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Thanks for the detailed reply and the questions @Bobbo!
- Yes the problem is only on the ground floor - just around the front door
- The area is pretty much exactly level. Water doesn't puddle anywhere in the area
- Gutters are all clear and fully operational
- The previous owner cemented roof tiles along the area to the left of the sidelight - to make it look pretty i guess. I don't think they were that appropriate and over the course of the last year have crumbled off.
I had a damp specialist over last week who suggested a few injections into the wall (solid wall not cavity wall). A builder friend has suggested that the injections aren't that effective so wanted to look at wider issues too.
Any other thoughts?
On a side note - do you think these issues are likely to be covered by home insurance?
Cheers again!
- Yes the problem is only on the ground floor - just around the front door
Quincy-
Yes the problem is only on the ground floor - just around the front door
The area is pretty much exactly level. Water doesn't puddle anywhere in the area
It should fall away from the house so that water runs away. I'm thinking this could be part of the problem
The previous owner cemented roof tiles along the area to the left of the sidelight - to make it look pretty i guess. I don't think they were that appropriate and over the course of the last year have crumbled off.
Do you know how long ago the porch door was installed and what it was like before? What I think is most likely here is that you have water entering under that door and getting trapped it is then finding its way to the render to the left and travelling under the floor to the other wall causing the damp there. If this is the case I'm not sure that injections will sort it out, but it should be a relatively easy fix. Bear in mind that I can only go by your photos and what you have told me I have not seen it in person.
On a side note - do you think these issues are likely to be covered by home insurance?
I would contact your home insurance provider, I don't know if it will be covered but they will tell you pretty quickly. Also if you had a survey carried out before purchasing I would also contact the surveyor as he should have flagged it as a potential issue.
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Could you wait until it's dry / not smelling of damp, then saturate the crack with water from a bucket or hose? If it started to smell again it might indicate you're in the right area
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I had a damp specialist over last week who suggested a few injections into the wall (solid wall not cavity wall).
"Specialist". They need to do one.
A builder friend has suggested that the injections aren't that effective so wanted to look at wider issues too.
He's right. They're pointless. As @Bobbo says - damp is about investigation.
It may not just be the concrete
- you have cement rendered solid walls - that's a recipe for damp.
- there's patching up of the parging - that's a possible ingress point.
- your floor looks as though it could be modern - there may be trouble lurking underneath
- you have pvc windows - again, in a victorian solid wall, they may be an ingress point
The problem may be visible around the door, but water wicks along lime mortar joins, partiularly if you have gypsum plaster
- you have cement rendered solid walls - that's a recipe for damp.
Bobbo
christianSpaceman
NotThamesWater
Concrete is prone to cracking if not poured correctly with steps taken to allow it to expand and contract. That looks like what has happened here.
Could water be penetrating through those gaps and into the house causing a damp smell? Theoretically, yes, but it is unlikely any water hitting you house at that level should be below the DPC.
Couple of questions: