Carrying on a conversation from the varifocals thread. Sorry for non standard quoting and for the love of that that is holy don't read this unless you are MD or me, as you will gnawing off your own left leg with boredom by post three.
MD said:
Run the WHOLE Kitchen thing by me in detail. Your "New Kitchen has in the space of weeks efflorescence and some staining on the walls in a number of places".
Detail is all important. Plasterwork? Sand used? Background substrate? Ventilation? And so it goes on. There is likely no quick answer. Give it a try though.
Regards...........MD.
Efflorescence is in two places, an internal and an external wall. Both were covered in poor condition plaster that pre-dated us (16 years) but I don't know how long by. It was rough surfaced, but not in a good historic way, more in a nineteen fifties man with a spade way.
Internal wall had timber tongue and groove on it, which was removed (when we found the plasterwork on it matched the external wall as above). Plaster in the whole room was skimmed rather than replaced. A vertical chase was put in the internal wall for wiring, and this chase now shows efflorescence to a height of about a metre. There is also some in a patch in the internal door frame leading to the dining room.
The floor was brick. When the wall timber was removed, the brick didn't extend as far as the wall, so there was a gap. The brick had been laid on concrete, so the bottom of the channel was concrete (not bare earth or anything). There was no evidence of damp or mould, just shoddy old workmanship from decades back.
In another far corner, the brick floor was similarly gappy when the old units were removed, and there WAS evidence of mould in one place there. There were also signs of old leaking pipework, but everything was dry to the touch. The pipework in the whole kitchen was replaced and left for a fortnight, and no evidence of any leaks from the new work.
It was all cleaned up physically, and the floor sorted, filling the channels and gaps with concrete. After some while (three weeks or so) a self levelling skim was put on by a local flooring company, then vinyl flooring laid.
For the walls there was mostly plaster skimming. It went pink in a day or two, and was painted after about a week. There was some "dot and dab"(?) on one wall and plasterboard put on to cover what was there before. That wall appears fine.
I have absolutely no idea about make, sand, etc. It was mostly done when I wasn't there.
Finally, a new 4" kitchen vent has gone in, and in addition on the opposite wall an extractor fitted (there had never been one before). The house is such that there are draughts all over the place, including under the back door into the kitchen itself, which doesn't worry us.
If it's just residual damp from all this and it will sort out in time (or even get now worse than brushing it every do often) then fine, the preils of an old house. If it's actually "rising damp" or rot or something bonkers in the foundations then that's all a bit worrying and ruinous, so am hoping for the former.
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A fascinatingly horrible account. When was this place built?
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Don't know. I found an Ordnance Survey map of 1845 and it was on there. On one outside wall someone inscribed 1875.
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Hello Crankcase. Just arrived home from work so not able to function much TBH. Will attempt to address this on Sunday when I 'may' get some free time.
Initially are there any other factors that may be contributory? I.E. Are outside ground levels higher than inside floor levels or close to each other? Are footpaths running away from the property? Are adjacent drains sound? Are rainwater goods sound? Does the garden 'hang' wet after a couple of hours of continuous rain? It does all matter because damp in all of its forms can be a PITA to correctly diagnose.
'Speak' soon hopefully...............
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Thanks Martin - any input is appreciated, but no rush at all. Not doing anything at the moment with it.
Floor levels - similar in and out, concrete outside up to house walls doesn't really slope away not towards. Outside wall doesn't feel wet or damp on a dry day, or look different.
Drains - not checked but don't have reason to suspect them other than the reason you just put in my head of course.
Downpipes - good point. There is one outside the back door that could possibly do with some attention, and after this stuff started happening it's on my list.
My builder yesterday sent me a link to a local company. He says they "come highly recommended". I trust my builder, but I know nothing of the company. I had a look at their website, but haven't yet contacted them. I don't really know the questions to ask that would give me confidence in their answers or a red flag. They say they do all aspects of damp and decay treatment and restoration, with a "free survey" (red flag, nothing is free unless they just tell you something terrible to sell you a product). No real reviews anywhere or comments about them on Google I can find - just one that said in a sentence they were awful (amber flag maybe).
Anyway, am at the "have cleaned up the white crystals and will see if they come back" stage now before doing anything else much.
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Just a quicky -
Don't wash the crystals off, just brush them.
Moisture will just encourage more efflorescense to come out of the plaster.
Unless you can get a really good recommendation from satisfied clients, I would try to find a surveyor first.
Specialist contractors have all sorts of sticky stuff and injection liquids, which are all expensive.
Don't fall for electric DPCs ore the Dutch systems (sorry Dutchie) involving strange terra cotta tubes inserted into the wall.
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Ta - I had gathered the brush don't wash thing, so have done that. And the website say they are members of some sort of association, but i never know whether those claims on these kind of websites are just lies, useless associations that exist entirely to sell products, or are real worthwhile things.
BWDPA and PCA amongst others for what that's worth, if anything, or everything.
It's a minefield for the naturally suspicious non buildery type person like me.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Fri 12 Sep 14 at 10:42
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It's a minefield for architects like me!
Keep suspicious!
8o)
Last edited by: neiltoo on Fri 12 Sep 14 at 10:51
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Hello Crankers, how's is going, have you done any more. Sorry it's been a while, but I've not had sufficient time to do anything much other than work.
Another thing that you may be experiencing, as I do in my present abode is a rise in the water table at various times, or a Spring may be present. Is there the possibility of a Well! I have two here. One in the garden about fifteen feet from the house and one under the house which is not used and I presume has been capped/discarded. Incorrectly capped Wells can cause problems.
The Summer here has been particularly dry however when I laid the Labrador to rest recently I was digging in water at eighteen inches down. The water table can then rise to the surface after two days of rain so that possibility should not be ignored in your situation. These things can be extremely difficult to diagnose and I wouldn't be looking to a 'Damp-Proofing' Contractor to try to sort this as most of them will have no clue. Check all of the obvious things first and rush into nothing.
MD.
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Thanks Martin - if there turns out to be a well or a spring in the garden I didn't know about I'll assume the worst and take it there's also an Indian burial ground, why not.
White fluffy stuff hasn't yet returned, so that's good. Note from neighbour on doormat on our return from holiday complaining about trees and wanting them cut down not so good.
If it isn't one thing, it's two.
I shall await events.
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Most boring thread about kitchens ever - Ambo
