I have a Victorian end-of terrace house, built with a cavity brick
wall and a brick foundation. It does have some rising damp. When I
take the ground floor floorboards up, I find a lot of dampness in the
ground (i.e. the old rubble) near the walls. Two or three feet in form
the walls, however, the ground seems dry. Even after two ro three
weeks of no rain, the dampness remains.

Is this normal? Outside the house, there is a tarmac pavement, which I
would have thought would prevent much rainwater from soaking into the
ground... but perhaps not.

The house is also at the top of a rise, so drainage is good around the
outside of the house.

I'm just wondering if there could be a leaking water main near the
house that is making the ground damp unter the road and pavement. How
can I determine whather this is the case?

Thank you,

Mike D

On 21 Jun, 13:01, Mike D wrote:

I have a Victorian end-of terrace house, built with a cavity brick
wall and a brick foundation. It does have some rising damp. When I
take the ground floor floorboards up, I find a lot of dampness in the
ground (i.e. the old rubble) near the walls. Two or three feet in form
the walls, however, the ground seems dry. Even after two ro three
weeks of no rain, the dampness remains.

Is this normal? Outside the house, there is a tarmac pavement, which I
would have thought would prevent much rainwater from soaking into the
ground... but perhaps not.

The house is also at the top of a rise, so drainage is good around the
outside of the house.

I'm just wondering if there could be a leaking water main near the
house that is making the ground damp unter the road and pavement. How
can I determine whather this is the case?

Thank you,

Mike D

Ground is normally damp, thats why the floors are suspended. Really
though this is not a good place to ask these kind of questions. Ask:
http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpB...wforum.php?f=1


NT

wrote:
On 21 Jun, 13:01, Mike D wrote:

I have a Victorian end-of terrace house, built with a cavity brick
wall and a brick foundation. It does have some rising damp. When I
take the ground floor floorboards up, I find a lot of dampness in the
ground (i.e. the old rubble) near the walls. Two or three feet in form
the walls, however, the ground seems dry. Even after two ro three
weeks of no rain, the dampness remains.

Is this normal? Outside the house, there is a tarmac pavement, which I
would have thought would prevent much rainwater from soaking into the
ground... but perhaps not.

The house is also at the top of a rise, so drainage is good around the
outside of the house.

I'm just wondering if there could be a leaking water main near the
house that is making the ground damp unter the road and pavement. How
can I determine whather this is the case?

Thank you,

Mike D

Ground is normally damp, thats why the floors are suspended. Really
though this is not a good place to ask these kind of questions. Ask:
http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpB...wforum.php?f=1


NT

Will you stop redirecting everyone to your bloody shop. Suggest it as an
alternative by all means, but it's not your place to trash the opinions
of people on here.

Stuart Noble wrote:
wrote:

Ground is normally damp, thats why the floors are suspended. Really
though this is not a good place to ask these kind of questions. Ask:
http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpB...wforum.php?f=1


NT

Will you stop redirecting everyone to your bloody shop. Suggest it as an
alternative by all means, but it's not your place to trash the opinions
of people on here.

Absolutely and well said.

Though I do read the "periodpropertyshop" forum occasionally, I find
that it is, like most web forums, not easy to navigate and awkward to use.

uk.d-i-y has many experts on many subjects and a lot of people with a
wealth of experience on just about everything including damp problems.

Steve

wrote:
On 21 Jun, 13:01, Mike D wrote:

I have a Victorian end-of terrace house, built with a cavity brick
wall and a brick foundation. It does have some rising damp. When I
take the ground floor floorboards up, I find a lot of dampness in the
ground (i.e. the old rubble) near the walls. Two or three feet in form
the walls, however, the ground seems dry. Even after two ro three
weeks of no rain, the dampness remains.

Is this normal? Outside the house, there is a tarmac pavement, which I
would have thought would prevent much rainwater from soaking into the
ground... but perhaps not.

The house is also at the top of a rise, so drainage is good around the
outside of the house.

I'm just wondering if there could be a leaking water main near the
house that is making the ground damp unter the road and pavement. How
can I determine whather this is the case?

Thank you,

Mike D

Ground is normally damp, thats why the floors are suspended. Really
though this is not a good place to ask these kind of questions. Ask:
http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpB...wforum.php?f=1


You are a spamming ****. No one is interested in your silly site.

Or you innacurate information

NT

Mike,

There is another thread by someone else that is asking a similar
question that has been posted very recently. You may want to look at
that as well. Here is my reply to that thread

BTW, when I lifted my floorboards, the ground was very damp as well.
espacially near the walls. I found there was loads of rubble towards
the edges. I removed a lot of that. I think that in my house the
problem was many of the air bricks were blocked, thereby preventing
airflow underneath.


Hope this helps

kev007,


I think I had / have the same problem as you.


I live in a 100 year old end terrace which had damp all along the
gable end wall.


Basically my house is in the middle of the street, but since there is
an alley way on one side, it is an end terrace. It turns out that it
was the floor level in the alley that was too high, and this was
bringing in damp. The damp was only on that wall. The rest of the
house was OK when inspected. The plaster was crumbling, there was
salts visble on that wall as well as mold (only a little though). I
had several quotes from Damp proofing comapnies, all pretty much
agreeing on this as the cause of damp


Basically they were mostly all offering the same fix


Exteranally the best option was to lowver the alleyway ground level to
the correct height (2/3 brick lines below internal floor level if I
remember correctly). This would have been a big job. Second option
was not possible then dig a channel 4-6inches wide and the whole
length of the outside wall. Dig down same level, but fill with pea
gravel.


Internally, remove bad plaster (there was a lot of it). Install DPC.
Internal tanking below DPC level (using a slurry?). Then replaster.
Ensure all airbricks where clear of rubble and allowed free flowing
air.


When the floorboards where lifted there was loads of rubble underneath
(old plaster from reonvations I guess by the previous owner). I had
to remove all this as well, to allow air to pass through from front to
back etc.


I used a national company for the damp andplastering work, but before
I instructed anyone I called in a independant suryeyor to asses the
damp problem. He charged me a small fee, but since he was not going
to be doing the work, my thinking was that he would give me fairly
honest advice.


It may be worth you doing the same. Sometimes it could be as simple
as leaking guttering (as mentioned by somoene else here).

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 08:06:09 -0700, bp wrote:

BTW, when I lifted my floorboards, the ground was very damp as well.
espacially near the walls. I found there was loads of rubble towards
the edges. I removed a lot of that. I think that in my house the
problem was many of the air bricks were blocked, thereby preventing
airflow underneath.

Thanks. My air bricks are clear and I have plenty of underfloor
ventilation. I think thee is just a lot of moisture in the ground
surrounding the house.

Mike

Mike D wrote:
I have a Victorian end-of terrace house, built with a cavity brick
wall and a brick foundation. It does have some rising damp. When I
take the ground floor floorboards up, I find a lot of dampness in the
ground (i.e. the old rubble) near the walls. Two or three feet in form
the walls, however, the ground seems dry. Even after two ro three
weeks of no rain, the dampness remains.

Is this normal?

Yes.

Outside the house, there is a tarmac pavement, which I
would have thought would prevent much rainwater from soaking into the
ground.

Or evaporating out, or running into the ground somewhere else..
... but perhaps not.

The house is also at the top of a rise, so drainage is good around the
outside of the house.

I'm just wondering if there could be a leaking water main near the
house that is making the ground damp unter the road and pavement. How
can I determine whather this is the case?


I doubt it.

The sort of weather we have been having is hard enough to do two more
three things.

1/. Splash off that tarmac pavement into the wall above the damp proof.
Or below it, if there is loose rubbled piled up bridging it (assuming it
HAS a damp course).

2/. Raise the local water table enough to allow moisture to seep through
the foundations and under the house

3/. Drive rain in through the ventilation holes.

If you have the floor boards up, clear out the rubble at the least.

If it hasn't got a DPC you can control the rising damp by injection, and
its no bad idea to put a waterproof render outside above the DPC where
it may get splashed..but I suspect that isn't the real problem in this
case..and may make things worse if it stops the outer leafe breathing.

Finally, underfloor ventilation is there to keep the timberwork dry and
prevent rot..it won't clear surplus underfloor water tho, not is it
designed to.

Normally you do that by ditching round the property and backfilling with
gravel (and often a perf. pipe too), and a drain to the moat so formed,
to a soakaway or what have you.

That is the most effective way of lowering the local water table round a
property..put in a moat!



Thank you,

Mike D

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:18:34 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Normally you do that by ditching round the property and backfilling with
gravel (and often a perf. pipe too), and a drain to the moat so formed,
to a soakaway or what have you.

That is the most effective way of lowering the local water table round a
property..put in a moat!

Thanks. Yes, that sounds like what my place could do with. I have
loads of under-floor ventilation, as the airbricks are all unblocked.
I have already cleared the rubble away from the walls under the floor,
to improve the air drying, but even after 2 weeks, the inner skin,
below the slate DPC level is still almost as damp as before, as though
it is still sucking up moisture from below ground level.

Mike

"Mike D" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:18:34 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Normally you do that by ditching round the property and backfilling with
gravel (and often a perf. pipe too), and a drain to the moat so formed,
to a soakaway or what have you.

That is the most effective way of lowering the local water table round a
property..put in a moat!

Thanks. Yes, that sounds like what my place could do with. I have
loads of under-floor ventilation, as the airbricks are all unblocked.
I have already cleared the rubble away from the walls under the floor,
to improve the air drying, but even after 2 weeks, the inner skin,
below the slate DPC level is still almost as damp as before, as though
it is still sucking up moisture from below ground level.

When my Victorian house had the various damp treatments the one that has
really made a lasting difference was the laying of a vapour barrier to the
solum - sand, polythene, concrete in my case. The moisture level below the
slate DPC is not that important but the moisture level in the wall plate and
joist ends in particular is. My wall plates were shot with rot and needed
replacment and a new DP membrane under. You will need a meter to test the
timber properly.

The airbrick provision in a Victorian house is less than current standards
even though there is more moisture present. Not advocating this but damp
specialists will advise more if you ask.

Jim A

Mike D wrote:
On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:18:34 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Normally you do that by ditching round the property and backfilling with
gravel (and often a perf. pipe too), and a drain to the moat so formed,
to a soakaway or what have you.

That is the most effective way of lowering the local water table round a
property..put in a moat!

Thanks. Yes, that sounds like what my place could do with. I have
loads of under-floor ventilation, as the airbricks are all unblocked.
I have already cleared the rubble away from the walls under the floor,
to improve the air drying, but even after 2 weeks, the inner skin,
below the slate DPC level is still almost as damp as before, as though
it is still sucking up moisture from below ground level.

Mike

Well if its below DPC, frankly my dear, who gives a damn?

I assumed you had a problem inside the habitable areas..

When I demolished my house, there was a small POND under the living room
floor.

The only internal problem was the fireplace sucking it dry..no easy way
to damp proof a whole structural chimney stack.

Of course originally that would have had a permanent fire. Sucking
wetness up the chimbley

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 20:49:58 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Well if its below DPC, frankly my dear, who gives a damn?

I do. The DPC doesn't exist all the way around the house, believe it
or not... Also, the cavity has some debris in it, and I can't be
faffed to clear it out. :-)

Mike

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Normally you do that by ditching round the property and backfilling with
gravel (and often a perf. pipe too), and a drain to the moat so formed,
to a soakaway or what have you.




Hi,

Please explain the 'perf. pipe' you talk about. I have done the ditch
thing on a wall in my house where the outside ground level was too
high, but did not use any pipes.

An explanation would be useful to decide whether I need to consider
this

Thanks

Bhupesh

bp wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Normally you do that by ditching round the property and backfilling with
gravel (and often a perf. pipe too), and a drain to the moat so formed,
to a soakaway or what have you.




Hi,

Please explain the 'perf. pipe' you talk about. I have done the ditch
thing on a wall in my house where the outside ground level was too
high, but did not use any pipes.

An explanation would be useful to decide whether I need to consider
this

Thanks

Bhupesh


Its simply a 'leaky' pipe..you can buy it cheaply. Its a slightly
cheaper alternative to traditional unglazed clay drains..the theory
being it forms a slow entry fast exit for water if it is laid in a
gravel filled trench. Its less suitable for heavy loads though, being
thin plastic...

On 21 Jun, 19:18, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

If it hasn't got a DPC you can control the rising damp by injection, and
its no bad idea to put a waterproof render outside above the DPC where
it may get splashed.

this is inappropriate for historic brick constructions, which handle
damp differently to modern builds. This approach has been used for
long enough for people to be quite familiar with the problems & damage
it causes.


.but I suspect that isn't the real problem in this
case..and may make things worse if it stops the outer leafe breathing.

yes, it may. There are other known problems with this approach too.


That is the most effective way of lowering the local water table round a
property..put in a moat!

no comment.

The site i mentioned is not mine, and the forum is not commercial. Its
a place where you can be pointed to some of the research and get it
explained by people that know the subject. Its a shame this is a bit
of a blindspot with ukdiy, which is an otherwise very good newsgroup.


NT

wrote:
On 21 Jun, 19:18, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

If it hasn't got a DPC you can control the rising damp by injection, and
its no bad idea to put a waterproof render outside above the DPC where
it may get splashed.

this is inappropriate for historic brick constructions, which handle
damp differently to modern builds. This approach has been used for
long enough for people to be quite familiar with the problems & damage
it causes.

Oh dear. Here we go again.

If you want to live with coal fires and drughty windows, then fine.

I don't.


.but I suspect that isn't the real problem in this
case..and may make things worse if it stops the outer leafe breathing.

yes, it may. There are other known problems with this approach too.


That is the most effective way of lowering the local water table round a
property..put in a moat!

no comment.

The site i mentioned is not mine, and the forum is not commercial. Its
a place where you can be pointed to some of the research and get it
explained by people that know the subject. Its a shame this is a bit
of a blindspot with ukdiy, which is an otherwise very good newsgroup.

Oh dear.


NT