water damage in wall. please help!

Hello, the wall plaster is buckling and cracking in top floor of brownstone. The damage in the top back corner wall of the house, ahout 3 feet across and four feet down. It was there when we moved in 4 years ago. A painter did a good patch then, but now the damage has slowly broken through. Outside the roof does not reveal any obvious problem. I know I am not qualified to fix this, but what type of service person do I call? Any thoughts appreciated!

katiekatie

in General Discussion 8 years and 9 months ago

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slopefarm | 8 years and 9 months ago

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Yes, find the source of the water, first. Fix that. Then fix up the wall. If you don’t find it easily up on the roof (clogged gutter, subtle opening in the roof) you may need to open up a small section of the wall where it is damaged and have a look behind it. Water can get in one place on a roof and then migrate a bit before finding a lw point to seep in and mess up your wall.

Rick | 8 years and 9 months ago

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Dave is right. Water that runs down a wall under a clogged gutter will do that. After you check your gutter you may need to call a roofer.

daveinbedstuy | 8 years and 9 months ago

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Also, with the top back wall being the location, are the gutter drains clogging? Water would back up along the very edge of the roof where it meets the gutter. If this is the case it will get a lot worse with any Winter ice damns.

daveinbedstuy | 8 years and 9 months ago

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A patch is not the correct solution to the underlying problem which will continue to repeat itself. Is there any indication at all of water damage? Leaks in roofs are never obvious. It may be along the flashing or tar on the parapet and flowing down the party wall there with only moisture accumulation causing the damage to the actual plaster.