damp-proofing??? Any idea how much???

littleknowledge

Hi there,

I'm a first time house owner, i'm only 25 and female, and so therefore have very little knowledge when it comes to house mainatence issues. Sorry girls if you find that insulting, but i really am a typical girl when it comes to problems like this!!! :rolleyes:

It appears that i have damp in one of the upstairs bedrooms in the corner. As this seems to be the only place it is happening, i am guessing (using my very limited knowledge) that it is penetrative damp. I have started arranging to get quotes in. I was just wondering if anyone out there had any idea what the course of action would be for this and how much it would cost roughly. I am unfortunately almost out of money, but am starting to panic as Summer comes to an end (if it ever really began!!!) It's a rather old Victorian property in South East London.

If anyone out there can give me a rough idea how much this would cost, and even recommened a good tradesman if you know of anyone, i would really appreciate it.

Thanks guys. :j

Steve_xx

Since this is in an upper room it wont be rising damp, so you wont need to replace or install a damp proof course.

This could simply be a gutter problem. When it rains have you tried looking up at the guttering in the area where you say that there is damp? If the gutters are not carrying all of the rainwater away, ie they might be slighly blocked with silt or leaves, or even leaking, then the rainwater will run down the external walls and this will eventually penetrate to the inside walls as you have described.

You might also try and see what the state of the roof is around the area where the damp is. Are there any missing slates/tiles in that area or close by?

littleknowledge

Hi Steve,

Thanks so much for replying. Really appreciate it. The damp is at the bottom of the wall in the corner... confusing huh?! I'll take a look at the guttering etc, and hopefully that will shed some light on the situation.

Thanks so much for your help. :rolleyes:

Steve_xx

Oh yes I see. But nevertheless you are saying that the damp is not at ground/earth level? I guess you are saying that the damp is around floor level, but on the upper floor? If it's on the upper floor level then it wont be rising damp, ie more likely to be a gutter or mortar problem.

You might also check the condition of the mortar between the bricks externally at and above the area that is damp. Does it look well pointed or does it look like there are gaps where there ought to be cement?

Dime_Bar

Also worth checking the closest window if the frame is not sealed corectly water can enter the wall from there too.

gailv0

It's important to find out where the damp is coming from. We had damp in a room which we thought was coming through a badly fitting window. In fact it was coming from the bathroom which was next door, and had pipes in the walls that had been leaking for years. If you get people in to look at it, make sure you speak to a few different ones. May be worth hacking off some of the plaster and letting the wall dry out in this hot weather. Then if it comes back you may have more of an idea of where from.

littleknowledge

Thanks so much for all your help guys. Upon closer inspection of the outside wall, it looks like the problem may be there in the brick work. I'm gonna call in a few experts to give me a quote.

Thanks once again, i had no clue what was going on. :rolleyes: