Rising damp?! Is it a real thing?

[Iamtherealelsa]

This is my first post, please be kind :)

Ok so we have just bought a house, 2 bed Victorian terrace. The decor is not to my taste but we thought that would be easy to resolve and we had a teeny tiny bit left over from the move to rectify the things we didn’t love. 8 weeks or so after moving in, and we’ve noticed a hideous patchy area of damp across the whole of one wall of the dining room! It seems like it’s appeared from nowhere, and I can only think that all the recent heavy rain combined with colder temperatures/having all the doors shut now it’s cold has made what was evidently already an issue, obvious?!

On Monday we had a builder round to look who said that it was a result of needing to reflash the chimney (an issue we were aware of when we bought the house, but not something we thought would be an instant problem). Today we had a surveyor round who said that it’s nothing to do with the chimney and it’s rising damp and has affected the whole side of the house?!

Two things - firstly, I have read loads of stuff which says rising damp is a myth, that the water has to be getting in from somewhere and people are just out to flog damp proof courses which could potentially do more harm than good in old houses anyway.

Secondly, the people before the people we bought the house from, illegally built a tiny conservatory room into the side return, right next to the wall where we noticed the damp. We have theorised that perhaps they have not left enough ventilation/done something dodgy with the guttering/something else we haven’t thought of to do with their bodge job, that has led to water getting in somehow?! Anyone knowledgeable that can help?? Can post pics of the damp wall and the conservatory room if anyone would be willing to take a look? The other thing is that the whole downstairs is carpeted at the moment...not sure of that would contribute to lack of air flow/ventilation? We’re supposed to be getting the carpet taken up and wood flooring laid, but we’re now obviously going to hold off til we’ve sorted whatever this is.

We’re trying to settle in a new area and finding it all bloody exhausting to be honest. Would really appreciate anyone who can help with any insight

not without a meter.

If you have a skilled, wrinkly old plumber, he can test for a discernible leak using a glass of water at the kitchen sink.

Or, if you can find a young person with sensitive hearing, put them in the kitchen late at night when the house is silent, while you turn the outside stopcock and and off, and see if they detect an almost imperceptible background sound starting and stopping.

If you are in a terrace or semi, the leak may be next door.

We'll attempt the stopcock thing this evening...not sure if either of us qualify as young enough for it to be a successful experiment, but we'll try!

I'll update with any findings

Quick update - although the British Gas guy on Saturday said he didn't think there was any leak, the boiler keeps losing pressure. When the heating is on constant it's fine, but every time we turn it off at all the pressure drops to 0.

I phoned them again and they agreed that that shouldn't be happening and that he boiler shouldn't drop below 1 when the heating is off. They're coming back but not til the 22nd November!! Apparently that's the earliest date they can do now. Might call again tomorrow and tell them that in the gaps when the heating goes off, we're freezing and see if they miraculously find a time to come sooner...

"When the heating is on constant it's fine, but every time we turn it off at all the pressure drops to 0. "

Fault in the expansion vessel. Maybe it wants pumping up, maybe it has a leak. Is a small red tank with a sort or air ballon in it that is compressed to absorbe the expansion of water when heated, and should expand again to maintain pressure when water is cool. it may be inside or the boiler or in a larger house may be on the wall.

@PigletJohn ah ok...I won't pretend I know what the expansion vessel is or where the heck it might be in our house! Shouldn't the British Gas guy have picked this up? He did the full service for the boiler while he was here and said it was all working exactly as it should?

@PigletJohn ah ok...I won't pretend I know what the expansion vessel is or where the heck it might be in our house! Shouldn't the British Gas guy have picked this up? He did the full service for the boiler while he was here and said it was all working exactly as it should. Was he just a bit rubbish?

If you told him "When the heating is on constant it's fine, but every time we turn it off at all the pressure drops to 0. " then he should have recognised and known the probable cause. It is not unusual.

Ok, got it, unfortunately we didn't as we didn't know until we had tested it the last couple of days and seen the pattern. Urgh. So (stupid question) to clarify, if it is an issue with the expansion vessel, then it's a separate issue and not anything to do with a potential leak causing the bloody damp?!

it could happen irrespective of the leak.

In the event that there is a plumbing fault which, when the system goes overpressure, releases the excess in a way that leads to it wetting the wall, they might be connected. This is unlikely, but not impossible

the system design is usually (correctly) that any release of overpressure results in hot water squirting out of a pipe that goes through the wall behind the boiler, and leaves an unsightly stain and wet patch on the external brickwork. This annoying stain is supposed to prompt the homeowner to report the fault and get it mended.

If you phone your boiler mending company and say "When the heating is on constant it's fine, but every time we turn it off at all the pressure drops to 0" then they should know what's needed and schedule a repair.

p.s.

you might be able to stagger along by putting the heating timer on 24 hours a day, with the boiler thermostat turned down as low as it will go, so that the radiators stay somewhat warm and never go completely off or fully hot. Turn up the room stat to fairly warm.

post a picture of the outside of the house showing where the boiler is, and if this is the same wall that is damp, please.

Ok here are some pics - the boiler is on an internal wall in the kitchen, between the kitchen and dining room. I've taken a picture of the dining room wall, (it's the one where the painting and bunny lamp are). This is directly behind the boiler, no sign of damp or anything untoward at all. Another pic of the wall where the damp is, for context and to show it's the wall on the opposite side of the room. The damp wall is one adjoining wall to our neighbours (who say they have no problem at all their side).

And here are the pics!!