Damp problems in my house

toasterman

I don't know if any builders might be able to offer me some advice here, but it would be much appreciated.

I live in rented accommodation as part of a house-share, and there is a clear damp problem. It's been less of a problem this summer, but we had large wet patches on walls last winter.

We've talked to the landlords about this, and some builders have been round, assessed it all, and some work has been agreed.
This is the first time they've used this particular building team I think.
They were going to clean the gutters, render the outside of the house, fit some air vents in windows and repaint the rooms with the worse damp situation.
There was also a building issue with a shower room possibly leaking.
I think it was about a 5-7 days work in total (with 4 days worth being the rendering).
They quickly put some scaffolding up.

That was 6 months ago.
In the mean time, they took down part of the guttering, damaging the next door neighbour's house in the process. This remained down for several weeks, until during heavy rain, water started coming into one of the bedrooms.
Luckily the occupant wasn't in, and there was nothing expensive getting wet.
They duly put the guttering back up, and it has remained like this since.
I've notified my landlords about the damage to next door's property, because the neighbours have commented on it.

I've queried why nothing much else seems to have happened since, and have been told that in order to do the rendering of the house, the builders would need 4 dry days in a row, and there was no point doing anything else, until they had done this.
The problem is, my house is in England. If we get 4 totally dry days in a row (presumably excluding Sundays), we don't normally know about it til after it's happened. Also, even if the weatherman says it's going to be dry all next week, they clearly have other jobs they're already booked on by that point, so nothing seems to be getting done.

Now I can see the logic that something done to the outside of the house might need time to dry, but if this is the case, how do they build houses in winter?
Am I (and the landlords) getting the run-around by these builders?

One of my housemates is moving out, partly because she's sick of the damp and scaffolding, and it will be up to us to find replacement housemates. I'm almost certain if this isn't fixed in the next few months, the new person will move out too. Who would want to live in a smelly damp room, after all?
Also, another is due to move out in the next few months, and his is the room with the leaky shower room - which also smells, partly due to this ongoing damp issue.

Also, some of the patches of damp is between us and next door (terraced houses), so I can't see how rendering the sides is going to fix it?

Thanks in advance for any of your suggestions.
I have already considered moving.

myhooose

Do the damp areas have black mould growing on it? If so then this is due to poor ventilation as I've been told the mould can only grow on pure condensated water.

toasterman

myhooose wrote: »

Do the damp areas have black mould growing on it? If so then this is due to poor ventilation as I've been told the mould can only grow on pure condensated water.

Not really. It's a dark patch, but I think it's just because it's wet.

The builders suggested ventilation was a key problem, hence they want to fit the air vents in the windows.
That said, one of the rooms where it is particularly bad is very cold anyway, and already has one air vent.
It's also the smallest and noisiest room, and the one that my housemate is moving out from.

toasterman

I've taken some photos to elaborate my point.
The worst patches of mold are no longer there, as we've cleaned it off the walls because it looked disgusting.

Some don't look quite like this, because my camera isn't great in low lighting.

Both these two are on the same bit of wall, one above the other. This isn't an outside wall anymore, because an extension was built into that corner.
This is downstairs, between us and another terraced house.
http://www.bjsproductions.co.uk/personal/dampness/downstairs%20between%20us%20and%20next%20door1.jpg
and
http://www.bjsproductions.co.uk/personal/dampness/downstairs%20between%20us%20and%20next%20door2.jpg
The first one possibly looks worse than it is, because when it looked horrible, I attempted to clean it, and some of the wallpaper came off.

This is upstairs, between us and the house next door again.
http://www.bjsproductions.co.uk/personal/dampness/upstairs%20between%20us%20and%20next%20door.jpg
It isn't in the same place, relating to the one downstairs, so I don't they could be caused by the same pipe or whatever.
This is relatively near a bathroom, but not right next to it. The closer internal walls of the bathroom look fine.

This one doesn't run floor to ceiling. It's in the middle of a wall downstairs, so I don't think it can be leaking in from the top and running down.
http://www.bjsproductions.co.uk/personal/dampness/exterior%20ground%20wall%20doesn't%20go%20floor%20to%20ceiling.jpg

This is near the ground, near(ish) the shower room. It's a guess that the shower room is causing the problem.
Technically I think the shower is on the other side of the left part that is dry, but there is presumably pipes running to it, which may be on the right hand side.
http://www.bjsproductions.co.uk/personal/dampness/possibly%20caused%20by%20a%20leaking%20shower%20room.jpg

Most of it just looks a bit wet - it doesn't actually grow mold.

gmgmgm

Is the building currently rendered?

It doesn't sound as though the "work" will achieve much: you should be able to tell if your gutters are blocked, and rendering a whole house because you think it's letting water in doesn't sound very professional.

I'd certainly keep your windows open ALL THE TIME, which will make an improvement. It doesn't sound as though inadequate ventilation is your only problem, but it is likely to be involved.

Then get your roof inspected by a pro.

If you need to get the small roof fixed fast, open all the windows and point a fan at the damp wall for a day.

dampdaveski

toasterman,
sounds like your landlord is a ####:mad:
I deal with landlords all the time, a lot are pretty good, this one clearly isn't.
I suggest that you contact your local councils environmental health department and report the fact that you are living in accommodation thats damp and your landlord is giving you the run around.
Alternatively ring one of the ambulance chasing solicitors that advertise everywhere these days.
Your landlord won't be very pleased with you, but then again your not very pleased with them!
Alternatively just move out.
You may have gathered that I don't have much time for tight landlords
good luck

patchwork_cat

Personally I would vote with my feet. However if you don't want to do that I would get in another builder to tell me what the problem is. You don't tell them it is rented and are asking for a quote for remedial action. Get a few in, don't tell them you have had anyone else and don't suggest to them what the problem is. Has rising damp been suggested?

If they need 4 dry days they aren't gong to get that for another 9 months, so if that is their solution you are stuck with this for the winter.

toasterman

Thanks for all your advice.

The house is rendered already, but it was clearly done some time ago, and has either come off in places, or they missed various bits the first time.
To be fair to the landlords, the guy who owned this house before them was an idiot and had tried to do a lot of work himself, and made a real hash up in the process. There is evidence of this lurking around the house.

Keeping the windows open a lot was suggested, but it's not very practical in the winter. Also, one of the rooms with the worst damp last winter, is rented by someone who has the window open a lot anyway.

I'm going to have to make more effort to keep having a word with the landlords, because the ongoing (and probably recurring) damp problems, coupled with other difficulties is going to make it hard to rent several rooms in the house, and as we rent the house in its entirety (we're responsible for the full rent, between the occupants), it'll be unfair on us.

I'll also suggest the idea of getting other quotes. If I approach another builders, they'll know we've had some in already - because there's the unused scaffolding stuck outside.

I still don't buy into this idea that there's any building work can *only* be done in dry weather though. There's a house a couple of doors down, that's been half-rebuilt over the last few months, through all weathers. Maybe I'll go and ask them if they can sort my problems.

li'l_p

Wow! Reading the first post I had to wonder if I had written that myself. You sound like you're in an identical situation to us.

Our landlord has sent his builders out and they have replaced the guttering, fitted vents in the windows, applied a waterproofing treatment to the gable wall (alledgedly) and repaired a crack in our bay window wall. However, the problem still exists and the final straw was when I saw a wet patch in the baby's room! Not good!

The landlord has organised for a surveyor to come out and he has advised that the problem is due to condensation and is down to modernisation of older houses - as the old open fireplaces used to regulate the air flow. Cut a long story short, he has recommended a ventilation system be fitted which will draw in fresh air and extract stale/damp air. They reckon it will improve our damp problem within a month and all evidence of mould will dissapear. He was really good and asked loads of questions. It opened my eyes to a lot of things, especially when he asked if the property was difficult to heat. I told him that it was that bad, I had considered that we may be haunted!!! He explained that damp air is difficult to heat, and that's where the problem lies.

I am just praying the landlord agrees to the system being fitted and I hope it works! I am sick of wiping down my couches (leather) which get peppered with mould across the backs and my shoes which are going mouldy in the wardrobes! Not to mention the peeling wallpaper - we may be able to re-decorate and have things nice for once instead of the mould creeping through all the time!

I would suggest you push to have a surveyor out. That's the thing with rented property, you don't get the benefit of having a survey before you move in, so things like this go under the radar!