Damp worries - pic attached, help please!

[Confusedmoose]

Hi everyone,

we’ve had our (very old) kitchen ripped out. I’ve noticed this wet patch on the wall- have spoken to the builder who says it’s nothing to worry about and is planning on putting our new kitchen in anyway. I’m really concerned the kitchen is damp and obviously don’t want to cover it up. Do you think this looks like damp? Kitchen hasn’t been replaced in about 30 years.

have tried to contact other builders for a second opinion but no one is getting back to me.

Is it normal for a kitchen wall to look like this when bare?

I think the only way to tell is to buy or borrow a damp meter and check…

The dark patch at the bottom? Yes, I would be concerned about it. Has something been removed like a washing machine and it could have been water released from a hose? in which let it dry out and it’ll be ok. This might be why he isn’t worried as it’s a known source already dealt with.
If not, then have a look around for a leaky pipe, dripping tap or outside pipe/drain/gutter or something breaching the damp proof course etc.
Dont panic as it’s spotted, and can be resolved once you know the source.

Get a hair dryer and see if you can dry the surface within 5-10 minutes. Then wait and come back to it in a few hours. If it's wet through again it may be damp, if it stays dry it was probably just wet. If it never comes dry, it's probably damp. (I'm not a damp specialist, just speaking from experience.)

There’s definitely a damp patch but it maybe from a recent water spill. The plaster doesn’t look like it’s been wet for ages and started to degrade.
Stick a heater in front of it and dry it out and wait to see if it comes back.

It’s not from a washing machine as we don’t have one in here, we’re making a space to put one in. The skirting boards underneath will be coming out too and I’m worried it’ll be wet under there too. Will try the hair drying, he says it’s not an issue and the kitchen can just go in over it 👀

To quote @PigletJohn, what's on the other side of that wall?

@Wingedharpy its an external wall. The kitchen was extended at some point and where the wet patch is, is where the external wall is

Go and check outside for damaged and or blocked gutters/drainpipes/drains and breached damp proof courses eg soil piled up beside the house.

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what @Alphabet1spaghetti2 said.

Check the soil level outside that wall. Lower it to below the damp course if necessary.

Check for a broken or blocked drain, or a broken gutter. Check that the mortar in that wall hasn't gone crumbly and absorbent, although unlikely if that is a new wall. Is there something touching the wall above the damp course that is allowing water to soak across.

I would not want a cupboard put in front of that until the source of damp is identified and sorted. Your kitchen man is just in a hurry to get paid.