Wall moisture problem with solid cement/brick Mediterranean house?

Question

Our house is solid brick/cement built on concrete slab, surrounded by tiled-over patios and otherwise well-drained. Yet there are areas where mositure creeps up the walls and causes paint to flake off and the plaster layer or "capa fina" to crumble off. This problem is solved in building new houses by layering sheets of plastic between the ground & the concrete slab foundation. How can we treat the problem in existing house? Is there a way to drill holes into the walls to ventilate? (Walls are made of 1 exterior layer of bricks, an air gap, and 1 interior layer of bricks) Or is a better solution to just reface the interior with a material that takes dampness well like ceramic tiles? Any solutions??

Answer 1

This is rising damp. If the house is fairly modern it should have a damp proof course in both the inner and outer walls. this is some
times bridged by the ground outside being too high or rubble in the cavity.
If this is not the problem then the damp proof course is either damaged or non-existant.
The only permanent answer in this case is to drill holes at floor level at intervals of 6 inches and inject the walls with a damp proofing solution.
This is usually a job for professionals.

Answer 2

I don't know about layering plaster but I do know that there is an anti-moisture product a friend of mine bought for his room with the same problem. It's like the tiny silicon beads stores include in shoe boxes to avoid moisture only this one is a bigger version made specifically for entire rooms. Maybe this will help if you can't do the major job in your walls. As far as my friend told me, it works.