Survey and damp expert reports don't tally - help!

illzlee

what may have happened is that the moisture has caused the floor joists (beneath, and supporting the floor boards) to rot. If this has happened, the best case scenario is onle wet rot and the joists need replacing and it will dry out when you reduce the ground levels. Budget £500 - £1500 dependant upon size of room. Worst case scenario is dry rot. Gut the room of all timber, assess extent of possible spore spread and coat everything in sight with nasty chemicals. Budget £1500 upwards!

Getting a joiner to carefully lift the floorboards and the surveyor to check the state of the timber could be the best £250 you ever spend.

Playing devils advocate, why would the owner be selling a rental property at a time when there are more tenants than ever?

Colliewobble_2

Hi,

Thanks again illzlee.

I understand that the house is being sold as the landlord has around 50 properties and is just selling off a couple that have not been rented in a while.

It's in quite a small town and there are loads of properties up for rent at the moment, with the market a little saturated. And the area is selling well buyers-wise (proerties in the small area are being snapped up in hours if not days.)

May I ask one more question? Should I get the surveyor back in to look under the floorboards - is that his job, or should I get an independent damp surveyor in at a lot more money?

G_M

Buy the house.

Lower the outside patio and add some airbricks.

illzlee

we have already covered what 'damp specialists' get up to. The original surveyor should be able to tell you the state & condition of the timber from a visual inspection and a bit of poking about. The joiner who lifts the floorboards should be able to give a quote for replacing any damaged timber.

Thanks for the advice G_M, that is the simplest advice to give assuming there are no problems caused by the damp.

timmmers

DPC has moved on ....silicon injection is old hat and ugly ...ask about cremes instead.

Much less work, much less mess and much less cost.. You can even do it yourself and self certify the work if you get the right stuff.

http://www.safeguardeurope.com/products/dryzone.php shows it as an example only.

http://www.dampness-info.co.uk/damp%20shop_google.htm?gclid=CN_X5p--150CFaBb4wodiDlpsg#Packs is somewhere with prices for a complete kit with everything except the drill and human...which is cheap as you can see. Chances are that you wouldn't need that much when you measure it.

BTW has anyone removed a brick to see if the cavity is full of rubbish breaching the two sides ? IT would be a shame to do a lot of work on patio etc when all that was wrong was bits of mortar in the cavity that will still be there anyway once the work is done.

t

Doozergirl

littlesnuggy wrote: »

This is not true - there are reputable companies around, you know :rolleyes:. Just because damp proofers sometimes feature on 'rogue trader' type tv programmes doesn't mean they're all dishonest salesmen!

No I did not say that there were not.

I said that if they 'sell' DPC then they will 'sell' you one. I am not talking about cowboys nor suggesting that they all are by any stretch of the imagination - I hardly suggested that!, but if you ask someone who specifically 'sells' and not 'advises' on these matters then you will be 'sold to'

Manyt think they are getting in an advisor and actually they are simply calling in someone who wells DPC. If you call someone who sells uPVC glazing, they won't tell you to refurb your existing sashes or put in new, wood windows. If you want impartial advice, it's something you pay for.

illzlee

Manyt think they are getting in an advisor and actually they are simply calling in someone who wells DPC. If you call someone who sells uPVC glazing, they won't tell you to refurb your existing sashes or put in new, wood windows. If you want impartial advice, it's something you pay for. 25-10-2009 5:47 AM

Dead right. Those with a vested interest in selling something to you are by their very nature not impartial.