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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

My kitchen wall has small patches of plaster efflorescence, in different areas about half way up the wall. I've attached a photo.

I was wondering if anyone has experience of this, or is a builder and can advise me.

Everything I've read says that it's caused by water...I'm pretty sure the wall isn't damp, we had a basic damp survey when when bought the house and nothing came back.

It's was plastered when we moved in and we also had a cement floor laid at the same time. Could it be the cement floor that's caused the efflorescence?

I need to tile the wall and have been waiting to see if it gets worse or changes, which it hasn't. I've read you can treat it with vinegar, or should I have the wall treated for damp to be on the safe side?

Any advice gratefully received.

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Hi Bethany

It looks like salt crystals to me. This happens with rising damp and you can just wipe it away. I would suggest you get a damp survey. We hired a man called Bob Laing (07802167289) who wrote a comprehensive report on all our damp problems identifying where the damp was coming from and practical measures to combat it. This was money well spent.

Best

Con

hi con. How much did you spend for the report ?

Hi James

It was about two hundred two years ago but that included our house and the church. Sorry that isn't much use to you. 

Con

Thanks for your advice.

It's definitely salt crystals. I'm just not sure of the cause. It's a party wall, and can't think how that wall could be damp. It doesn't feel or smell damp...what other signs of damp are there?

I'm not keen on tiling the wall until I've cured the problem. I guess I'm hoping that it was the moisture in the concrete floor that's caused the problem. If not I'll have to take out all my kitchen units, something I'm keen to avoid at all costs. I don't really want to take off the plaster either if I can avoid that.

Has anyone used vinegar or anything else to treat this problem and did it work?
We thought about that but we left it for ages and it hasn't happened anywhere else in the house... It's so annoying! Oh well I've sanded it down now and treated it with vinegar, I'll wait and see what happens.

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