Damp patch on my gable end

[17leftfeet]

I've got a damp patch in my bedroom in the middle of a very exposed gable end wall

My roof is fine -I've got a velux so I've been able to have a good look

The wall doesn't look damp from the outside

It's a Victorian property with no cavity wall

Is it possible that the persistent rain has just saturated the brick and it will dry out again or am I looking at repointing?

A victorian house probably has the roof overhanging the wall by a foot or so, so water should not easily get to the wall. You would need quite a bad defect in the brickwork for water to get in. You say you already went in the loft and looked for signs of a leak? Does the wall seem damp up there? Could the water be entering around a window? Does the outside brickwork look wet where wind has driven rain against it?

Modern houses can have Dry Verges where the tiles meet the wall, which fall out.

The loft is a bedroom and the wall feels damp but its not wet if that makes sense

It's about 5ft away from the window which is in good condition

The wall doesn't appear wet, no white tide marks for example and there is no issue with condensation in the room

The damp on the inside is in circular patches in the middle of the wall and the salts are coming out of the plaster

The roof was done 5 years ago and the room was re plastered at the same time

I have damp issue with my external bedroom window and the problem started with the rains few months ago. I am suspecting rotten frame of the window and also was told to blame south-western winds which potentially COULD saturate brickwork with rain water.

Oh. Not a euphemism then, an actual problem with your house.

I too thought this was a pervy sex thread, Lady.

In property??

Oh it's the DIY that fooled you isn't it lol

circular patches usually mean that water penetration is about the middle of the circle. It is a Victorian house so no cavity ties. On a gable wall there would not usually be a gutter or a downpipe (if there is, it is leaking) so maybe you are right about pointing, or brick defects. See if you can borrow a pair of binoculars. If the wall is rendered, a crack or loose section can trap water against the wall. If it is just pointing it is a minor job. I should think though, if it is pointing, it must be really bad.

If the plaster is straight onto the bricks, you will be seeing the damp. However if it is modern plasterboard on dots and dabs, or on battens or insulation, and sounds hollow when rapped, the whole wall might be wet, but not showing on the plaster. D&D will be at fairly regular intervals vertically and horizontally and will sound different in the spots.

Time to get recommendations for a trusted local builder, who will have seen hundreds of similar local houses.

I honestly can't remember if its straight onto the brick or not, the whole house was done -some of it was, some not but it sounds solid when you tap it

The cost is going to be scaffold I think -its 3rd story

No guttering or downpipes on that side of the house

If I set my dehumidifier going will it cause anymore damage or do I need to try and dry it out more slowly?

I know I need to get the outside sorted but I'm conscious of mould which I don't have yet

A dehumidifier won't do any harm. Shut the door and window or it will try to dehumidify the world.

sorry to interrupt, but am yet again in awe with PJ's encyclopedic knowledge AND an extremely concise and correct writing style (do you lecture somewhere, or write manuals? you should!)

(and even manages to be humourous at times on such subjects 'dehumidify the world' )

Sincere ha ha at "or it will try to dehumidify the world."

Friend coming round with his ladders at the weekend weather permitting

This thread interests me... we too have a very exposed south facing wall and a south facing single storey extension (flat roof). Something somewhere is leaking, and it has been suggested (by the roofers who have guaranteed the flat roof for 15 years ) that rather it being the flat roof it could be rain penetrating the brickwork. Ours is a cavity wall though. Interesting to read that PJ says the brickwork would have to be very bad for this to cause the problem... can't see anything wrong with it myself.
I'd be interested to see what your friend makes of it 17.