Hi there!
My House
I recently moved house and am making so many improvements and giving the place a bit of love.
I now live in a three-story townhouse in Canterbury and plan to convert one of the rooms on the top floor into a small office.
Ceiling Damage
The ceiling has some patches of staining and old mould on the right-hand side due to water damage. I'm not sure what caused it, whether it was damp or a leak, but there certainly seems to be no sign that the problem remains (there's no dampness in the room, and after a couple of periods of relatively heavy rain, no sign of any leaks).
The Ceiling Construction
The ceiling is attached to the rafters on the underside of the pitched roof.
I've pulled away a piece of the ceiling, and from what I can see it was insulated with polystyrene.
On top of the polystyrene, and under the plasterboard, is a layer of silver sheeting, presumably the moisture barrier and added insulation.
The Photo
You'll see some patches where there has been damp, which it seems the previous owners painted over. So far it seems as though there's no longer a damp issue, but any further advice for assurance is welcome!
The big patch of missing mortar on the wall - This is where the mortar crumbled due to the previous water damage. I removed all of the damaged mortar until I reached a line where the mortar was stable and intact.
The big chunk of plasterboard that is missing is what I pulled out to see what was underneath! Also, you obviously can't tell this from the photos, but there seems to be a small draft. Worth noting! Not sure if this was deliberate to enable the roof to breathe, or maybe this is what originally caused the issue. Not my area of expertise either!
What i'm Thinking of Doing
As it's a small room, i'm thinking the easiest thing to do will be to just replace the ceiling. I'm even considering replacing the insulation with something more efficient than the polystyrene with something more efficient, pending advice.
I'd love to do this myself, and hopefully, with a bit of support, advice and guidance, I can do just that! I've never done a job like this before, but i'm aware it's important to get the layering and materials right so as to avoid future moisture problems.
I was thinking of using something like Rockwall, layered with a silver moisture barrier (similar to what is on there already, but needs replacing), and then plasterboard on top.
What are your thoughts and recommendations? Will this be efficient? and What else do I need to consider?
Thanks in advance for your time and support!
Luke