Non-motoring > Damp internal walls Miscellaneous
Thread Author: smokie Replies: 20
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 11:22 
 Damp internal walls - smokie
My daughter owns an ex-council semi near Birmingham (so probably not a great build quality to start with!!).

She has interior damp on the outside walls of rooms on the "end" wall, along with some mould.

A neighbour has had external cladding (on the council I believe, though daughter wouldn't qualify) so she is wondering if that might cure her problem.

I've said she needs to know where it's coming from before spending loads on anything.

She has vents in each room and doesn't dry clothes indoors.

She doesn't think its rising damp, nor does she think her DPC is compromised.

The house is rendered but the rendering appears intact.

She thinks it's simply a cold wall causing it, and that insulated cladding ay cure it.

I can lend her a humidity measurer but that'd just confirm it's damp.

How would she go about finding out what the cause and solution is? She'd be on a bit of a budget and would be reluctant to engage a costly survey by a damp specialist, but IMO a builder or cladder won't necessarily be sufficiently knowledgeable or diligent enough to properly assess.
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 11:33 
 Damp internal walls - Bromptonaut
Is the damp/mould in corners and/or behind furniture? - ie in areas where ventilation might be less effective.

If there's a shower are windows and/or a fan used to manage steam?

Upstairs, down stairs or both?

Does it bear any relation to weather?

What sort of vents does she have? ie are we talking airbricks or can windows be cracked open a notch?

Can leaky plumbing be ruled out?

We had a similar issue in a seventies built detached. Definitely related to condensation. Problem appeared, or certainly got much worse, after replacing draughty softwood doors ans windows with UPVC double glazing.

If we'd stayed there we'd have had cavity walls insulated. Is that a possibility here?

Some local Citizens Advice have funding for energy and similar advice that might have some facilities to look at causes.
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 11:38 
 Damp internal walls - Manatee
I suppose they vary but high rise aside, building standards for council houses were usually good, better than some private housing in the 50s and 60s.
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 11:56 
 Damp internal walls - CGNorwich
Need to do three things

1 insulate the wall. Walrock thermal lining paper is the best.

2 ensure the room is well ventilated or use dehumidifier

3 keep room warm
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 12:24 
 Damp internal walls - Fullchat
Leaking gutters or downpipes.
Rendering could be preventing the wall "breathing".
If at the bottom check levels of paths etc. Should be 6" below DPC.
Ventilation is the key which is ok but you need to keep the heat in.
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 13:24 
 Damp internal walls - smokie
Thanks all!

She's just left so I can't ask her all the questions but I believe it isn't only behind furniture, it's upstairs and downstairs, not related to weather, no shower (front bedroom is one), not plumbing. Unsure about cavity wall status.

She said she's tried a small dehumidifier, but in my mind that isn't really a solution it's a circumvention, and she could do with resolving whatever the cause it. Likewise putting insulated paper - may not the source of the problem. Maybe 'm wrong on those.

I think she has the heating on in all rooms when it's on. However I don't heat some rooms much here and I have no damp problems! Though ventilation and heating is where I'll suggest she looks first.

There could be a downpipe on that wall but no gutter - it's the end wall. I did mention damp proof course to her but she's fairly adamant that because it's upstairs that is unlikely. I don't know the status of cavity walls.

I think I'll ask her to check the ventilation and have look at the DPC in the first place. Also look at CAB offering, if any. Unfortunately now she has it in her mind that the external cladding will fix it, it is very hard to persuade her otherwise!
Last edited by: smokie on Mon 21 Apr 25 at 13:24
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 13:13 
 Damp internal walls - Dog
Cavity wall insulation??
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 15:05 
 Damp internal walls - bathtub tom
Has it got cavity walls, do you know when it was built?
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 16:14 
 Damp internal walls - Manatee
It's very unlikely to have solid walls if it's post-1930. Good question because if it's rendered it won't be obvious from the brickwork.

Have a gander at the gutters when it's raining, check for leaks.
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 17:23 
 Damp internal walls - smokie
I imagine it's probably 50's or 60s. Not sure re cavity wall but it's the gable end wall so I don't think there'd be a gutter.

I need clarification from her but I think there is evidence of damp at top front room and bottom back room.
Last edited by: smokie on Mon 21 Apr 25 at 17:24
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 17:58 
 Damp internal walls - Terry
Post war, cavity walls had become the norm. From the 1920s they were increasingly specified but it is plausible a pre-war house could be solid wall. There were very limited (if any) building standards and individual architects and builders may have been slow to change.

If damp is evident over much of the gable end wall - front and back, top and bottom - I suggest you take a look in the loft to see if it is damp or musty. This could be the source of the problem, particularly if the gable end is exposed to most of the weather.

It is possible roof to wall construction has been compromised over the years - cement between roof tiles and wall can fail/fall out allowing rain to rot some of the roof timber, timber finishing strips if fitted can rot, all with predictable results.

The wall should also have vents to the cavity. without which moisture can build up and cause damp problems. It is worth checking, even if they are visible, that they have not become blocked through the accumulation of crud.
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 22:28 
 Damp internal walls - Fullchat
Some good points there Terry. Particularly the compromise of the mortar between the tiles and gble wall.
I believe the initial idea of a cavity was to keep the wet wall away from the dry inner wall. Any 'snot' (discarded mortar( can breach that. Lintels can also compromise the gap. Newer builds have cavity trays and weep vents to direct the moisture back outside - or should I say should have. New builds regularly get caught out.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Mon 21 Apr 25 at 22:29
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 Mon 21 Apr 25 22:35 
 Damp internal walls - smokie
... and this is where it starts to get more difficult. She's not about to start clambering into the loft and I'm over 100 miles away. I just wonder what kind of professional one could ask for a reliable and honest opinion.
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 Tue 22 Apr 25 08:29 
 Damp internal walls - Dog
>> I just wonder what kind of professional one could ask for a reliable and honest opinion

Ask Jeff: www.askjeff.co.uk/cavity-wall-fill/
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 Tue 22 Apr 25 09:16 
 Damp internal walls - bathtub tom
I reckon she's going to have to get someone more knowledgeable to have a look.

Did she have it surveyed (not just a building society valuation) before she bought it?

If she's not prepared to have a proper survey, then perhaps she could ask different builders to have a look. They'd probably give their opinion for free in the hope of getting the work.
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 Tue 22 Apr 25 10:56 
 Damp internal walls - neiltoo
Tell her to try: trustedtraders.which.co.uk/,
not checkertrade.
Builders don't pay to be on the Which? list. All recommended by readers.

8o)
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 Tue 22 Apr 25 12:12 
 Damp internal walls - smokie
She bought it years ago and I think this is a relatively new problem. Dunno what survey she had done at the time.

I've been warned off Checkatrade before so that a good call for trustedtraders, hadn't heard of that.

I suppose that's the answer - get a modest selection of people round and compare opinions.

I'm in a not dissimilar dilemma with a leaking flat roof. Or it could be next doors joined flat roof, and the water is just finding the lowest point co come through. I've already had one phone call "that'll need your whole roof replacing, £5k+" so what it it's not mine but hers?

Having just been through £50k on the kitchen and associated, I'm starting to realise how profligate some builders can be with someone elses money!! :-)
Last edited by: smokie on Tue 22 Apr 25 at 12:13
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 Tue 22 Apr 25 12:19 
 Damp internal walls - Manatee
Nothing beats good local recommendations if she can get them. Local FB group?

I've just found somebody to sort my gutters out that way. There are several chancers round here doing that sort of thing and I seemed to have avoided them. Similarly I've just found somebody capable to look after my heating who doesn't want to charge £450 a year just to give it a coat of looking at, which seems common in the world of heat pumps.
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 Tue 22 Apr 25 17:18 
 Damp internal walls - bathtub tom
>> Nothing beats good local recommendations if she can get them. Local FB group?

I reckon you get more chancers on FB than anywhere else, at least that's my opinion after looking at recommendations, comparing profiles and seeing friends of friends.
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 Tue 22 Apr 25 18:06 
 Damp internal walls - Manatee
Yes, I was forgetting I know most of the people on the village FB group. And I would be wary of businesses replying directly.
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 Tue 22 Apr 25 19:15 
 Damp internal walls - smokie
The bathroom fitter we used a year back was from FB. When we dug deeper the 4 reviews were all from his family!! He was pretty good though.
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