Spray foam insulation did this?

[Ashful]

Sorry to hear my fellow old house nuts with the same leaky roof troubles and dampness as I. In my case, and I suspect hearth mistresses as well, this problem is amplified when these old buildings are re-pointed or re-plastered in Portland based mortars, which are not water permeable. Moisture traveling up thru your mud and sand bedding mortar cannot escape to the outside thru the modern Portland mortar, and so it pushes to the inside.

Of course, modern Latex interior paint tries to trap this moisture, leading to interior plaster failure, but that's a whole other subject. In any case, this ground moisture pushing out from the stone walls combines with a small amount of summer humidity to make a good recipe for mold. Our solution is multiple dehumidifiers, plumbed in with auto drains, strategically placed in utility areas (basement, attics) around the house. It works, but the electric usage is not insignificant.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

There are a couple things you can do to keep the water at bay for a couple years until you save up enough for a roof. If you don't know where the leak is, you can paint the areas between the shingles with tar. We still have some warm days so the tar will make it's way down into the leaks to seal them. Another thing you can do, and it's a shorter term fix than the tar, is to cover the area above the leak with a good quality tarp. Tarps are more prone to wind damage than the tar is though.

Good luck!

Matt

 

[Ashful]

We're having a new roof put on the 1890's addition tomorrow. Hope all goes well...

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Good luck! I hope it solves all of the problems!

Matt