penetrating or rising damp Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[armytouch]

Hi thanks for your time,was wondering if you can post images onot site?
I was wondering if you can tell by looking at damp whether its rising damp or penetrating damp or even condensation?
There as all of a sudden after radiator went off damp appearing all over bedroom and bathroom which are advacent to each other and on outside walls,all the paint is flaking off and plaster holding but feels damp to the touch,there are patches on main wall but mainly round window and door area.
I do have pics of affected area but not sure how to post them to site,they are on file.
Are there any paints you use to prevent damp?
Any suggestions on treatment would be great,thanks

[Perry525]

Rising damp - only rises four feet.
If your not writing about the ground floor, then rule this out.
Penetrating damp is possible. Is the outside wall exposed to wind driven rain. Wev' had a lot of rain over the past days.
I would guess it down to condensation as you mention a bathroom and a dead radiator.
Probably what is happening is, you do not have an extractor fan or, you are not using it if you have and you are leaving the bathroom door open.
The steam/water vapour from the bathroom is looking for somewhere to condense.
Condensation forms on any cold surface (cold windows mainly) and this I think is your problem, the radiator normally keeps the room temperature high enough for the water vapour to move elsewhere, with the radiator not working the area is cold.

[bd3cc]

Rising damp can only rise 2'3"" from ground, penetrating damp can only penetrate if the cavity is bridged, which in this case i think unlikely, as it appears in many places.
I think this is a classic condensation/ventilation problem,
particularly as a bathroom and outside walls are involved.
Do you have any form of extractiono you?
Do you have a shower in the bathroom?
Need to know more to help further.

[armytouch]

Hi, thanks for your great suggestions,there is an extractor in the bathroom and shower,the hieght of the damp is around the middle of the window no higher. So what do you suggest getting the radiator back on in the bedroom,no heating in bathroom only the mean water heating tank.We have had problem with drainage overflowing from sewer beside problem wall,which as been sorted however could this have anything to do with the problem,i do have pics of areas but how / can i show on site.
thanks,i will get more information.

[bd3cc]

Dont think this is anything to do with your previous problem.
You have to get as much water vapour as possible out of the house.
Does your extractor stay on after the light, and for how long.
You could consider changing it for a humidistat, ( an extractor which switches itself on when humidity reaches a certain level.
There are many posts/replies on the forum on this topic.
Search through them and see what works for you.
HTH

[Perry525]

I think your recent problem has a great deal to do with what's happening now.
Take a look outside and check the height of the ground compared with the damp proof course line. The dpc will be level with the bottom of your door. It may well be that the problem caused the wall to get wet, a wet wall is an instant express loss of heat from a room, being wet it attracts more water vapour as its cold and this will probably continue until the warm days of summer.
If the water did rise above the dpc then lower the ground to stop it happening again.
The only way to stop a cold wall from attracting even more water vapour is to warm it up. Once the surface is dry and warm the water vapour will find somewhere else to settle.
Once that happens the damp in the wall will gradually find its way to the cold outside and blow away.

[armytouch]

I thought i had sorted the problem of the damp by fixing the radiator and ensuring it was left on this did cure the bathroom, re-plastered and painted, the bedroom wall did seem to dry out so re-plastered and painted but it started again, i have found the source of what i think was the problem, a leaking stopcock connection on the inside of the wall, however i have another problem now, the stopcock when switched off doesnt isolate the leaking connection it only isolates the other side which is the mains to the flat which are copper pipework however the leaking side is a larger black plastic pipe which goes down into the foundation so i have a feeling its the mains water into the flat from outside, how do i isolate this pipe to fix it ?
Theres no run to freeze it.
Its the actual connection going into the stopcock that leaking, think the plastic pipework deformed so causing the leak.
Is there anything i can do to fix the leak with some sort of compression tape or setting putty remembering it is squirting from the connection with some pressure from the connection between i think 22 mm black plastic pipe and the stopcock so its uneven.
Is there anyway of telling if its the mains water supply into the flat ?
How will i know where the turn off point is outside ?
Thanks

[Perry525]

There will be a stop cock, (or two) either in the front garden or under the pavement.
Usually the water main runs under the pavement, sometimes under the road, take a careful look outside, between the location you have identified and the pavement. If its in the front garden it will usually be within a yard of the pavement. If you can't find it, try digging down to find the pipe and freeze it down there.

[armytouch]

Hi the actually building use to be a very large house but been converted to 8 flats theres a small concrete yard but no access to water mains, there are a few small metal drain covers at the front end of the property but again doesnt seem to be any stopcocks, i was told that the black plastic pipework was the old mains pipe possible 3/4 size could this be right ?
I was wondering if waterweld sealant putty could be used to seal the joint between the pipe and connection nut or would the pressure stop it from fixing correctly ?
Thanks for all your advice it is really appreciated.

[Perry525]

Ask the local water company to come and shut off the water while you refit the stop cock.

[armytouch]

Do they have a set charge for this service ?
I may try waterweld putty that may do the job till i find shutoff valve ?

[Perry525]

I imagin each water company will have their own rules and charges.

[armytouch]

Has anyone tried using water weld putty or anything similar, was wondering if it would work on the connection ?