Damp on party wall above dado rail Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[Fionak]

I recently moved into a mid-terrace house, built c 1885, which had a lot of refurbishment work done a year ago. Over the past few weeks a small damp patch has appeared on the hall wall about 1.5 feet from the front door and roughly a third of the way up (just above the dado rail, I'm not sure if this was new last year or was already there). I have checked with my neighbour and their wall is completely dry. The patch gets worse when it rains so I thought it may be to do with the roof, however the patch is isolated right in the middle of the wall and if it was the roof surely it would appear at the top or the whole way down?
Any suggestions? Should I call in a damp specialised or a roofer?
Thanks!

[stoneyboy]

Fionak,
Look for something buried in the wall (like a water pipe) or fixed to the wall local to the damp patch.
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[Fionak]

Thanks Stoneboy! There is a radiator near by, however the damp patch appeared when that wasn't in use (so assume that it's not the link to that) and it gets worse when it rains.
I'm not sure if the dado rail was new last year when the house was refurbished (it doesn't look new), if it is I guess something could have been damaged when it was fixed to the wall. I'm not sure whether to call a damp specialist, a general builder, a roofer or a plumber! Any suggestions?

[j.orsi]

Hi, Has the property been injected with a chemical DPC and then rendered up to the dado rail? if so the new render could be driving moisture up the wall. Find out more from the previous owners and get back to me.

[stoneyboy]

Fionak,
Damp will travel up a wall to about 1 metre by capilliary action. If the damp patch is below this level you need to find out if any damp proofing guarantees apply and to contact the installer.
If you have pipework in the area going to a radiator this needs investigating - it will make no difference whether the radiator is on or off.
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