Damp walls?

[sophy]

First of all I'd like to say hello, this is my first post - be gentle with me!

I'm a newbie domestic electrical installer, care of Trade Skills 4U - ie. just about sufficient knowledge technically but absolutely no practical experience whatsoever! I figured the best way to get started is by fixing up the atrocious electrics in my own house, but there are a few problems.

I live in Brighton, therefore my house is made of bungaroosh (for those that don't know, it's a pile of rubble stuck together with lime mortar then rendered over). It's also been treated very badly, smothered with several inches of concrete plaster/render at every available opportunity, and henceforth is extremely damp especially in the kitchen which is partially below ground.

So my question is, are there any provisions that ought to be taken when putting electrics into damp walls (if it is even possible with the state of my plaster!) as it's more likely they will degrade quicker? The previous owner did a beautiful job, ran a radial circuit out for extra sockets in the kitchen, but instead of fixing any of them to the walls, clipped the cable to the skirting board and left the sockets hanging in mid-air in the back of a cupboard...

Any advice appreciated even if I am asking a stupid question!

Thanks
Sophie

 

[sophy]

Or is there some kind of masonic initiation ritual I have to go through before I get any replies...

 

[blackiel]

Yeah, me Darling...You gotta dance naked with a hammer and bolster in your hand,showing you can knock out a chase,like everyone else,then come round mine and rewire it,full spec,home automation the lot.......,
but now ive stopped dreaming,you could try Bitumen,also known as Blacking,its a liquid,like paint but waterproof,used to use it on basement jobs,dont know the full requirements for brighton/sea areas,but we used it because it extended beyond our guarantee,...

Good luck girl...Keep me informed...You owe me a rewire..Ha Ha!!!!!!

Be Lucky!!

 

[Spudnik]

Have to admit that i have never really stumbled across this situation before.

I am sure there must be some way of getting over this.

How about using dry line boxes somehow?

 

[Adam W]

I'd never even heard of 'bungaroosh' until just now and i lived there for 4 years.
That seems to be a very specific local issue, like the plastic sheeting they use in parts of Devon and Cornwall to keep the radiation out .
Did they mention it on your course?

 

[Tony Way]

I'm working on a 15th century place with that plastic coating to the outside, hence, walls are damp to the point of wet in places. It's eaten through unprotected T/E so i've buried plastic conduit in the walls, glue jointed that to plasic surface boxes also sunk into the walls and put silicone sealant in and around all fixings going through the boxes. It's as close to waterproofing as I can get. Would appear to work, as some of the house done like that 10 years ago and fittings still in good shape. Also got over some of the low IR readings caused by accessories swimming in moisture.

Lot of work but should help protect installation. Also, as you are using conduit, you could make your life a bit easier by using singles rather than T/E. More strightforward to get through pipes.

Hope that helps

 

[Scott F]

If you have damp walls then thats the problem, not the method of installation you need to follow .

I would try and locate the damp or put a false cavity wall in with the run off running underneath the floor .

I appreciate you may not have the money at the moment but in the long run the problem will not go away it

just may be stalled for a while. As for damp and rcd s ! Dog chasing its tail springs to mind.

 

[Tony Way]

Conduit method used in GradeII building where false wallsetc not an option. It raised IR reading on L/N from 0.06 to 236 and L/E from 0.38 to 289 (and yes there was nuisance tripping, usually at night when dew point dropped and damp accessories became decent conductors, which was why I was called in in the first place).

 

[Smugley]

Know exactly what you mean. Mother in law's place in Preston Circus is just the same. Making fixings is a nightmare. The wall either crumbles into dust or else breaks your drill bit when you hit a lump of flint. Best idea - move further out from the centre to somewhere built in the last century Last time I changed a socket there the galv backbox was totally rusted out and the screws disintegrated.

 

[sophy]

Thanks, I may have to do that!

I'm working on a 15th century place with that plastic coating to the outside, hence, walls are damp to the point of wet in places. It's eaten through unprotected T/E so i've buried plastic conduit in the walls, glue jointed that to plasic surface boxes also sunk into the walls and put silicone sealant in and around all fixings going through the boxes. It's as close to waterproofing as I can get. Would appear to work, as some of the house done like that 10 years ago and fittings still in good shape. Also got over some of the low IR readings caused by accessories swimming in moisture.

Lot of work but should help protect installation. Also, as you are using conduit, you could make your life a bit easier by using singles rather than T/E. More strightforward to get through pipes.

Hope that helps

 

[sophy]

Yes, I know I will have to deal with it at some point but it's not exactly a small job! I've had a damp surveyor in so I know how to fix it - ie remove all the cement plaster from the inside, and all the cement render from the outside if possible, let the walls dry out and then re-do it in lime plaster/render. Can't even find any bugger who'll do it even if I do have the money! Metal studding is my next option.

If you have damp walls then thats the problem, not the method of installation you need to follow .

I would try and locate the damp or put a false cavity wall in with the run off running underneath the floor .

I appreciate you may not have the money at the moment but in the long run the problem will not go away it

just may be stalled for a while. As for damp and rcd s ! Dog chasing its tail springs to mind.

 

[sophy]

Thanks for that vote of confidence!

Know exactly what you mean. Mother in law's place in Preston Circus is just the same. Making fixings is a nightmare. The wall either crumbles into dust or else breaks your drill bit when you hit a lump of flint. Best idea - move further out from the centre to somewhere built in the last century Last time I changed a socket there the galv backbox was totally rusted out and the screws disintegrated.

 

[blackiel]

Yes, I know I will have to deal with it at some point but it's not exactly a small job! I've had a damp surveyor in so I know how to fix it - ie remove all the cement plaster from the inside, and all the cement render from the outside if possible, let the walls dry out and then re-do it in lime plaster/render. Can't even find any bugger who'll do it even if I do have the money! Metal studding is my next option.

Try looking up strawbalefutures.co.uk or amazonnails They have a lot on lime platerers/renderers etc