Damp in Stud Walls

[And.Warde]

Hi - I'm looking for a spot of advice:

I own a terraced house, that was built in 1847. There is a stud wall between the stairs and the kitchen. Recently, I noticed that there was a "tide mark" along the bottom of the kitchen side of the wall that looked as though it might be damp. The other side of the stud wall is the understairs cupboard, so I have removed the plaster board to investigate the problem.

My investigations have revealed the studs in the wall to be extreemly rotten, and they don't appear to be on any solid foundation. I am concerned becasue I suspect that at least one of these studs is providing support for the ends of some of the joists, as the stairs prevent them crossing fully between the two party walls.

Does anybody have suggestions on what the best course of action would be?

Thanks, And.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

With the plaster board removed, are you able to feel any dampness on the back of the board which faces the kitchen, where the "tide mark" is? And, have you investigated what's going on directly above these studs? Is there a wall directly above, containing pipes? Or, any possible water or moisture source in the attic?

[Malcolm Hoar]

You've got a lot of issues here. Damp, rot, doubt about the structural integrity and (sounds like) adjacent to a party wall. I think I'd seek a professional diagnosis if only to protect myself from liability issues with your neighbor. You definitely need to find out exactly how far this damage has spread into the adjacent walls/floor.

I doubt that the original 1847 construction included a load bearing stud wall. But quite a few homeowners and contractors have likely hacked around with the place since then ;-)

Whatever remedial action you take, be sure to locate the source of that water or any replacement studs will soon be rotting as well.

[DK]

First you brace

Then you dismantle and inspect and repair. .

[And.Warde]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to get a builder in to look at it. I think that the problem has been caused by rising damp, as the studs in the partition are below the level of the current floor (and hence below the level of the DPM), although they are resting on slate.

Thanks again, And

[Professional]

Hire a professional.

[Professional]

Hire a professional.

[gdwolgast]