PREVIOUS FLC RPTED PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM. AUTO PRESS DEACTIVATED. FLT RELEASED WITH MANUAL PRESSURIZATION. AT FL350 UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CABIN PRESSURE. FLEW AT FL310. POSTFLT DISCOVERED TEAR IN FUSELAGE SKIN FORWARD OF SVC DOOR.

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ACFT ARRIVED FROM BUF. DEPLANING ADVISED OF A PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM. PROBABLY FORWARD ENTRY DOOR SEAL. MAINT ADVISED ME THAT THIS ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF PRESSURIZATION PROBLEMS. MECH CTL DECIDED TO PLACARD THE SYS TO OPERATE IN MANUAL. I QUESTIONED THE MECH AS TO THE NEED FOR THIS SINCE I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. BUT MECH CTL SAID IT WOULD; SO AWAY WE WENT. DURING CLB TO FL350; IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE CABIN WOULD EXCEED 8000 FT AT THAT ALT; SO WE WENT AT FL310. CABIN LEVELED AT 7600 FT AND GRADUALLY CLBED TO 7900. OUTFLOW VALVE AND FORWARD CARGO PIT VALVES WERE BOTH FULL CLOSED. ON DSCNT IT REQUIRED 80 N2 ON BOTH ENGS 1 AND 3 TO CTL CABIN DSCNT AT 500 FPM. ADVISED FLL THAT WE WOULD NEED MAINT ON ARR. MECHS FOUND 3' BY 12' GASH IN FUSELAGE BELOW AND AHEAD OF FORWARD GALLEY DOOR. WHEN I INITIALLY ARRIVED AT THE ACFT PRIOR TO FLT THE FORWARD GALLEY WAS BEING SVCED AND THE FLT ENGINEER WAS OUT WALKING AROUND THE ACFT. I BELIEVE HIS VIEW OF THE DAMAGE WAS BLOCKED BY THE CATERING TRUCK. AT THE PREVIOUS AIRLINE WHERE I WORKED; IT WAS STANDARD PROC FOR A MECH TO WALK AROUND THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO PUSHBACK TO PREVENT THIS SORT OF OCCURRENCE. BUT THE PWRS THAT BE AT THIS AIRLINE DON'T REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW WE DID IT ELSEWHERE; SO NO SUGGESTION IS MADE.