Damp - require advice

[PapaLazaru]

So the house I recently moved into has a little damp here and there but I was aware of it when I bought it and managed to get a reduction on the price accordingly.

I have had a few people round who are all telling me different things, not surprisingly that the problem can definitely be fixed within their area of expertise.

I have been told we have a little rising damp and require a chemical damp-proof course and some new airbricks and some tanking (by the damp specialist) and also possible roof issues which are causing the problem which need looking at (by the roofing specialist). Of course, each cannot comment on it being the other as it 'is not their area of expertise'.

Now it may well be that both problem areas need looking at, but I am loathe to throw money at people who are not going to fix the problem.

I am tempted to get a full structural survey done so can get some independent advice on the problem, but these, of course, also cost a fair amount of money.

Kind of stuck a little as I have not lived in an older style property before.

 

[Nightglow]

I presume it's penetrating damp, biggest cause of damp on 1st floor, flashing around chimneys, valleys leaking, blocked gutters & defective pointing.

Ground floor, broken drainage pipes, long term water leaks,blocked gullies, soil banked up against walls, allows moisture from soil to be driven up the walls,poor air flow under floors, through the air vents.

 

[Lt_Red]

The question to ask is where is the damp? Is it internally on external walls? Is it low down or high up?

It could be;

1. Poor ventilation causing moisture to condense on cold external walls. Solution: Improve ventilation or insulate the walls.

2. Rising Damp: Damaged/perished damp proof course. Solution chemical injection of a new DPC. You should not need tanking unless the ground level outside is higher than the internal floor level (i.e. basement).

3. Leaking roof. Check yourself, have a look at the roof tiles. Any missing? Are any flashings or lead works damaged? Is the damp coming down the walls? Are the soffits and facias in good condition (this can lead to water getting into the cavity and running down and through the internal skin). Get into the loft and check the felt layer - any holes?

 

[Nightglow]

How old is the house?

Did the house suffer from damp with previous owner, or has it just started to appear.

 

[Maccapacca]

I'd look at some maintenance as above and if there is rising damp get it injected, I have just injected before and not bothered with the waterproof plaster / tanking to about 900mm and it's been fine but it's up to you, you're money.

 

[LOAM]

Photos would really help to be honest.

 

[PapaLazaru]

Thanks for the advice so far guys. I will endeavour to get some pictures to assist.

The house is a Victorian property built around 1890.

The main areas of concern are on the exposed corners of the house, as it is semi-detached. The damp is both low down on the ground floor and there have been times when damp patches have appeared upstairs, in the same corners. This is on the inside walls. I believe that the rear upstairs corner only gets damp after rain. I have attributed this to a possible problem with the roof at the rear of the property, though I cannot see it from ground level. I am planning on having a peek in the attic this weekend and will check the joists for dampness (in case water is running down them) and the felt etc. At the front it has appeared only when it was really cold. This, I assumed, was more likely to be condensation as the wall is really cold in that corner. The downstairs corner is the major issue as it appears to be damp at all times, though it has got better as the weather has improved. The previous owner did a good job of covering it up when we viewed the property as it has some peeling wallpaper, though it does not appear that they were very house rpoud peopl so I have no idea how long it has taken to get to the state that it is in.

We have begun to treat the house with more respect than our previous new build and have started venting far more often. I am also planning on getting a proper extractor fitted in the kitchen and bathroom. We also use a dehumidifier when we have to dry clothes inside.

The roof was replaced not too many years go and from what I can see looks sound. However, there has been chimney removal at the rear part of the house in the past and the fireplaces have been removed (bar one in the lounge). One small chimney remains toward the front of the property.

The guttering is recent and appears to be working fine as I have checked it out when it has rained, though the sofits are a little rotten. There is no indication of water running down any of the walls from a broken or blocked gutter.

The areas around the wall are clear from anything and there are plenty of air-bricks, though I am going to make sure they are all totally clear this weekend. One of the annoyances for starting this thread was that the damp quote I got chagred for new air-brockes when I can see nothing wrong with just unblocking the existing ones.

The house does appear to have had some pointing done on the rear exposed wall in the past by looking at the brickwork and the entire exposed side wall (which is in an alley which we own) has been rendered with something, which was possible applied to help with this problem.

I am not too bothered about the cost as I just want it fixed.

 

[Nightglow]

Papa: A few questions, roof is it tiles or slates, same roof material as neighbour's house.
Which end of the house is the damp the end joining your neighbour's roof, or other end.
The guttering may appear ok, but water could be overflowing in to the wall,sofits, you need to be at gutter level ideally to see this.

Roof is new, as is gutter, so why rotten sofits, makes me highly suspicious of a bodge job.
In my opinion the roof is the main cause of the problem, need photo's of roof over affected area's.

Stand in your attic in total darkness, any light creeping in from gaps, holes?

Once roof is sorted, then I suspect your damp will disappear.

 

[Maccapacca]

Is it brick facings or rendered?

Sounds like a good ventilation and some mechanical ventilation might help

 

[PapaLazaru]

Papa: A few questions, roof is it tiles or slates, same roof material as neighbour's house.
Which end of the house is the damp the end joining your neighbour's roof, or other end.
The guttering may appear ok, but water could be overflowing in to the wall,sofits, you need to be at gutter level ideally to see this.

Roof is new, as is gutter, so why rotten sofits, makes me highly suspicious of a bodge job.

It is at the other end, ie the non-attached end. I agree I really need to get up the ladder to check out the guttering. The sofits are a little of a concern and I do agree that the previous owner may have tried to cure the problem without doing it properly.

Is it brick facings or rendered?

Sounds like a good ventilation and some mechanical ventilation might help

The outside side wall of the house has been rendered at some point. The front and rear are exposed bricks.

Ventilation will certainly be added when I get the funds.

I took a good look round the outside wall today and there are areas of concern at the bases. There is moss growing at some points which certainly indicated damp areas.

The air-bricks look original and certainly need clearing, though some do look a little worn so may have to be replaced. There is also a clear level of damp proofing at the bottom foot of the wall in question which is also a little worn,

I am coming to the conclusion it is may well be a bit of both. Some rising and some roof leakage somewhere. Will put some pictures up over the weekend. I could really do with finding someone to look at it impartially. It is such a pain when two different people say two different things. Will have to try and find a decent local maintenance building company to have a proper look.

 

[Nightglow]

Sort the roof, & clear air bricks (front & rear) then give the house a few months to dry out, then see if that solves problems first.
Is the render loose & blown.

Where the damp patches are, is there drainage pipes, water pipes possibly leaks, I did a place some years ago with similar issues, found the cause was a collasped pipe from the drain gully, keeping the ground around base of the wall permanently wet.

 

[£15]

You say a damp specialist said you had problems - do you mean they are an independent damp & timber surveyor, that does no actual repair work? Or are they a contractor that also does the work they are saying needs done? If it's the latter, ignore their report; then employ the services of the former.

You will have to pay for a truely independent assessment, a couple of hundred pound or so, but you will know exactly what needs doing and what doesn't.

I had a damp survey of my house (selling) performed due to a valuation survey 'finding evidence of damp' (his electrical meter told him ). There was none . The guy was around for a few hours and did a thorough job and told me how too many people get conned out of £1000s for work that doesn't need doing, e.g. getting a DPC done for the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th time.

Prior to getting my survey done I spent hours researching damp and it's causes and apparently there's no such thing as rising damp. Most problems are down to the causes mentioned in previous posts and do not require ££££ to fix, i.e. poor ventilation, drying clothes in the house, leaky gutters/windows...

Old buildings will always have 'issues', including damp, and to a certain extent, they have to be lived with. They don't necessarily need 'fixing'. The house I am in is c.1890 and the one I'm buying is c.1930. I'd take an old house over a new one any day of the week.

 

[PapaLazaru]

I have now had a couple of quotes, but both are advising different fixes. The last guy that came round reckons it is penetrating damp and wants to tank the walls where the problem is evident. He thinks that the cavity walls may have been filled with insulating foam at some point (which I sincerely hope is not true), which is the likely cause of the problem, but I want to see for myself. I have tried to have a look from the attic but cannot get a good view so am hoping to look using some form of camera which I want to insert through the air-bricks. I've seen this on Ebay, but don't know if it is suitable.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Endos..._Equipment_Instruments_ET&hash=item20d12b9118

Has anyone got any suggestions?

 

[Nightglow]

In the past, I've just used a good light & a webcam & flexible snake scope usb camera connected to my lappy to inspect a cavity.

snake scope has LED Light’s with adjustable brightness, so you can take stills or video in dark places.

 

[PapaLazaru]

Thread revival!

Ok so we don't even have cavity walls so having a peek through the air bricks is pointless.

I've had the insdie of the external wall replastered and the plasterer has said that the wall has been tanked up to about 4 feet up from the bottom, but is sure it is not rising damp. He left the tanking on and plastered over it.

Now I left it for a month or so to see what happens and I can still see areas of damp which appear after it has rained, though sometimes it takes a day to appear. This is on the inside wall where the exterior wall has been coated is waterpoof render so it is baffling me.

I am going to just paint it with waterproof paint and be done with it at the moment as winter is coming and I cannot be bothered doing anything till the spring.

Some pics (you can clearly see the line of the tanked part)

I also have another mate coming round who is a roofer to go up in the attic to see if he can see anything. I certainly cannot see any holes in the wall up there.

I just need to find some decent paint to cover it with now.

Any decent priced recommendation?

 

[Orionaut]

Lordy! What a mess!

Absolutely not rising damp! (IMHO) (Mine is a 1790 property, maybe older)

An 1890 property will have been built using lime mortar. tanking/chemical damp proofing will **** builds like this up big time!

My first look would be to see if any re-pointing has been done recently using cement mortar or if any external cement/waterproof rendering has been done. 130 year old properties don't suddenly go damp! they do so for a reason. Find out what it is and fix it!

That the wall has been tanked up to about 4 feet up from the bottom,

The outside side wall of the house has been rendered at some point.

The house does appear to have had some pointing done on the rear exposed wall in the past by looking at the brickwork and the entire exposed side wall (which is in an alley which we own) has been rendered with something, which was possible applied to help with this problem.

Oh Dear....!

You might have some work to do!

 

[Nightglow]

Need to have a good look at the roof from the outside.
Is that fireplace used or for show?

Possible water is running down between the render & wall.

Pointless painting it, you need to solve the problem first, no good hiding it with paint.