# damp in house I think.



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Getting rather concerned over one bedroom has this problem, there is I assume damp mark on the ceiling and now in the corner at the floor level moving upwards.
I had new radiator fitted as the old one did not seem to warm the room at all, it is a north facing room.I can now get the room hot. We have the window open slightly all night and open more during the day to air the room.
Anyone give me advise please.

Next door has just had his roof re-battened, it is a semi,but he says he has had no damp signs.
We did have the loft insulation upgraded and recently had a chap check to see if it was laid properly, I am unable to get up there nowadays.

cabby


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Cabby, have you cavity wall insulation, as sometimes this can be the result, but usually in top corners


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## Bill_OR (Feb 6, 2010)

Cabby,
Don't mess about with damp in the house - get a builder in to check where it's coming from and get it sorted pronto!
I can recommend our builder (Kevin Marchant) who is based in Bexhill but I'm sure there will be good builders closer to you.
Bill


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I did get a builder in before Christmas, he said it was the extra loft insulation had cold spots as air was not circulating. Bungalow was built in the 1960's. He sent the chap round to sort it out, but not sure it was done properly either still.
Paperwork we got said the walls were cavity insulated.But not sure about the front one as it has tiles hung down all the way.

cabby


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

When we had extra insulation in the roof we had a condensation problem. It was sorted by extra vents in the tiles.

If your mark is moving up however this does not look like the problem. Perhaps a leak in the tile cladding?


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Cabby

The thing to do is work out when this problem first appeared and then you will know what the cause probably is. It's ertainly something that needs sorting out sooner rather than later. It's a bit like damp in a motorhome. Ignore it and the bill ROCKETS very quickly.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

We were offered all sorts of incentives to have cavity wall insulation, however I am a firm believer that the cavity is there for a reason, as bricks are porous and water does run down the inside of the ouiter course. With cavity insulation, it can cross to the inner layer, even across the metal rods between the two layers.
Anyway, I did extensive research about the subject and my fears were realised  
However, plenty of people swear by it, so it comes down to choices.
I would certainly recommend, you act quickly!


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Thank you for replies,I am having a roof contractor that I know come in and look in the loft.
Thanks for the name of that builder, it helps.
It seems that the only way to find the cowboys is to ask for quotes. :lol: :lol: then get a mobile number and an email quote.no reply when you ask a question by email to get it in writing.

cabby


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

is your house a semi or detached ?...

If it is a semi did the damp start before or after your neighbours roof work, it could be related, if you get damp like this it is usually roof related, usually caused by the Roofing felt rotting off at the eaves.

The roof tiles are your first defence against the weather, then your roofing felt is the second line of defense.. If rain is getting under the tiles it runs down the felt and then into the gutter, if the bottom of the felt has rotten off, it then runs onto the wall plate and then either down the wall inside the house causing damp, or down the cavity where it goes down to below DPC level to escape out there and you will not notice anything, but if you have cavity wall insulation it travels until it finds a place it can't go below, it then collects and you get a damp spot at wherever that I level is.

It sounds as if this is what is happening to you, a word with your neighbour will confirm if he had the same problem and was it resolved by renewing the roofing felt...

Check the bottom of the roofing felt to see if it has gone brittle and rotted off..

Ray.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

I own a lock-up shop that has been empty for three months. Next door is a very warm building and when I checked on the shop a few weeks ago, there was actual water running on the wall opposite to the warmth from the next door room.
I was very concerned that some significant problem had arisen.
Thinking hard and reading a lot, I put a ventilator into the floor and I could immediately feel a draught from outside.
The following day when I checked the wall, it was still a little damp but no running water. A day later the wall was dry and has remained so ever since.
What I am trying to indicate is that your cold North facing wall may be condensing the warm moisture in the air and creating damp. Solution = ventilation (which may let in unwanted cooler air) which is a cheap answer to what was a potentially unpleasant problem.
I hope this is a solution can work in your situation.

Alan


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

You can get plastic eaves trays if you roofing felt has gone rotten, this may be the cause especially if its the original roof from the 1960's.

You have to take the last row of tiles off(you will soon see the rotten felt edge then) and slide the eaves trays underneath the felt and the edge of the tray then sits in the gutter.

Agree with Grath about cavity wall insulation, it can be a nightmare and is strongly recommended not to be done if you live in an exposed area, as we do. Loads of people have to have it taken out if they live in an exposed windy area.

We have a 6inch cavity all the way around, there is a breeze blowing through it at all times so any dampness is soon gone, cavities were put in for a reason.

Paul.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Thank you Paul and Alan for the replies, I have had windows open 24/7 to give ventilation and thought I had cracked it.I also got more modern radiators to give heat for when windows open, not a sauna though.
I will get a chap I can rely on to go up and look this week, I feel a wobble in the wallet coming on.  

cabby


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

The plastic eaves trays are dirt cheap Cabby and its not an hard job for a builder.

I did ours myself at the front of the house. They are only about £3 each, you will need around 5 for one side, depending on how wide the house is obviously.

Remember, they slide under the rotten felt and not over it.

Best of luck with finding the cause.

Paul.


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

Grath said:


> We were offered all sorts of incentives to have cavity wall insulation, however I am a firm believer that the cavity is there for a reason, as bricks are porous and water does run down the inside of the ouiter course. With cavity insulation, it can cross to the inner layer, even across the metal rods between the two layers.
> Anyway, I did extensive research about the subject and my fears were realised
> However, plenty of people swear by it, so it comes down to choices.
> I would certainly recommend, you act quickly!


I am so glad that some thinks the same as me. My Father was in the build trade all his working life and maintained that gap should not be filled with anything. I keep getting pestered by door step sales executives out lining the advantages but the house I live in is the driest that I have experienced which I put down to having 5inch thermalite as opposed to the normal 4inch adding to that dry lining!!!
My Wife's parents had a bungalow built with under floor electric heating every where expect the bedrooms the damp that was being pulled through the end wall was unbelievable even though there were wardrobe doors creating a barrier, They had to put oil filled rads in each compartment!


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Very strange  I though it was just me, who believed cavity wall insulation was not such a good idea :roll: 
Nearly everybody I talk to, and most in my immediate area have got it 

I think I will continue to have a slightly colder house, with slightly higher fuel bills, but with the knowledge of less possible damp problems


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## camallison (Jul 15, 2009)

> You can get plastic eaves trays if you roofing felt has gone rotten, this may be the cause especially if its the original roof from the 1960's.
> 
> You have to take the last row of tiles off(you will soon see the rotten felt edge then) and slide the eaves trays underneath the felt and the edge of the tray then sits in the gutter.
> 
> Paul.


I did exactly that on our bungalow about 3 years back and solved ALL our damp problems around the house in one go.

I also had a dry ridge installed, which is just putting the clay ridge tiles back on a plastic securing system without mortar but with seals. DON'T go for the plastic ridge tiles (even though they are cheaper) if you do this - they are rubbish. My builder (25+ years in the roofing trade) suggested them. He does a lot of other work for me, but gave me the suggestion because it was so simple as DIY and he didn't have a spare slot for months.

Colin


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Richard, I think I may be reading your post incorrectly, they had heating except the bedroom, the damp came through and you had to put heaters in to cure it.
Does this mean I should crank up the heat in the bedroom that I have problems with.
All our walls inside always feel cold.
I am now slightly confused, but will still get the roof man round to check the front tiles and the felt as well.
The rear roof has to be re-battened shortly when he can fit us in.

cabby


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

cabby said:


> Richard, I think I may be reading your post incorrectly, they had heating except the bedroom, the damp came through and you had to put heaters in to cure it.
> Does this mean I should crank up the heat in the bedroom that I have problems with.
> All our walls inside always feel cold.
> I am now slightly confused, but will still get the roof man round to check the front tiles and the felt as well.
> ...


No Cabby, get your builder round I was only giving an example of wrongly placed heating can cause damp problems it looks like your roof needs some attention - sorry about the confusion


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

Cornwall is a damp place and damp issues do seem to appear regularly in many properties built in the 1960s and 1970s. I think it's because now everyone wants a sealed house. A neighbour of my mother-in-law's had her loft insulated, and about a year later experienced damp marks on the ceilings. Condensation because the insulation installers had blocked the natural ventilation at the eaves. Opening the space again resolved the problem.

Also worth remembering is that it's most often temperature fluctuations which cause condensation and mould growth. Heating systems which are timer-controlled rather than thermostatically will almost inevitably mean a room is hot some of the time and cool at others. Indeed, many are designed to be that way so that less fuel is used when the room is unused - an ideal recipe for condensation nuisances.

Our house- just 3/4 miles from the north coast - has traditional stone built walls with rubble infill (i.e. no cavities) but damp is only an issue in closed cupboards on an end wall (i.e. not enough ventilation). The house itself has enough ventilation (a.k.a. thermal inefficiency!) not to have any interior damp.


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