Damp expert or plumber?

[emilou]

I've noticed what looks like possibly a damp patch in the top corner of my kitchen wall. It's an external wall and also sits under the bathroom. The patch is very small which makes me think its a localised issue. I'm not even convinced if its currently damp or has been in the past - only that the wall is in a different condition in that patch. Ive tried feeling the wall to see if it's noticbly colder in that patch but Im not 100% convinced either way. I wondered whether anyone could advise whether it would be best to get help from a plumber or a damp specialist as I'm not too sure at this point. Any advice gratefully received.

[Sarah HD]

My suggestion, is that in the first instance, you get some steps and in soft pencil trace around the perimiter of the stain. Then observe over whatever period of time it takes to determine whether the stain is getting bigger or not. If you go outside the property are there any pipes running down the outside of the wall that might be affecting this area? One way of telling whether they are functioning correctly might be to turn the basin or bath tap on, leaving the plugs out, and go outside and observe whether there are any obvious leaks or untoward happenings that might be causing penentrating damp. I think I'd recomend a plumber in the first instance, if the mark gets bigger, but perhaps I'm biased. Hope this helps.

Sarah (ACIPHE RP)

Sarah Hudson-Davies Plumbing