[Help] Damp wall.

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

We bought a modern dehumidier and it takes out 3-4 times the amount of water than the previous one (also has a nice clothes drying feature) often working when the other extracted nothing.

A bit of black staining spots ( very dark green maybe) on the wall which is also wipeable is likely to be condesation.

If you have a damp problem you are more likely to see a stain or discolouration..

Would you mind revealing what you bought? Asking for a friend.

 

[B-right-on]

To answer your q, no. Putting expanding foam wont cure it.

This time of year, facing a cold North wall, most likely condensation as others have said.

The average person exhales 320g of water at night when they are sleeping. Thatsa lot. Apart from any damp clothes put on radiators and that adds to the moisture going into the air.

 

[Jam The Man]

Sounds similar to me. In one room upstairs there is plaster direct on to brick (work done by a fool), and the two layers of brick are separated by a cavity too narrow (and doubtless compromised by debris) for cavity wall insulation. Many years ago I was offered this for free via the council, along with new loft insulation, but they couldn't do the former. My house was built in the 1880s.

To add to that, horizontal rain got under the roof 10 years ago (there was no soffit or fascia and the gutter was simply attached to the wall - now all fixed) and it ran down the small cavity and settled on a horizontal wooden beam in the cavity and brickwork (don't ask - I said it was an old house), soaking the beam, leaving a line of wet wall that took 4 years to dry out. Owing to that I mistook condensation for penetrating damp, which we don't have (but would get if we put in cavity wall insulation).

The remaining problem is that in cold weather condensation forms on the bedroom walls. We rather foolishly put in a bespoke fitted wardrobe before realising the nature of the problem, and the cold walls and lack of circulating air has created a condenser.

We had a similar problem in another room (less marked, less warm breath as not a bedroom) but getting it replastered with modern 'insulating' plaster seems to have done the trick. So the new wardrobe will probably all have to come out so the wall can be replastered properly, with an insulating layer.

Meanwhile, yes, dehumidifier, wiping condensation off the windows (which are double glazed, but...), and putting a small oil/electric radiator in the wardrobe, seem to help. But we don't like radiators on at night (prefer a cool room) so can't decide whether to leave cupboard doors open or shut at night.

We have thought about some form of (ahem) cladding, but this is a sodding conservation area, and local planning is run by tossers, as I discovered when we built an extension.

Good luck with yours

Cheers. Sounds like exactly the same issue!

 

[Jam The Man]

Thanks all.
A decent dehumidifier has been purchased so hopefully with the jig around of furniture and a better air flow AND with a new ability to wipe the windows when they fill with condensation,, the issue may desist somewhat.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Would you mind revealing what you bought? Asking for a friend.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/r.html?...YOIFSRHKUGA&ref_=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1

When i bought it 10 months ago it was £140 from Amazon. Not silent but quieter than the previous one and the extraction is so, so much better . It has a number options one of which allows is used to dry clothes out of washing machine. We put them on an airer a couple of feet away and it pulls moisture out (balance between not too near to cause a fire issue but not too far away).

It is also positioned on our landing close to the bathrooms as showers are a major cause for damp

Never really checked running costs but certainly has reduced the feeling of damp and mould.