft hatch and a light fitting. Would you fit the air dams to stop it pushing air in those directions?

 

[joelk2]

I wouldn't bother for those, they'll make no difference at all. Smoke alarms and if it's right against a wall is the only time I'll consider them.

Cool. Installing as we speak. Only issue is I can't get a decent fixing into my ceiling so when I try connect the heater bit above it pushes my screws out. Bloody lathe and plaster.