Author Topic: Damp, again (the saga continues)  (Read 3799 times)

Mrs Pingu

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Damp, again (the saga continues)
« on: 13 February, 2021, 05:21:41 pm »
Long term residents may recall my saga of 2016. I'm not going to rake all over it again but...

Back then there was a damp bit in the corner of the building (possibly unrelated to the leaky roof). This is what it looked like mid repair.
plaster_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

This is what's on the other side of that hole.
IMG_4023_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

You may be able to make it out here between the two satellite dishes.
2021-02-13_05-32-31 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Now that plastic vent thingy is not an original feature of the building, and I don't know why it was installed, but I did think at the time of the repairs that it looked like an obvious place for water to get blown in. I seem to remember plonking a big rock behind it on the basis that it was handy and hoping to deflect the worst of any rain.

Anyhoo, as far as I could tell it was fine for the next few years, but towards the end of last summer I noticed it was getting mouldy down there again, and of course it's only getting worse now. It doesn't look like there's water coming in from above. It's not humid in the room - no condensation on the windows of a morning and the RH meter (situated about 2 meters away on the other side of the room) says about 40-50% which is pretty good for this time of year.
I need to do something about this, but as I'm hoping we might be able to sell this place to some other mug this year I don't want to get sucked into any major wall/plaster ripping down based type 2 fun.

I'm thinking I just need to find a way to stop water getting into the vent. Of course if it was installed horizontally then I could just fit a vent cowl over it, but it's not, so I can't.
I was thinking about asking my slate replacement operative to come round and slap some cement over it. I don't think I need to be over concerned about ventilation in the wall as when I'm upstairs in the loft it feels like there's plenty down that wall.

Think I might get away with that and some dehumidifying and antifungal wash inside?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Mr Larrington

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #1 on: 13 February, 2021, 06:25:56 pm »
Expanding-foam-inna-can?
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
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Mrs Pingu

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #2 on: 13 February, 2021, 06:47:48 pm »
Mmm possibly. Don't think I'm going up there on a ladder tho.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Kim

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #3 on: 13 February, 2021, 07:00:19 pm »
Shirley there must be such a thing as a cowl that would cover the vertical height of that vent, even if it would have a lot of unused horizontality?

Mr Larrington

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #4 on: 13 February, 2021, 07:25:09 pm »
Mmm possibly. Don't think I'm going up there on a ladder tho.

Isn’t that what Pingus are for ;)
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #5 on: 13 February, 2021, 08:08:12 pm »
Expanding-foam-inna-can?
Just what I need. Thanks for the top-tip. :thumbsup:

Gattopardo

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #6 on: 13 February, 2021, 08:40:12 pm »
Wrong kind of vent, should have an air brick.  The vent should have a mesh behind it and a louvred vent.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #7 on: 13 February, 2021, 08:41:57 pm »
Yes I know it's shit but it's there now.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Gattopardo

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #8 on: 13 February, 2021, 08:45:52 pm »
Yes I know it's shit but it's there now.

Sorry, can you get up a ladder and replace it? 

Thinking if you could put some fine mesh behind the vent so the water can be caught and drain safely.

MODIFY: Actually no more nails stick a louvred vent on that one. https://www.toolstation.com/louvre-vent-flyscreen/p54697


Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #9 on: 14 February, 2021, 08:39:06 am »
Yes I know it's shit but it's there now.

Sorry, can you get up a ladder and replace it? 

Thinking if you could put some fine mesh behind the vent so the water can be caught and drain safely.

MODIFY: Actually no more nails stick a louvred vent on that one. https://www.toolstation.com/louvre-vuoent-flyscreen/p54697
If you can't get hold of No More Nails, there are alternatives.
(click to show/hide)

Pingu

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #10 on: 14 February, 2021, 05:38:24 pm »
Mmm possibly. Don't think I'm going up there on a ladder tho.

Isn’t that what Pingus are for ;)

Oi! :demon:

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #11 on: 14 February, 2021, 05:45:38 pm »
I don't think our ladder will reach, you're ok ;)
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Kim

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #12 on: 14 February, 2021, 05:48:13 pm »
l+1   :thumbsup:

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #13 on: 14 February, 2021, 05:57:23 pm »
This is where a jetpack would come in handy.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Aunt Maud

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #14 on: 16 February, 2021, 06:51:56 pm »
Sorry, I was just getting off about your lath again.

Aunt Maud

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #15 on: 16 February, 2021, 06:55:07 pm »
Anyways..... Cold bridging innit, mould loves it.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #16 on: 16 February, 2021, 06:58:17 pm »
Anyways..... Cold bridging innit.
Hmm?
I don't understand why it's just got like this in the last 6 months.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Aunt Maud

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #17 on: 16 February, 2021, 07:01:34 pm »
Jet O' Cold air against  the back of a thin, warm plaster wall and hey presto it goes black and mouldy.

Aunt Maud

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #18 on: 16 February, 2021, 07:02:44 pm »
New double glazing ?

Plus it takes a bit of time for the moisture level in the plaster to get high enough for mould spores to germinate.

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #19 on: 16 February, 2021, 07:21:33 pm »
Still air can do it too. Have you put anything in front of it in the last year ?

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #20 on: 16 February, 2021, 07:24:14 pm »
New double glazing ?

Not sure how that would help?
This place recommends adding insulation inside but I'm unconvinced. Do you not just end up with a load of hidden damp and mouldy bits instead? http://www.underoneroof.scot/articles/1573/Energy_Efficiency_Improvements/Insulating_traditional_solid_walls

There is a hifi stand (open) in front of it but it's always been there.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

ian

Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #21 on: 16 February, 2021, 07:38:20 pm »
Isn't the wall getting cold and causing moisture to condense out of the air onto the exposed surface (and not a warm wall)?

You shouldn't take advice from me for all manner of reasons that should be obvious, but if there's no cold interior surface to the wall, then ambient moisture can't condense on it. But it has to be properly sealed, otherwise yes, it'll just condense on the cold surface behind it.

Aunt Maud

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #22 on: 16 February, 2021, 07:41:39 pm »
That's it, it condenses on the inside / room surface at the moment.

I meant if you had had new double glazing installed, as that can lead to more moisture in the room. It only takes a bit more humidity for mould to get going.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #23 on: 16 February, 2021, 08:22:25 pm »
Ah ok. No, the DG hasn't been replaced. It has no trickle vents but then it never has.
No moisture builds up on the window in there, which suggests the wall is colder than the window...
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Aunt Maud

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Re: Damp, again (the saga continues)
« Reply #24 on: 16 February, 2021, 08:30:40 pm »
You could try covering up the vent, but that cavity needs to be vented as that's what the design relies on.

Can you not install a panel radiator on that wall to heat the wall and cover up the mould. That's what I'd do.