Damp Issues On Internal Walls.

[johnw100]

Ever since coming to Argentina i`ve always been amazed at the amount of internal dampness on walls, ie bubbling paint or lumps of plaster just falling away. I`ve now noticed it in our two year old house. I`ve refilled the places and painted but I wonder why it starts in the first place? Is it just the amount of humidity, poor ventilation or is it poor materials and workmanship in the first place? Anyone know?

Thanks

J

 

[French jurist]

Can be due to many reasons. I have such problems as well.
I'm about to buy this (seems to solve the problem):
http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-524551133-bolsas-deshumidificadoras-multiusos-reutilizables-ecologicas-_JM

 

[johnw100]

Yes thanks, we have those frenchie on the colder side of our house that keeps the moisture. They work well. Its more the fact that the damp penetrates the paint and walls so easily. We had a basement flat in London which I`ve never seen anything like that in 10 years, black mold spots yes but not bits of plaster falling off the walls!?

 

[French jurist]

Could be a leaking pipe somewhere too. Depends also if you are on the street level, etc. Adding another ventilation system can do the trick too.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

If your department has internal heating (ours is has central heating running through the floor and walls) it can cause you problems with expanding and contracting pipes.

Locate the source before spending money on equipment to dry it out.

 

[johnw100]

If your department has internal heating (ours is has central heating running through the floor and walls) it can cause you problems with expanding and contracting pipes.

Locate the source before spending money on equipment to dry it out.

Just to repeat "ive now noticed it in our two year old house..".
Nothing to do with plumbing, its a general humidity problem and i`ve noticed it in other peoples houses usually around the bottom of external walls. Think it must be to do with lack of a damp course.

 

[syngirl]

There's no insulation, no water-proofing and generally poor construction -- both the use of poor construction materials and a lack of skilled labourers. Our place is ridiculous, a couple of days of rain and in our master bedroom near the window it is dripping with water, and we have a closet with sliding doors and above it there is a crack that has progressed from end to end. The owner told me that the whole thing was a disaster, that they've had to reseal the terraza a couple of times, they had to get them to redo the walls, and she said she's just been so annoyed -- they have said they will reseal the terraza again but i don't know that they understand just how bad it is getting. Ironically the architect of the project (it is a "complex" of 4 PHs) lives in one of the units -- I'm sure he blames everyone else and takes no responsibility for the quality of construction!

 

[mulderfox]

you should wait weeks, even months before painting over newly plastered walls

 

[ElQueso]

We don't have a moisture problem in our building, but we have paint peeling problems - and I've had in any apartment I've been in. Many points on walls where it hasn't started peeling you can tell the paint is separating from the layer behind by tapping on it and feeling it. Many times this is due to poor preparation before painting - either new coats over existing paint, or the poor preparation of the cement/plaster they put as the final touch on new construction - the yeso layer.

 

[ghost]

There is not a good understanding of moisture barriers and quality construction methods. Add that to cheating the job specs and you end up with some really nasty and unhealthy conditions.