Buying a new house - a couple of issues.

alirob12

Hi I wonder if anyone could suggest what sort of costs I may be looking at. I had a survay done on a house I would like to buy and the chap said that there is a bit of damp on one of the walls (where apparently the wall touches directly the ground) without somethin. (not sure what the techie term is). it is basically 3 external walls of 1 room, and 1 wall of another room. Any idea how this can be treated and what sort of cost may be involved? Also how much would it be to insulate the building externally/internally - what are pros and cons behind it? It is not a major issue but was suggested by the survayor.
Many thanks

punknzippy

its and older pre 1930s house i guess then ?
where the walls touch the ground ????? i should hope they all do
that should be where the blue bricks are , their should also be at least a space of 150 mm or 6" from the bottom of the blue bricks to the ground level , the blue bricks being the damp proof course , their to stop damp riseing up the walls , sometimes prevention can save a lot of money .
if the property has been damp proof injected previously then it shouldnd be getting damp , best way to tell if theirs no receipts of it with soliciters is to look for lots of drilled holes with caps over them above the blue bricks .
cost wise depends on to much for me to say and as for the insulation well doing the inside basically means lining the internal walls with insulated plasterboard +re plastering .... also meaning things like radiators need moving and light switches and plug sockets and basically anything fitted to an outside wall being removed and refitted .... kitchen and bathroom included , doing the externall outside face walls would be the easyest but then if your house is renderd then it wouldnt change much but if its nice brickwork then it will get coverd up , what was it you liked about the house , the appearance or location

dampdaveski

punk the blue bricks you refer to are probably called staffordshire blues, they are a very good and dense brick to use below dpc level, in fact these 'blues' are so dense they cannot support rising dampness, though the mortar joints unfortunately can.
Anyway back to the river bank
alirob check out www.property-care.org and get yourself a survey carried out
you can choose either to get an independant surveyor in or call in a contractor member, contractor member will be cheaper than an independant, but you run the risk that they might price work that doesn't need doing (i'm a contractor member, we don't mis sell anything but some do)
the other thing to remember is that a contractor member (if he isn't a tool) will survey the property, come up with a solution and give you a price for it, the trick is making sure the solution is the right one.
Ask them how they actually determine the presence of rising damp, if you feel your getting a load of flannel you might have your answer)

As for insulatation if nothing else get your roof done, have a word with your electricity supplier or even local council you might get a grant for it
Hope this helps
DD

alirob12

Thanks guys!!

1st of all - I love the house and I love the location, we are friends with the seller and we have had an independent survay done. We have a friend who would do the work - he is coming to have a look and give us a 2nd opinion. the damp - it is not visiable at all - but the chap measured it with some sort of device and said that it doesnt need doing but may be good for the future - same with the insulation.
But thought I would ask. Yes I have heard about the council grants and wil apply if we decide to go for it. the reason why there is dampness may be because around the extension there is the layer of the bluck brick (or whatever) but round the loungd and the holl there isnt.
Yes the house is rendered on the outside, so I guess we could do it inside as it is really just one room and it needs decorating anyway. (no rads or anything on the 3 walls which is great)
The roof is insulated and the house feels warm... so we ll see about that.
many thanks