How do I check for damp?

[Purple]

I moved into my house last May and today I was removing the curtains the previous owners had put up in the master bedroom. When I took them down I noticed that the wallpaper has curled off the wall at the top corner of the window and has bubbled away from the wall all the way down.

I know that the previous owners son did a lot of work in the house himself, including having a stopcock that is on the wrong way round, to you need to switch it to off instead of on if you want water! Though the house looks nice it has been badly done if you look closely, lovely looking laminate that has been badly fitted, a beautiful modern kitchen that on closer expection shows that the fitting leaves a lot to be desired. Could the wallpaper coming away from the wall just mean that they cut corners when putting it up or could it be a sign of damp?

If it is a sign of damp, is there a way I could definitely check to see if it is damp or do I need to call out a surveyor? Also if it is damp, how would I treat it?

Sorry if I have asked some daft questions but this was my exs' department and since we split up recently I am trying to do the best I can though I have never been DIY minded, closest I have got was when I painted a couple of walls in my old house!

Thankyou for any help you can give me

Francesca

[andrewpreece]

You can buy an electronic gizmo that has a couple of studs at one end: you press it to the wall to be tested and it emits a clicking sound, which gets ery rapid indeed if the wall in question is damp. I have no other details on it.

Quite often damp manifests itself with spots of black mould, or staining of the plaster, or efflorescence crystals etc. I wouldn't call out a surveyor to confirm damp, that's something you should be able to figure out yourself. Is your house an old one wit solid walls? They are prone to damp via ineffective dampproof courses, cracked external render or overflowing gutterpipe. Even if your house has cavity walls, check to see if water can be getting in from somewhere external as I have suggested ( hint: it may only happen during heavy rain or with a particular wind direction ). Does your wall have a water pipe in it? Could it be rising damp ( unlikely indeed if you are on the second floor, as I surmise ). You need to investigate a little,

Andy.

[Pete C]

Hi,

If it's continually damp it would most likely be mouldy. Probably just iffy wallpaper pasting, maybe they diluted the last bit too much.

cheers, Pete.

[bigcat]

mix up some wallpaper paste, brush it on the back and pres flat. Unfortunately this only sometimes gives a properly flat result, but is about as good as I've found so far. The trick is not to bend the paper, if it still wants to lie more or lses flat it should smooth down ok and give a perfect finish.

eh?

yes, yes

sure, the main signs of damp are: plaster bubbling up and disintegrating black muold musty smell and in some cases rotting wood

I dont recommend those damp meters, as a) they dont measure damp, they measure conductivity. b) they can be used to ascertain damp in wood, not plaster/wallpaper/etc c) theyre routinely misinterpreted by the inexpert, the readings they give are *not* a reading of dampness. d) theyre pointless in this case.

no, thats like calling 999 because you almost cut your finger.

No reason to think you have damp problem so far.

department

though I

NT

[Rob Morley]

Damp near windows is often caused by condensation - warm moist air from the living area meets cold air from the window and condenses on the nearest cool surface. It might also be caused by defective pointing, bridging of the wall cavity or a problem with the roof or guttering. Check the gutter is draining properly (not blocked, leaking or running uphill) and check the roof for shifted or broken tiles. It's always possible the paper just wasn't properly pasted in the first place - if it's not discoloured or disintegrating stick it down with wallpaper seam adhesive and see if it stays there.

[Purple]

Thanks to everyone who responded. There isn't any black mould or bubbling spots, it is just the wall paper coming away from the wall. My mum who is staying at me had a look and said it may be damp and to phone a surveryor to find out. I thought it was a bit extreme which is why I posted here first, but my mum is like that!

There are a few broken tiles on the roof though but I can't see any noticeable damp in the loft but I am getting a roofer out next week.

I am going to get advice from the roofer to see if the tiles are broken badly enough to be causing damp, if not then I will just paste it back on to the wall as I think that it just wasn't stuck to the wall properly in t he first place

Thanks again

Fran