Damp Problem on a Solid Brick Gable End

[glock339]

Hi, I have bought a small semi-detached cottage that I am busy renovating (total DIY amature by the way), which has a problem with damp on it’s gable end. The front and back walls are cavity brick, but the problem gable end wall is just a solid brick wall with no cavity. It seems like the damp problem has been a long on going thing with this wall as it looks like the previous owners had tried various things to remedy it. Such as chipping off the bottom meter of the origional plaster work and running some kind of render internally along the room with about a meter return on the adjoining walls. I don’t think this worked though as I remember the wall paper was in a bad state in these areas before I removed it. I think a lot of the water is run off from next doors concrete path which runs along side my house and is aprox 150mm above my suspended wood floor level. The concrete path in question dosent have anywhere to run off aprt from my and next doors walls and always looks a bit damp and mossy. I'd post some pics but I can't seem to figure out how to upload them on here???

Now then, I also want to insulate this gable wall internally for heat efficiency but I’m concerned about just covering up this problem wall without solving the damp problem first. I have been told by a couple of people I could get away with putting in some air bricks in the external wall which on the one hand would give me some extra heat loss in the newly built cavity but would help with the trapped damp. I have already begun the studding for the internal insulation and left a 30mm gap between the timber and the wall.

So would the way I’m going work if I stuck in a couple of air bricks or do I need to have a big re-think? Any help and ideas are much appreciated!!

[TheDoctor4]

Hi

If you need to post images click on the following link and read the FAQ note on how to achieve this: [url]http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/forums/faq.php#6[/url]

Hope this helps!!

Regards

[NewtonM]

Hi it seems this job has not only damp issues but also the abutting concrete path is allowing for passage of water to potentially penetrate the property. Have you ever had visible signs of water entering the property?

I think the single skin gable is much easier to sort out. Meshed membrane products can be applied externally which create an air gap and a direct rendered or lime finish can be applied this will stop rising and penetrating moisture. You could also opt for using it internally on the walls then build your insulated dry lining frame in front of it. This membrane system will work for retaining paths as well but you will need to drain the water away if it comes in.

Hope that helps
Warren Muschialli