How to Overcome "Dampness" of Walls

Is there a damp-proof membrane in the walls?

If it is present, has it been bridged by dirt and rubble on the other side?

Is the rainwater guttering on the other side working correctly?

I've had some success with these products. I don't know if they're available where you are.

I was told to be careful about using these products below grade since they can dam up the water and you will have build up inside of concrete blocks and create pressure which will cause quite a stream when it finds a hole. Also could be source of mold issue as it leaks out over time. I would think that it would not be so problematic on poured concrete walls though and should work there.

That was a wild tale! Hope you told the guy spinning it he was a bit loony.

Not really because I have seen it happen. Painted one section in a basement closet and had a 1/4" stream develop during a heavy downpour that hadn't been there before i pained. Fortunately was able to keep it going into the French drain.

See this link: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/repair/msg112027337495.html

Evidently it works for some and not for others. If you have hydrostatic pressure on the outside and it gets into the voids in the cinder/cement blocks it can cause issues.

How did you come up with the idea that it was a wild tale?

I work with water issues every day and this is common.

I'm guessing that the water is wicking up from below. I wouldn't suggest using those products below grade either. He's talking about dampness that is causing the paint to separate from the wall............not running water.

That photograph doesn't appear to me to be below grade. The other thing to consider, given his location, is condensation................that could be happening due to a number of reasons.

If it were me, I'd spend the ten bucks and give the Dry-Lock a try first. But that's just my nature. If I can spend a few dollars and a few minutes to fix something..................I'll try that first.

If there's a leaky pipe behind that piece of plywood.................that's another story.

Is the moisture coming through from the back side of this wall?
What does the square patch cover; is that the source of moisture?
Is there splashing from activities in the room from which the picture was taken?

Looks like an on grade slab - the wall is probably cast with tor steel connecting it to the slab.

Like PWSlack said......... You need to find out where the moisture is coming from. If it is coming from outside then providing a subsoil drain in suitable drainage material will also help.

Runner is right. you need to know where the moisture is coming from. In my previous apartment I have the same problem. The other side of the wall is the toilet and I know the moisture comes from the piping of the water closet and lavatory. You might have the same system on the wall.

Signode,

I see the spots in your pictures, but I need more info to give you worthwhile reply.

1. Are the affected walls on the ground floor or basement?

2. What is the construction of the walls (i.e., concrete, drywall)?

3. What is on the other side of the damaged wall areas?

With the answers to these questions I can point you in the right direction.

1. Are the affected walls on the ground floor or basement? Ground Floor

2. What is the construction of the walls (i.e., concrete, drywall)? Brick wall

3. What is on the other side of the damaged wall areas? Drawing room (no any other item having water supply or drainage)

Outside walls? basement walls? Have you checked in your attic for leaks in the roof above? Water tends to follow the easiest path, not all roof leaks show up in the ceilings. If its an outside wall your best bet would be to dig a trench along the foundation and install a drain pipe (perforated plastic pipe). Web is full of instructions for doing this.But without more information it is hard to say. Also where the block is was that an old water hookup for a washer or dryer maybe, or old sink or toilet? if so that could be leaking, but as I said without more information it could be from a number of sources. A;so it could be wicking up from the concrete underneath.

I think there's a clue here, which for some reason you're not mentioning?

As you say it is an interior basement wall on a concrete slab constructed with brick. Is that a terrazzo floor in the foreground?

My eye keeps getting drawn to the plywood patch attached with screws (into brick?).

Does the patch cover the end of an abandoned hydronic heat pipe? Maybe condensation around this pipe (if it exists) is a source of the problem.

The damage does not appear to extend all the way to the floor level yet and appears to be from something inside the wall.

There maybe salts in the masonry wall that are damaging the plaster. Assuming an abandoned pipe it not the problem. Remove the loose layers an make your repairs with a "refurbishment plaster" that will provide a durable coating for damp and salt contaminated masonry. Many of the plaster manufacturers claim their product are ideal for refurbishment of basements plaster walls. You need one that will produce a dry, efflorescent free surface.

These guys have an extensive library for repair techniques nps.gov . I believe you will find Brief # 21 the most interesting.

Good Luck !!

Signode,

before doing much else you need to find where the water is coming from.

It is obviously not a major leak because the patch on the wall is limited in size and scope.

I think also that you need to get that piece of plywood out of the picture, it almost looks as if whatever that piece of plywood is doing it is stopping the dampness immediately above it. Is there a clue here , what happens if you remove the plywood? What is underneath the plywood?

Was this area previously used for water, washing, drying etc?

What is the floor made out of, in this area and in the adjacent area.

Are there any water pipes running below floor level?

What is the wall made of, you say Brick but this is covered with plaster or Drywall I assume, is the problem behind there? And is this a clue in any way to he limited extent of the dampness. You can have a dig into this to determine the possible source of the problem.

We have had a similar problem here but the wet patch, very wet went up to waist level and was caused by plumbing in the floor being inadequately soldered. I had the builders back three times in about 10 months and each time they had to replumb, renovate the floors, walls, let everything dry out and then replace and repaint the walls, refloor the affected rooms and so on. Some 20 years later the self same problem occured although to a slightly lesser extent. This time it cost those responsible a major replumbing of nearly the whole ground floor, rebulding of the slab floor whose construction had been seriously compromised and all of the above but now included full repair and decoration of all adjacent rooms and we were treading across pipes in the floor for months. The house had to be dried out with major fans and Dehumidifiers going night and day before they could start the work! I insisted that the initial plumbing layout was revised to go to a larger diameter pipe and a smoother layout with fewer soldered joints and all copper runs in concrete to be covered in Tar covered Hemp, as a profesional would normally do and as regs require here. So far 2 years further down the track,no further problems but we are holding our breath!

It is of course possible that you could have a similar problem although I would have expected that the Damp patch would extend down to floor level if the source of water was from floor level or below.

An elderley Cousin who lives some 200 miles or so away has a similar problem to you. The Damp patch is on the Inside of an exterior wall. She has had the following investigated:

Bridging materials in the cavity.

Bridging material caused by faulty workmanship on an adjacent property.

Inadequate Soakaway of the Roof runoff water.

Blockages/Leaks in the Roof above the cavity.

All this to no avail and we are all scratching our heads to know where to turn to next.

So I am very keen to learn what solves your problem as it might have some impact on my Cousin!

I wish you good luck and I look forward to the resolution of your issues.

Sleepy

Hello

I work with problems like this.

I would first open the wall up and find where the dampness is coming from.

If it is from below,you should remove the wall and seal the concrete. If the dampness is coming from above, find the source and stop it. You do not want to just hope it will go away by sealing the location. It will always find another place to exit.

There is some thing concerned at the back side of the wall, looks like a bath room or a wash basin sink behind it.

There could be fine leakage from the water tap, or a faint pipe line leakage which can seep through the pipe bore or clamp holes which could cause seepage through the walls.

If there is a parallel level pipe connection at the back side of the damping wall, it seems like the culprit point for the damping problem.It calls for a critical inspection from you.

That looks a lot like termite activity - they eat the paper facing of the sheetrock under the paint. As they move on the thin paint "veneer" breaks off exposing the gypsum. Of couse I only see the one photo.

Dear Friends,

Thanks for participation in this thread.

There was a power outlet (power plug) which I removed for some reason and covered that whole with Plywood which is mentioning in picture.

There is sewerage line under the floor and i think problem is that mentioned by Sleepy;

"It is of course possible that you could have a similar problem although I would have expected that the Damp patch would extend down to floor level if the source of water was from floor level or below"

Had a problem once where a maintenance man, in putting up an interior wall, drilled holes in a concrete slab to set in some lead anchors. After putting the wall up we started getting weep-age up and out of the wall and onto the tile in a few areas whenever there was a heavy rain fall. Turned out he drilled completely through the slab and the water was coming up through the floor into the wall and the wall was getting damp from the wicking action of the wood and plasterboard.

Also currently have a neighbor who did some landscaping next to an outside wall and built up the area with dirt and mulch. A heavy rainstorm and the water was flowing inside where the walls met the foundation along some mud.