Old Stone Cottage Damp First Level.. help!

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Darrendarf

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Hello everyone :)

First time here, so forgive me if I get any terminology wrong etc.

Basically, I have just purchased an old stone, 1700s house. We have removed all traces of cement, gypsum plaster etc to let the building breath. Amazingly, now we have removed all of that, the stone underneath is stunning, we're currently having outside repointed with lime. This seems to be working a treat, the building is loving us for it.

One problem we have is, the lower level, 1/3rd of it is underground, and this is causing penetrating damp. Currently, it's just back to stone, but the walls are damp inside, in the areas which are underground.

What is the best plan of attack here? I do plan on getting a Nuaire Flatmaster, to get some venitilation down there, but I have been told this may not 100% solve the issue. If I was to lime render those walls.. would this spread out the dampness and help it air out.. ? Should those walls not be lime rendered? I do unerstand how DPM works etc, but from what I've learnt, it will just spread the damp to other areas..

Any suggestions would be grateful, or anyone who has been thru similar with good results
 
Darrendarf said:
Hello everyone :)

First time here, so forgive me if I get any terminology wrong etc.

Basically, I have just purchased an old stone, 1700s house. We have removed all traces of cement, gypsum plaster etc to let the building breath. Amazingly, now we have removed all of that, the stone underneath is stunning, we're currently having outside repointed with lime. This seems to be working a treat, the building is loving us for it.

One problem we have is, the lower level, 1/3rd of it is underground, and this is causing penetrating damp. Currently, it's just back to stone, but the walls are damp inside, in the areas which are underground.

What is the best plan of attack here? I do plan on getting a Nuaire Flatmaster, to get some venitilation down there, but I have been told this may not 100% solve the issue. If I was to lime render those walls.. would this spread out the dampness and help it air out.. ? Should those walls not be lime rendered? I do unerstand how DPM works etc, but from what I've learnt, it will just spread the damp to other areas..

Any suggestions would be grateful, or anyone who has been thru similar with good results
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If you can put a fairly big french drain in, the nuaire vent will help but won't dry out the place if it's constantly wet, make sure you have plenty of natural airflow as well
 
zolco said:
If you can put a fairly big french drain in, the nuaire vent will help but won't dry out the place if it's constantly wet, make sure you have plenty of natural airflow as well
Click to expand...
Yeah, the issue is... I can on one side... but the back wall I can't. In the 70s, the previous owner put in a red brick extension, with concrete slab, attached to the old stone building. This is level with the second floor... so I have a feeling, that is trapping moisture in also... hard to know what the best route is with this :S These old stone buildings are meant to breath, I fear tanking would cause further issue.. hmm :S
 
Can't lower ground outside really..

The side of the house, it leads up to a garage. At the back, they built an extention, so there's an extention, 2nd floor up, to the back.... so the 1st floor, this floors back wall (which is damp), has ground behind it, which sits underneath the extention above.. the garden slopes up you see
 
I've looked in to numerous ways.. just not sure how to get around it, just wasn't sure if any bright sparks would have the answer. :S
 
Darrendarf said:
Can't lower ground outside really..

The side of the house, it leads up to a garage. At the back, they built an extention, so there's an extention, 2nd floor up, to the back.... so the 1st floor, this floors back wall (which is damp), has ground behind it, which sits underneath the extention above.. the garden slopes up you see
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Can you post pics of the building out side and in?you have already answered your question if you can't move the ground from outside your always gonna have issues,are you hell bent on keeping stone walls on show internally? I do like them my self tbh and would keep them if I could ...
 
bopper said:
Can you post pics of the building out side and in?you have already answered your question if you can't move the ground from outside your always gonna have issues,are you hell bent on keeping stone walls on show internally? I do like them my self tbh and would keep them if I could ...
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Were are you?
 
bopper said:
Can you post pics of the building out side and in?you have already answered your question if you can't move the ground from outside your always gonna have issues,are you hell bent on keeping stone walls on show internally? I do like them my self tbh and would keep them if I could ...
Click to expand...
No, we are keeping them shown upstairs.. as don't have damp issues, but in 1st level, we planned on lime rendering the walls internally.. I'll try and get some pics

I live in Barnsley
 
Darrendarf said:
On the outside... ?
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Yes, something like this and it's the ideal time now to do it. Leave it for some time before you do the inside render

IMG_0843.JPG
IMG_0845.JPG
 
Wow thanks guys, appreciate your help on this.

So how deep you reckon I go... depth of the floor below? The only issue is I can get down both sides, but I can't the back. An extension sites at the back, at the level of the second level. Any suggestions there? I'll post some pics tomorrow of the house, of before and aftrr. It was totally covered in concrete on outside
 
Darrendarf said:
Can't lower ground outside really..

The side of the house, it leads up to a garage. At the back, they built an extention, so there's an extention, 2nd floor up, to the back.... so the 1st floor, this floors back wall (which is damp), has ground behind it, which sits underneath the extention above.. the garden slopes up you see
Click to expand...
Get the floor up dig it out, replace it with a raft floor maybe, or try membrane from the extension side like others suggested
 
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