On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 11:27:07 -0000, "Andy Farrall"
wrote:

As far as the internal wall is concerned, I would remove the plaster, remove
the 1m high membrane and dry line the wall. Plasterboard attached to
treated wooden frame. Vapour check or even insulated plasterboard might be
a better idea.

Aah... hadn't though of that (I feel really thick now).

As far as the hearth is concerned ???? Is it on a solid floor ??

No, its the original wooden one.

The problem is at the front (room side) two corners of the hearth.
They are damp. There is a piece of concrete accross the top of the
hearth that looks non-orginal. The fireplace had a disused (condemned
by CORGI) back boiler in it when we moved in and the hearth had been
carpetted over. I suspect that when the original fireplace was removed
someone took off the hearth tiles and just concreted back to the floor
level, presumably doing something to cause a damp problem when they
did it. I'm not quite sure what they could have done though.

As it's the corners it does occur to me that they may have put a
membrane under the top layer of concrete and that it may have become
damaged or bridged around the corners.

If the worst comes to the worst we can just take the concrete and a
couple of layers of bricks off and floorboard over it, but I'd like to
keep the original hearth if I can (and put a decent fireplace back
in).

I think the first step is to remove the top laye of concrete and see
what is what underneath.


Damp proofing a house after it has been built is very difficult as all youll
ever do is move the problem somewhere else and as I said your Victorian
house didnt need to be damp proofed.

Mortgage companies don't seem to understand this though, surveyors go
round with electronic devices that measure the slightest bit of damp
in the walls and the mortgage company throws a wobbler.

We had enormous trouble getting the mortgage we wanted because
apparently there is damp just about everywhere in the house. Its only
a problem in those two places though.

Thanks for your help (everyone), most appeciated.