DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hey

I live in a 1900s end terrace house. Walls made of incredibly thick brick and stone and render (pebble dash sadly) on the outside.
We suffer from very bad damp in the corners of the gable wall in my bedroom and back bedroom. Both corners of the gable wall are effected - the back bedroom has a terrible damp circle with condensation literally running down the wall from it. The both rooms are well ventilated with both UPVC windows on summer lock.
However, this gable wall is very VERY cold to touch on the inside and It's about 2 1/2 ft thick. I deliberately moved all wardrobes about an inch or 2 away from the walls to allow air to run smoothly - but the damp seems to be all right down the corner of the rooms and at the top of the coving.

I've been thinking about getting the exterior gable wall treated and waterproofed. Also wanting to buy a dehumidifier - but can't afford much. Any good low end dehumidifiers on the market?
I've also treated some areas of the hows with mould spray and painted over the patches with kitchen/bathroom paint which seems to keep the mould away.

We also get condensation problems on the upstairs windows over night.

Any advise would be handy right now as I just don't know what to do!!
Thanks.
Jon

damp circle: that's weird. was there a circular window there at some point, maybe been filled in with rubble and plastered and now an easy path through for the cold and moisture?
Otherwise damp in the corners is due to the moisture in the air and lack of air circulation into the corners. You could step up the heating and make sure beds etc don't block the airflow. also open windows when possible to reduce the moisture in the air.
Small dehumidifiers using silica granules are available. they can be located in the corner, behind the drawers whatever and it's amazing how much water they can pull out of the air. because of this though they need emptied and refilled with the silica quite often. cheap(er) though.