Cyprus-Forum.com

[cyprustony]

I have had a house in the Paphos region for three years. It now suffers from damp in a number of rooms downstairs with flaking paint, bubbling plaster and black mould on the walls. Does anyone else suffer from the same problem? Is there any way it can be solved?

[little sugar]

Was it new when you moved in ?

[devil]

If they are interior walls, you may be in serious trouble, probably a water leak in the sand layer between the screed and the slab.

If they are only exterior walls, then you have a no-damp-course problem.

If they are walls only with a tiled balcony/verandah/balcony attached, it is probably because the joint between the floor tiles and the wainscot course has not been sealed.

Typical problems, all three, of cheap construction.

[Mikros]

Nah, first paint the walls and then do a nice insulation on the roof. Had the same problem at my parents house and eventually this cured it for more than a year now

[devil]

Sorry, can't agree. Why would insulating the roof affect only the downstairs rooms?

[Mikros]

sorry missed that bit downstairs, yes indeed you may have broken pipes, especially if the rooms are below the WC or kitchen

[TheCabbie]

If it's downstairs the water is probably coming up, not down, I'd make a bet the house was built without a damp-course, in which case you're looking at chaos and big bills to put one in.

[cyprustony]

[quote="little sugar"]Was it new when you moved in ?[/quote]

Yes, it was built in 2000/2001 then empty for a while before I moved in.

[cyprustony]

[quote="devil"]If they are interior walls, you may be in serious trouble, probably a water leak in the sand layer between the screed and the slab.

If they are only exterior walls, then you have a no-damp-course problem.

If they are walls only with a tiled balcony/verandah/balcony attached, it is probably because the joint between the floor tiles and the wainscot course has not been sealed.

Typical problems, all three, of cheap construction.[/quote]


It seems to me that it probably is the 'no damp proof course' problem. What do you suggest as a cure for this?

[cyprusgrump]

Damp is common in Cypriot houses as far as I can see.

If you have damp all-year then it is probably due to a leaking pipe.

If it is a winter phenomenon and due to the ingress of rain look elsewhere.

A number of possible reasons, the obvious one is a complete lack of a damp proof course in almost all houses. If it is there it may well have been damaged during constriction.

A possible simple remedy is to fit guttering around the roof – I have observed a number of damp problems where the rain falling off the roof splashes op the side of the house and soaks the brickwork. Guttering is very cheap here and dramatically reduces the noise of heavy rainfall!