Damp House :( Please Help!

[=Adam=]

Hi guys!

We have just moved into our new house (bungalow) and we have noticed that things are starting to feel a little damp to the touch!

The problem only seems to be a real issue in the bedroom and we have noticed mould starting to grow on the back of our (new) cupboards.

We drilled two holes in the wall in the bedroom for aerial cables and have sealed them up properly. I have siliconed the inside wall and used expanding foam and cement on the outside to blend it back into the existing wall. There are no visible signs of damp on the wall any more (there used to be a nice patch running parallel to drilled holes, but this has stopped since sealing as above). I have also sealed around the exterior door which is on the opposite side of an internal partition wall. We thought that the rain water could be getting in around the frame and make up pieces (the door is PVC). I used some quadrant profile PVC beads and stuck them on with loads of Everbuild Stixall.

That was done a week ago and we still have dampness! We have had a dehumidifier on during the days for the past week and the amount of water that is coming out of the room is hard to believe! Are there any other quick fixes that I can look at before it gets expensive?

After some research online, the damp seems to be categorised into either Rising damp or Penetrating Damp, now my symptoms seem to be more akin to the penetrating damp, but it doesn't explain why even things kept in wardrobes are feeling damp, or does it?

As you can tell, I am no professional, but I would like to be able to sort this myself in order to keep the costs down.

I forgot to add that we are renting the bungalow from my in-laws, so all of the work that has been done so far has been done with their consent, and we don't want them to have to pay out unnecessary for something that we could possibly do for ourselves.

Thanks for looking and I hope someone could point me in the right direction.

 

[carlb40]

I would check for roof leaks and the joints on the guttering etc. Also what type of heating do you have? Gas heating gives off moisture so that would add to damp issues. Ventilation and dry warmth are needed.

 

[Bod]

Check gutters and down pipes, where does the rain water go? main drains or soak away.
Have the cavity walls been filled?
Where is the cold water tank? leaking or overflowing.
No garden features bridging the damp proof course?
Do the inlaws know when the damp appeared? What work was done around that time?

Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Bod

 

[deserter]

I agree with Carl, however if all else fails it is highly likely you have bridged the void between the two skins of your wall allowing damp to run from your outside wall into your inside wall.

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

 

[NickWelford]

Consider that the damp could be down to condensation from the air. Huge amounts of water are released into the air from tumble driers, cooking steam etc. good ventilation is a must and the dehumidifier helps.

 

[kostello]

Do you ever open the windows?
A human exhales about half a litre of water per day plus water vapour from cooking and washing soon adds up to condensation on the cold spots.....

I have seen walls in flats running with water from lack of ventilation

 

[dickm]

+1 for condensation. How old is the property? If it's a new build, remember that there will probably still be quite a bit of moisture in the plaster, in the floor slab etc., which will evaporate into the atmosphere as the fabric warms, but then condense on any cold patches or bits of wall where the air remains still, such as in ceiling corners.

Any idea what form of construction has been used? Timber frame with cladding, blockwork, brick skin, harled block skin......

Of course, if it's a 1930s or earlier bungalow, it may well be solid 9" brickwork, and they leak like sieves!

 

[MMUK]

Can you upload any pics of the insides and corresponding outside & roof?

 

[Silas Gull]

Leak on the central heating?

 

[SammyQ]

Firstly, ask your outlaws if this is an ongoing problem; threaten to give back their daughter if you don't get a straight answer. If there is no history, what precisely have you done in installing the cupboards you mention?

We have exactly the same problems you refer to. Only thing is, we have solid walls, no cavity; house built around 1903, house internal walls are at the same temperature as house external walls! So, we have had to 'dry-line each external wall with insulated plasterboard, otherwise condensation behind curtains and wardrobes makes mould grow EVERYWHERE and your clothes stink with musty odours, leather becomes grey suede, etc. etc.

Second thing, ARE YOUR DAMP PATCHES HIGH UP OR LOW DOWN? As stated above, is there soil or similar piled up outside, bridging the damp course? That's a low down patch. High up patch: water runs horizontally, an astonishing distance from egress to damp patch, so gutters above one room can manifest two rooms away! DAMHIKT...

Sam

 

[Drudgeon]

99% of the time, the issue is condensation, if water ingress is the issue, then the damp patches will be localised, when they are in un-aired areas, i.e. behind wardrobes/bed etc, this almost certainly means condensation is the problem, as previously mentioned, opening windows regularly is one of the best forms of a resolution, but if there are long periods of people not being in the property, away at work all day etc, this is not always possible.

Perhaps fitting a humidistat, (the same as a bathroom extract fan but with a moisture gauge that turns the fan on/off) could be the answer.

Things like hanging your washing to dry inside create big problems with condensation.

The main rule is that people tend to look for a really technical answer when the real answer is pretty simple.

 

[phil p]

Hi Adam,

I wouldn't have a clue the cause of the dampness and I'm sure you've had lots of good advice already however this might help.

I think in general you get slightly more moisture in a bungalow than an upstairs/downstairs house as I found this 15 years ago when I moved into a bungalow, and still happily here, and I do remember the constant atmospheric dampness feel, especially in the winter, and mopping window sills every morning, however have you heard of or considered..................

Mr Venty!

It's not a dehumidifier as such as I believe it actually blows constant clean air throughout the house, not sure the physics of it, however I got one fitted about a year after I moved in and all I can say is it's fantastic, totally cured my dampness problems.

I recommended this to a work colleague as she moved into a bungalow about a year ago and had the same problems as me and she's over the moon, dampness has totally cleared.

Also muck cheap to run, I think the makers say about a penny a day and I can't speak highly of it, Google it and have a look for yourself.

All I would say is even when you sort the source of your problem, get one fitted, I guarantee you will not regret it, not that cheap as I think they're now around £500 mark however well worth the initial outlay.

Hope this helps
Phil