Assistance with outside of property causing damp

[Gardener]

Hi I am new here. Wonder if anyone can help. I have damp in my hallway inside which is along the outside wall. The outside has stayed the same for many years. The tide mark from the ground up (which some may call rising damp) has materialised in the last couple of years. I believe it has something to do with the outside (pics attached), clearly too much water has entered the wall and cannot evaporate. I don’t know whether it is the ground level round the side (too high), the black channel drain, or the actual drain itself. I know the drain has a few leaves in it but I clear this out every couple of days and its normally clear. The actual tide mark inside started underneath the window near the back wooden gate, although I know that water can travel. I am also not sure where the damp course is on the wall, as whoever laid the drive and patio put it too high up (before I moved in). I had to lower the levels round the back and front by getting a channel cut out. However I didn’t do the side where shown. The driveway slopes towards the house. I want to re-do the driveway with proper drainage but need to know how to fix the side correctly to stop the inside problem. I am also aware the house is rendered and painted.
The house is old, has solid exterior walls and floorboards inside.
I did get a builder round but he wasn’t sure. I'm reluctant to call a damp Company who will likely tell me the wrong info just so they can get money out of me to do a job.
I just need the correct advice/solution which is the difficult part.
I would be most grateful for any advice.
Many thanks.

 

[alexander]

the render is not helping it goes all the way to the ground trapping any moisture behind it, the ground level also looks like it rises slightly, there is what seems to be condensation on the window which will not be helping & the fence post looks like its cut into the render its really difficult to see exactly what condition the render may be in, while it may not be the cause of the water ingress it most certainly will be what is then trapping the moisture in the wall, while removing the render will help the problem
you may have the problem of what condition the brickwork is in behind the render,
have they damaged the brickwork to key the render to or if its been repointed with cement,
then you need to look at the inside is it lime plaster or gypsum,
its can be a long laborious job to correct what has been done in the past to create the issues you now face & want to solve

 

[MatthewC]

You say your ground level round the side is "too high". I presume that you are saying that it is level to, or even above, the internal floor level? "Too high" actually is when you do not have the ground a full 6 inches below the floor level. If that is the case you have, then your first course of action should be to sort it by digging your proposed channel. Ideally that should be a French Drain, but even an 8 inch wide channel will help if you can dig it low enough. I would aim for at least a 4 inch deep layer of gravel below that 6 inch depth, but I guess that does depend on the type of soil and whether water can drain through it.

NB the width of the channel filled with gravel also has the effect of stopping splashback from rain hitting the solid drive surface which keeps the bottom of the wall permanently damp. And the render does not look as though it helps, but I would do the channel first.