Help identify source of dampness?

[ToughButterCup]

👍

[saveasteading]

On 29/05/2023 at 21:12, ETC said:

Going forward you’re going to have to reduce the ground level.

Agreed. I think do this first then review. I've seen this so often, and it is usually that simple.

 

Assuming you have a suspended timber floor, the air brick is allowing water under the floor and it may be sopping wet, and rotting the floor.

 

The gravel is too high but also full of muck so not draining.

 

But before filling in again either work out or use water to see if it runs away, downwards or sideways. If it doesn't then it needs more channeling.

 

If you use gravel again   it needs to be weeded but also removed, cleaned and replaced every couple of years.

[Radian]

On 30/05/2023 at 22:52, Pollyanna said:

I believe that cavity wall insulation was installed several years ago.

That may be wicking water up and across the cavity. Do you know what insulating material was used?  As others have said the gravel strip has to be dug out and replaced such that it cannot allow water to build up in that location. If the cavity insulation is indeed the type that can get soaked it may take a long time to dry out. To assist with the drying out and to make sure there's nothing else bridging the cavity, you could carefully remove the return brick on the corner (bottom right brick in this photo)  which will expose the end of the cavity leading to the air brick.

[Pollyanna]

On 31/05/2023 at 08:53, ToughButterCup said:

Now's the time for a dig around in the inside wall, and floor boarding.

Get a damp meter and see just how damp (or otherwise ) it is.

Here's a link to a series of choices of damp meter. (I assume you haven't got one)

Got a damp meter and have been playing with it. The wall with the tidemark gives 17.7 above the skirting, 13.5 about a meter above, and 10.3 about 2 meters above. The adjacent wall gives 20.0 above the skirting, 4.0 about a meter up, and 9.0 about 2 meters above.

 

The floor reads between 15.0 and 20.0 along the wall with the tide mark. I can't get the carpet back any further to check further out, but once partner comes home we can do that if need be.