This job was incredibly rewarding. Every part of it was done by myself.
I was confronted with a really damp toilet on inspection. It was damp for two reasons. The first being an issue with the roof and guttering, which I resolved first. The second being the age of the house and there is no cavity, so water sitting outside was penetrating the brickwork. I removed the water butt and redirected the rainwater directly into the drain, bypassing the building.
I removed all the damp plaster work from the ceiling and walls and let it dry out for a week before applying a base coat plaster. then I skimmed the entire room and let it dry for two weeks. However, the damp was still showing in places as the brickwork must be sodden after years of sucking up the water.
I therefore applied a damp proofing paint which blocks out the damp and then I applied two coats of Zinsser Permawhite which is an excellent paint for damp areas. It can also be applied to wood, which I did do.
On the outside brickwork, I did some pointing repair, removed items that were leaning against the brickwork as that is a great cause of damp and finally I painted on a water repellent to the brickwork in an extra effort to help the situation.
The finishing touch was a new loo roll holder and a grab rail to help the lady as she made me tea all the time!
