Damp utility room

[asalcedo]

I have a small utility room in the lower ground floor of my house (abou

1.2 m wide x 2.2 m long x 3 m tall)

The bottom half of the height is under street level and the upper hal if above street level.

The south and west walls are outside walls, the other walls ar interior ones.

There is a significant (although not too excesive) damp problem on th outside west wall, from the bottom to a little above street level. Th paint is flaking and even when using damp proof paint, it form bubles.

Also, there is a damp smell in the room.

The source of the problem is, most likely, the water collected by th street outside.

Would an air brick or, more precisely, a 107 mm hole through th outside wall help?

I am asking about the air brick, because I need to drill a hole for vent dryer in the same room next week and am thinking of doing a secon hole for ventilation at the same time.

I know that a dehumidifier would be probably more effective, but would prefer to resort to that only if the ventilation hole is deeme not appropriate.

Thanks,

Antoni

-- asalcedo

[Steve]

An airbrick might help, but you will need more than one to provide airflow through the room and they would need to be on different walls to make airflow through the room possible.

A dehumidifier would help but it would have to be run all the time and would not address the actual problem.

Steve

[mail]

Dear Antonio

There is a significant (although not too excesive) damp problem on the outside west wall, from the bottom to a little above street level. The paint is flaking and even when using damp proof paint,

There is not really any such product... either you "tank" it or you don't. Paint is of no use

it forms bubles.

That is the substrate behind it which is almost certainly (a) hygroscopic and (b) eflorescent - neither will be suitable substrates for any paint

Also, there is a damp smell in the room.

Damp does not smell - the smell is likely to be mould growth and that is not a good thing - health wise

The source of the problem is, most likely, the water collected by the street outside.

It is simply lateral penetration of damp from the adjacent ground

Would an air brick or, more precisely, a 107 mm hole through the outside wall help? Not in the least - but it may help the the atmosphere of the room

I am asking about the air brick, because I need to drill a hole for a vent dryer in the same room next week and am thinking of doing a second hole for ventilation at the same time.

Won't deal with the cause may deal with some of the effects

I know that a dehumidifier would be probably more effective, but I would prefer to resort to that only if the ventilation hole is deemed not appropriate.

No it won't (much) as again you are attempting to cure the symtom not the cause

look up tanking in Google for optons look at the Structural Water proofing association website Chris

Thanks,

Antonio

[meow2222]

You dont give us any info about house construction, so its hard to know for sure what the cause is. If its a very old house, penetrating damp is likely, but there are certainly other possibilities.

Ventilation would dry the air to some degree, and reduce mould growth, but it also throws heat away. A dehumidifier is a cheaper option because it doesnt lose heat. I dont know why a previous poster thought one would have to run continuously, this is really not likely in a small room with minor damp.

If you do go with a dehumidifier, it can dry the clothes as well, making the tumble dryer redundant, and making the whole room act like a big walk in dryer.

[Bob Smith]

From the wiki: " Produces deionised water suitable for steam ironing, steam cleaning, batteries, etc"

I had a damp problem, and gave some water from my DH to someone with a fish tank nitrate problem. He used his nitrate testing kit on it, and it was worse than the water in the tank. Is deionised water supposed to be pure H20?

Bob

[Pete C]

Yes, but water from a domestic dehumidifier isn't pure, likely to have some aluminium at least.

cheers, Pete.

[asalcedo]

Hi NT,

Thank you for the info on the dehumidifier.

It does sound like a great idea.

I have already received the dryer and will install it since it i already arranged.

However, I am likely going to install a dehumidifier as well. It wil help with the damp problem in the room and, by the way it looks, it ma indeed dry the clothes. No harm in trying.

Tanking sounds like the best solution, but it is complicated an expensive. Also, since the damp issue is not major it may be a overkill.

The house was built in 1927. The problem wall, the west facing wall half under street level is about 35 cm thick with bricks, and probably cavity wall.

Only this west wall is in contact with the outside ground, the other are not.

The ground adjacent to the wall is covered on top by a cobbleston street and in one end there is a 1.2m x 1.2m area of exposed bare soi with plants and trees.

It seems to me that rainwater is sips from the cobblestones and th exposed soil onto the underground west wall, causing the damp.

What type of damp is this? How is it best treated?

Thanks,

Antoni

-- asalcedo