FTB-Rot and damp on survey-opinions please!

tiggerjj

Hi, I originally posted about this in a different thread but am hoping for some DIYer advice here....

Homebuyer survey came up with the following...

Evidence of some wood rot to some areas, eg skirting boards within bathroom

External ground levels are too high along front elevation (guess thats a case of lowering the level of the front 'garden'

Dampness was found to some areas of the property including to the lower front elevation walls within living room (caused by above perhaps?) and to the kitchen walls and walls within bathroom. (the house has no central heating at present)

Typically evidence of fampness was oted around the chimnet breast within the roof void, in this case external rendering does require repair

Chimney stack requires overhaul

So opinions please, Its a 1930s mid terrace property, I knew there would be some items on the list. They also mentioned the electrics are old, im having an elec have a look.

Also a damp company are having a look but I have read about damp and dont know how much to be worried about it all

Thanks in advance

Tigger

Westvleteren

I am sure that the dampness found to the front elevation of the house is linked to the ground level being too high, easy to fix - like you say lowering the garden to the front of the house should get rid of the damp.

tiggerjj

kt26, I thought as much, its the damp in the kitchen and bathroom I am more unsure about. Will be interesting to see what the damp company says when I see their report

ormus

kitchen and bathroom is usually caused by the conditions in there. ie too much moisture and not enough ventilation and or heat.
the cure is simple enough.

as simple as the garden ground level problem.

iamcornholio

tiggerjj wrote: »

Will be interesting to see what the damp company says when I see their report

I think you know what they will say.

People don't know this, but there is actually only one national report template which all the UK damp companies use, and it goes something like "You have rising damp, we need to inject a new damp course, and this will cost you £000's"

If you are really lucky, the damp surveyor will put his meter on the wall and let you see it shoot up into the red zone, as a sort of confirmation that you have a damp problem, and a justification for the cheque you will eventually be writing :eek:

I'm not sure what you are actually asking in the OP, as you seem to have determined the likley causes for the various damp locations

The damp around the chimney brest may be defective lead flashings, not (or in addition to) render

ormus

as above.
all "damp" problems can be traced back to some basic fault in the building structure or lack of maintenance.
you dont need any expensive space age treatments. just someone (a half decent builder) who knows what they are doing.

David_Aldred

Hi, tigerjj,
As queried by iamcornholio what is it you are actually asking as your query seems to be rather vague ? Is it cavity wall construction, is it rendered, is the bathroom at first floor level, where is the rotten skirting in the bathroom ? How much to be worried depends upon how serious the problem is and your budget to resolve the issues. Damp and decay can vary from minor condensation / minor wet rot, to full blown dry rot with many moisture sources to resolve. If you can supply more detail with specific points you want answers to I am sure those who kindly contribute to the forum will do their best to answer. Please have a look at previous posts on the subject of dampness, dpc and decay on the forum which may be of help. Kindest regards, David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor.

tiggerjj

Hi everyone,
Basically I just wanted ppls opinions, I already have a few ideas but not being a DIY guru and this being my first house I wanted a second opinion.

So thanks everyone, you have put my mind to rest

Bathroom is on ground floor and directly behind the kitchen, both are part of the same extension. When i visited the house I did not notice any damp or any problems with the skirting boards, unfortunately it is impossible for me to view the property again as I am not in the UK at the moment. A friend will have a look for me. Basically I just wanted to get a feeling from ppl about how worried I should be.

I will report back when I hear from the damp company, but have taken your advice onbaord when it comes to reading the report

Thanks again everyone

tifrap_2

I worked for a national pest and damp control company a long time ago, and would suggest that most of the findings in the report could be easily dealt with yourself, they don't sound like you have a rising damp problem anywhere - I would only engage a damp proof firm if i needed a cellar tanked, or if there was a serious ground water problem in the area.
The soil in front: dig a ditch around the wall in question to well below the dpc (damp proof course) - and if you need it to look like something has been done, fill it with gravel (still below dpc of course).
The bathroom you say is evidence of rot/fungus: perhaps the damp is not wall related here - are the walls above the skirting tiled? if so the condensation run-off will keep them wet and make them ideal fungal hosts, replace them, seal them, or take the tiles down to the floor (overhanging the floorcovering) - remember that fungus dies when it is exposed to a good airflow - which also reduces humidity. Bathrooms often suffer from being so hermetically sealed that every bit of wood in contact with tiles/floor rots away - the solution; leave gaps for air to circulate, minimise standing water or pooling water from the tiles running onto any wood, or use something other than wood like tile, vinyl or pvc.

The rendering on the chimney sounds like it is the cause of the loft damp, money then is best spent on a builder to fix the render/flashing. the disappearance of the damp will take a while after that.

The trick with all damp is to identify its source - usually once discovered it is easily rectified - often a single external crack, an overflowing hopper or something bridging a dpc/flashing - if you dont find the source, you will be continually paying to combat the effects of an unwanted water system in your walls, it is like fighting nature - damp proofing is a flimsy last resort always.

Debt_Free_Chick

First point of call would be to discuss any damp findings with the surveyor - can they shed any light on the likely cause? Next, will the surveyor look at the damp issue specifically (possible extra cost)? Or consider a surveyor that specialises in damp issues.

Don't just call a "damp treatment company" - as has been noted already in this thread - as they are more than likely going to simply sell you their damp treatment. And that treatment is not going to address the actual cause of the specific instance of damp in any property.

David_Aldred

Helpful post by tifrap though I would like to add a comment regarding lowering ground levels.

When paths and driveways are at a level that is encroaching upon the damp proof course (dpc) sometimes people will indeed excavate a trench next to house walls and backfill with stone chippings in the hope of creating a soakaway or 'french drain'. However there are better alternatives to this as it can sometimes be counter productive.

For instance if paths / driveway are sloping down towards the property which often happens when there is a grid next to the house wall, then excavating a trench next to the house wall and backfilling with chippings can sometimes simply create a sump collecting rainwater from such paths / driveway and directing it into the house walls and sub floor voids beneath any floors thereby compounding dampness instead of reducing it.

This being the case ideally paths / driveways should be altered to slope away from the property to drain gullies away from the house. If this is beyond the budget / impractical to achieve then inserting next to house walls a modular pre-cast drain trench system with removable covers for cleaning and fully sealed flexible joints such as Aco - see http://www.acousa.com/ or similar would be preferred that discharges into the below ground surface water drainage system with approval from the Local Authority Building Control Dept.

I know a great deal is made of paths should where possible be at least 150mm below the dpc level but in the case of cavity walls if this distance is somewhat less, say 70mm due to high paths ( but importantly still not bridging the dpc) then if the cavity within the wall is clear of debris, such high paths to the outside leaf of brickwork should not really cause too much dampness to the plastered inner leaf of masonry. Kindest regards, David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor