Hi Everyone,

I posted a while back about damp in my house, enquiring what the cause was and how to potentially correct it. I have been a bit busy but now I am back with photos to boot.

The installers have gone bankrupt, and the insurance people refuse to cover it.

Basically it comes down to a few things. I mention it all in case it is important.

Firstly, about 2 years ago, the taps in the kitchen got left on and the kitchen flooded. It seemed to dry out ok after a few weeks. Secondly, a less than steller plumbing job (not by myself) resulted in a leak down the wall. This too has been corrected.

Now we are getting damp and the black mildew or whatever it is, is collecting in the ceiling in the corners

At the bottom of the patio doors the concrete is almost black. Not sure if this by design. (It looks damp but feels ok to the touch)

Several years ago these cowboy installers took down part of what was an external wall to put in patio doors. It is these doors I suspect is the issue.

If you look at them from the outside, you can see the damp on the outside, and the morter between the bricks is coming away. The bricks look wet, even when I have brushed off the green moss. It is only the bricks under the patio doors.

Also the patio doors, when we come down in the morning. The metalwork, ie handles, as well as the bottom of the door are sopping wet most mornings.

There is also damp in the kitchen (the wall is black upto waist level but that was because there used to be a catflap right next to it I suspect

Attached are the photos.

Cheers

Stu

The vent in the picture is it clear?

If it is blocked it needs unblocking.

The flags outside look too high, and are too close to the DPC. I think I can see the DPC in one row of bricks above the flags.

Also there is some mortar missing, which needs replacing.

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DIY | Donnas dream house

I'm also wondering if the patio outside has the necessary run away
from the wall...does water puddle up against the wall when it's been raining??

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Verwood Handyman
I Know it says I'm On-line, but I might have just left myself logged in, whilst I'm out....

Hiya,

The vents are clear. I sorted them at the weekend. As for the puddles, nope there aren't any. The flags have been there since before we moved in and we never used to get such bad condensation (we didn't even notice it!)

There is an overflowing gutter (periodically) above the patio.

So where do we look now

Thanks for all the help btw!

Regards

Stuart

the most likely cause of this is, that when the wall was taken down to fit patio door the DPC was damaged or removed and not replaced, the wall will need injecting with damp proof resin or a new DPC fitted, Basically the damp from the ground is traveling up the wall 'rising damp'

I would get your guttering fixed and cleaned,maybe you need some more air circulating arond the house and dont dry any clothes on your rads etc.