Hi, in my Victorian mid-terrace house, the kitchen has never been heated and so it's cold and we're in process of renovating and there seems to be some condensation on the interior walls, with the outside wall possibly damp and a chimney breast with crumbling mortar coming off the bricks.
1. Damp proofing company said there was damp all round, even on internal party wall, but it really doesn't look it, and they'd damp proof it all, hack off old plaster half way and rerender and plaster, and they would "tank" the chimney breast with slurrytex. Cost £1600.
2. Builder with damp proofing experience said he wouldn't damp proof course, no point, and would hack off all render on all walls and chimney breast, and replace with waterproof sand and cement floor to ceiling and skim plaster. Cost £1500
3. Two separate plasterers have said they reckon it's just condensation over 100+ years, and they would simply install heating in the kitchen, ensure it's well ventilated (which we are doing) and skim plaster over the old walls,and sand and cement the chimney breast. £500 -£700.
HELP??!!!! I don't know who to believe and what to do.
I can believe there may be some damp on outside wall, as a part of it is below ground level, but it seems excessive to damp proof all the walls as they look fine to me, but at the same time i don't want to spend £700 and have money wasted when black mould appears thru new skim plaster!
I would really appreciate any thoughts, advice, etc
