Who to call

[Tootsiroll]

Good morning all.

We completed on our house on Wednesday and spent yesterday pulling up carpets, underlay and grip strips so we could put the laminate flooring down.

In the living room we noticed the first four floorboards in one corner were damp to the touch so we lifted them up the have a look.

I've included a picture, you can see the joist is very damp near the wall then gradually dries out as you move along. The house is over 100 years old so it's got solid walls, there's no pipes and plumbing in the area and the next four joists have similar issues but each subsequent joist is affected less and less.

I'm assuming a damp survey is required to find out where the moisture is coming from? We know very little about DIY and google is telling us to call a carpenter.

OOI, what colour was the piece of plaster that fell off? Old lime plaster is usually greyish white, and withstands damp well. Very heavy and usually thick. Typical in a hundred-year old house, but there are regional variations.

Modern gypsum plaster is usually pink (can be grey) but darkens to chocolate if wet, and does not withstand water. Quite light. In an old house like yours I would expect it to be a fairly modern repair, possibly covering up a crack.

I had something like this from where the bay failed and the previous owner laid plastic under the flooring. The floorboards and joists were soaking, the plaster was blown. My builder ripped it all up, took some of the drive up for drainage and took off the plaster. I thought it would be a huge job but it wasn't so bad, it just took time in between the stages.

It's been a depressing two days truth be told.

We haven't been able to find anyone to help us, no one will come out, no one is interested, we're obviously willing to pay for someone to come out and look but the most we've got is from a window installer who said we should check the seals around the edge.

We've contacted four damp and timber companies, none called back, three carpenters to ask about replacing the joists and boards, they all declined. A builder said he might be able to come around later in the week and he'll text us if he's free.

We've posted jobs asking if the window could be investigated for a problem and possible replacement, no replies.

We're not sure where to turn.

It's the newer stuff, when it was wet the unpainted side was similar in colour to milk chocolate.

We took off more of the plaster, there's no sign of issues other than the wetness of the wall. Who knows though.

Is this your first house purchase? Deep breath, this is pretty standard with old houses. Not this very particular water ingress issue but finding loads of problems. You will find more.

It's also the run up to Christmas and trades will be busy finishing jobs. Everyone wants stuff done for Christmas.

A general builder with a good reputation sounds the right direction to me (they will be busy). Not a damp company. A carpenter once the water issue is solved, but a general builder can also arrange carpentry.

Why don't you ask around neighbours to see if anyone has any recommendations? Accept that you may not get this resolved now until the NY. Keep researching and investigating yourselves to see if you can at least catch the water on its way in.

If the water was running down behind the loose plaster, chip off some more, working upwards, until you find where it is getting in.

These will be useful. The bolster can bang grooves in the plaster round the border of the piece you want to cut out, which helps prevent a larger piece falling out. This one is a handy size for cutting out socket and switch boxes.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-guarded-masonry-bolster-2-3-4-x-8-1-2-/3060v

The hammer is a lighter model for delicate wrists

https://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-fibreglass-club-hammer-2-1-2lb-1-1kg-/920kf