hi, we moved to a 130 year old miners cottage in decemer last year, we have had to gut the place then the problems start
we had damp course done in front room now its coming back yuk,we have the elec meter in a cupboard and the wall is alway wet inside. 1 bedroom has chimney breast and the plaster has never dryed out plus we had chimney capped, the builder said we needed the house to be pointed which we did and we still have the problems it seems we keep paying out and the problem isnt solved , can anyone give me some advise plz thanks

If you get the damp course done you might need to deal with outside ground levels and under floor ventilation as well. There is also condensation etc. We had the same problem at a basement flat and we had to lower the ground levels by about 6 inches and put in air bricks. We put gravel round the outside of the wall too. After all that it was bone dry.

hi, thanks getting on with doing that this weekend

Drain outside the house to get the water table down well below the level of the foundation if possible. Remember that DPCs became common only in the late 19th Century and then as a substitute for draining the site.

If you have suspended timber floors, then you may be well advised to lift them and put down a damp-proof membrane over the bare ground -- preferably with a few inches of concrete over it, but even damp-proof membrane held in position by concrete blocks will considerably reduce moisture in the house.

Get a dehumidifier running 24/7 to suck some of that moisture out of the structure -- who knows how long the bricks have been sodden.

John

A 130 year old cottage never had a DPC and shouldn't need one. Look for the causes of damp (roof, gutters, drains, high ground outside) and address those. Such a house is built with lime which breathes, and fitting a DPC only pushes the dampness somewhere else.