My wife and I are trying to buy a 1930’s colonial in the NE. The only issue that we have found that we cannot get comfortable with is a room on the second floor. The walls are plaster. According to the owner (since 1940s) there were apparently some repairs done approx. 50 years ago and the four walls have never been the same since. There is most definitely moisture where repairs were done. An inch away the moisture meter showed no moisture. We haven’t been able to tell if the moisture levels change when the humidity changes, however the realtor says the walls (all four) have looked the same since she has been showing it (couple of months). There are no readily apparent reasons for moisture to be present in all four walls along seams and in other obvious spots where repairs were made (e.g., no plumbing present in this part of the house or above this level, leaks from roof, siding, etc….).
The owner had a second opinion taken and the inspector is coming in to take a sample from the wall and also check for any mold (indoor/outdoor air samples). When I discussed this issue with him he mentioned that in some cases when doing plaster repair the repair material may not chemically react properly with the original plaster, therefore never cure properly and possibly be more porous.
Not being a plaster aficionado (understatement!) I have no idea if there is any truth in this or if there are any other possible explanations. The house is heated by steam, however the heat hasn’t been on for 4+ months and there are no valve problems with the radiator in the room.
Anyway…any comments/tips/help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.