Who to call for a leak or rising damp?

[murphymazz12]

Hi 

I’ve discovered our skirting board and plaster is damp, smells musty and paint is starting to peal off. 

we know previous owners experienced water damage in same location due to a leak from the adjoining Town house 3+ years ago. However this is definitely new moisture. 

however, due to the location it’s also possible to be rising damp from my research .

who would you call first? A plumber or a damp specialist ? 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @murphymazz12. It's fantastic to have you join us and many thanks for your question about which tradesperson to contact.

I'd suggest that if this is an unresolved or reoccurring issue, then it might be wise to get employ the services of some type of specialist. Is this a plaster over brick wall? If it's a solid brick wall, it will probably require moisture detecting equipment to track down the source of the moisture. If it's a plaster over a timber frame, it will be relatively easy for a plumber to cut out a section of plaster to investigate the leak.

Calling a plumber might be the best option, as they'll likely have detection equipment on call and can repair leaking pipes. A damp specialist will be great at isolating the area from where the moisture is coming from, but not necessarily be a plumber able to fix the pipes. Call a plumber first to inspect and he'll let you know if a more specialized service is needed.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[MrSober]

It makes you wonder if the leak was ever fixed correctly if it is happening again in the same area.

You may be able to investigate a little your self by popping off the Foxtel outlet and the Coax outlet on the other side and use your phone camera with flash to see if anything sticks out.

Might help with working out if you need a plumber if there are water pipes or something. What is on the otherside of the outside wall is it garden beds or something? or just concrete.

[coffeerequired]

Do you know the layout of the other unit? Could there be a bathroom on the other side? If so my thinking could be leak in wall from taps or waterproofing failure. I would recommend talking to you neighbour or you could get a plumber to investigate from your side if a plaster wall. The neighbours may not be aware of anything as the damp is on your side.