Ivy damaged mortar PLUS leaking downpipe on same wall!

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by cathlang, Nov 19, 2014.

  1. cathlang

    cathlang New Member

    Hi guys,
    Looking for a little advice about what order to tackle things in here! My husband would normally deal with it but unfortunately he is in hospital and I'd really like to get it sorted before it gets any worse!
    We have just bought a Victorian Terrace built circa 1890 and, although the house is riddled with problems, most of the brick work looks pretty good. There is however one DREADFUL area at the front of the house, measuring around 4 metre squared.
    There is a large Ivy plant which goes all the way up to the guttering. This is in the process of getting removed and I can see that it has wormed its way into the mortar and severely damaged it in some areas. In the worst places the mortar is just a crumbly mess, with large holes in, and I can literally pull it out with my fingers.
    There is a second issue that I only realised in the last few days when I noticed that the new plaster in the lounge is refusing to dry out in a particular patch. I knew the ivy was a problem but suspected something more must be going on. I inspected the down pipe that runs on the exterior of the wall (and in exactly the same place as the still-wet plaster) and found a piece missing! A piece of the pipe about 5 inches square had cracked off and was lying on the ground.
    Basically, as well as having very compromised crumbly mortar in this area due to the ivy - in exactly the same patch water has been gushing all over the wall! The wall was absolutely saturated. No wonder the plaster on the other side wont dry!
    I managed to replace the piece of down pipe, and am going to get a de humidifier in the lounge as well as leaving the heating on to try and dry out the remaining plaster.
    I just need a little advice on the order I should be doing things in. Of course the ivy needs to be killed / removed and I will try and do this asap….. Should I then get the repointing done asap or allow the brickwork to really dry out first? I am worried that repointing might just seal the moisture IN to the wall ?? But then again it keeps raining at the moment…… very worried.
    If you guys could give me some advice / a hit list of how you would tackle this problem and in what order you would do things I would be extremely grateful!!
    Thank you J Catherine
     
  2. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select

    I can't imagine that by pointing at this stage will alter the drying out time, based on the fact you are using a dehumidifier to help dry it from the inside, the dampness in the bricks will also help the mortar the stick firm in the joint by stopping it drying out to quickly and shrinking in the joint.
     
    FatHands likes this.
  3. cathlang

    cathlang New Member

    Thank you - seems like I may as well reopint asap and just keep trying to dry it out from the inside. Thanks very much :)
     
  4. Jitender

    Jitender Screwfix Select

    If its a Victorian house, don't use a cement based mortar. I would recommend using NHL 3.5 natural hydraulic lime mortar, cement mortar is far too hard. Also a high lime mortar has he ability to reknit and reseal itself if hairline cracks occur - this is known as autogenous healing.

    You can buy ready mixed lime mortars in bags in various colours, or simply add your own coloured sand (yellow sand is available). Try making up test batches to try and match the existing mortar.

    Re-pointing is a time consuming task, and can be easy to stain the bricks if not careful. Also note that lime as well as cement is highly corrosive.

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