Will you buy a house with rising damp problem?

kawan2

We have an offer accepted on a house. Survey revealed house has damp problem. Previous damp treatment hadn't quite worked. We are thinking of getting damp treatment done on the house if problem isn't too bad/expensive to fix.

Just thinking down the line after a couple of years, if we decide to sell the house and potential buyer also find damp problem in their house survey.

Question:

Would that put you off if you were that buyer ie. Walk away from the purchase?

Gallstones

I would walk away. My SIL has just bought a house, pulled away a load of tongue and groove cladding that was a "fireplace" and discovered rising damp that was not found on the survey she had done. Her whole budget has been blown putting it right - it can be expensive to fix

Rob_192

What age is the property? Assuming it's an older solid walled property then it would not be unusual to find some level of damp.
You say the property has had a previous damp treatment which hasn't quite worked - injection damp courses are rarely 100% effective, especially in natural stone walls and it may be that it just requires some further local treatment to get the problem sorted.

Injection damp proofing has to be done in conjunction with re-rendering and plastering the first metre of the wall internally. This means removing skirting and refixing etc and the render mix must have a salt inhibitor added. Furthermore, floor ineviatably need relaying with a suiable DPM installed. All this can be a) reasonably expensive and b) reasonably disruptive.

But, here's the good point, you know about it in advance. In the current market you can use this to negotiate a suitable amount off the price which should cover you having the works done.

I certainly wouldn't dismiss the house without first investigating all the issues - speak to a good surveyor (a building surveyor, not your estate agent type).

It is also worth mentioning that quite often low levels of damp can be managed by lifestyle etc. Typically many old cottages for example have some degree of damp, but providing you apply suitable paint (ie not vinyl emulsion), keep plenty of background ventlation and a good level of background heating, the problems will be easy to live with. Fit draught sealed windows, block off the chimney, sparodically heat the place and paint the walls with vinyl paint and the problem starts to become a real issue.

FireWyrm

A surveyor told me that there's no such thing as an 'unfixable damp issue' but it is very much dependent on how much money you have. For instance, I viewed a house that we knew (from the smell) had a damp issue but we didnt believe it was too much of an issue. We went to survey and found that we would have to practically gut the ground floor in order to rectify it, needless to say, we ran away, fast. Our current house has a mysterious damp issue that we suspect will probably cost a thousand or two to fix and that's ok with me, but then, I have that resource available and it doesnt pose a health risk to me or my family. The problem with damp isnt so much the damp itself, it's the nasty stuff that thrives in it such as a particularly evil type of black mould called aspergillus which causes breathing difficulties particularly in the young. My advice would be to pay for a specialist and thorough damp survey which might well cost money, but could save you thousands in the long run....or, you could just save the survey money and walk away.

ognum

How long ago was it done do the vendors have a gaurantee that they could use to get it re done?

It really depends on the price and whether you have the money to fix it

Check outside to see if any earth has bridged the damp course if it has you can remove it and it may help the damp problem

If the whole house needs to be treated it will in my opinion not be liveable while its done nor will you want your furniture in the house

The plaster to 1 metre needs to be hacked off the walls this creates tremendous dust and rubble and plastering can be messy you would need to lift all the carpets the skirting boards may need replacing and then you need to wait for the plaster to dry before you can decorate

I have one this but never lived there during the proccess Once done you will get a gaurantee

justjohn

i would buy....infact i would prefer to buy a house with damp issues.(and many people panic at damp issues, another few 000 of price)

The cost of materials for sorting damp issues can be as little as 1% of a contracterters bill. Thus if you are willing to do it yourself you can save a packet and knock it off the offer price on the house.

And the gaurantee.....is not worth the paper that its written on from the contracter unless insurance backed. However DIY it, and most manufacturers of liquid dpc give a warranty on the product.

kawan2

Thanks for everyone's comments.

Rob 192 – House was probably built in 1930s, a 3 bedroom semi-detached house. I had a full structural survey done. The surveyor’s report mentioned the following:
There is evidence of a damp proof course to the external walls, this is closer to the external tarmac and paving than is recommended, ideally there should be a150 mm gap; the tarmac is only just below the damp proof course level. Ideally the tarmac or paving should be cut back or lowered, but I could see no evidence that this is causing problems at the moment.
Readings were taken with an electric moisture meter at low level internally to the walls where they were not obstructed or obscured, and to other parts such as skirting boards etc where appropriate. Whilst no consistent pattern of high readings was observed with the moisture meter high readings were noted to the right-hand side walls to the lounge, entrance hall, kitchen and dining room extension. Other high readings may be found by a more comprehensive inspection which concentrated just on damp.
Where there is damp very often there are timber defects such as rot and woodworm, these may be to areas that are concealed or inaccessible such as the floor voids and fitted or built-in units. Sometimes it is necessary to carry out re-plastering when a new damp proof course is installed.




BTW I have been trying to find an independent damp specialist. Wondered if anyone can recommend someone in the NW.

G_M

First, damp can be easily mis-diagnosed by the meters used by surveyors. These are NOT damp meters and do NOT measure damp. They measure electrical conductivity. In wood, for which they are designed, an electric current could only be carried if the wood was damp. But plaster, brick and other materials can conduct electricity even if bone dry.

Second, there is a dpc. OK, not quite right level to current building standards, but standards change all the time - probobly standard some years ago.

Third, the lack of 'consistant' high readings indicates any damp is not severe. If it was, ALL the readings would be high.

Fourth, what is the other side (external) where the high readings were ("right-hand side walls to the lounge, entrance hall, kitchen and dining room extension. ")? Is this where the tarmac is? Is this a (relatively) new drive? If so, all that needs doing is, as suggested, "the tarmac or paving should be cut back or lowered" - pretty easy.
There again, he says there is "no evidence that this is causing problems " so I guess it's a different external area? Any drains the other side? Blocked? Leaking downpipe? These are the most common causes and easily fixed.

I'd go have a look if I were you and use some common sense but my guess is this is insignificant.

rhodesRocks

Avoid like the plague!
I bought a gf flat and when survey was done, it came back that a damp proof course needed to be done. So it was done as exchange/completion was being done. Moved in, still problems with damp, ie, whole strips of wallpaper peeling off. Damp proofed again (plaster removed, injected above/below floor etc, the whole shebang). Lived for 2 years with slugs crawling over us in bed, slithering around floors in kitchen/living room at night etc.
Suits worn once and put in wardrobe would come back out covered in green mould.

Talked to someone who knew a relative and they had lived there 40 years before and apparently there had always been a problem with damp in it--apparently there is a stream running along underneath the street.

Never, EVER again.

theartfullodger

I bought house with rising damp & also dry-rot....

Rising damp as the place had blocked/removed air-bricks & earth piled over the damp course.. Not difficult to fix.. 'twas fine from then on in damp dept.

Dry-rot was small patch 15cms across.. Paid a bloke cash-in-claw, no paperwork, no nuffink to treat/remove.. It never came back.... (Place also needed rewiring, replumbing, central heating & re-deco top to bottom.. )

The rising damp companies will try & sell you expensive remove-plaster-to-6-foot-up-walls and strip treatments... Well, they would wouldn't they.

The question you need to ask yourself is, can I afford the gamble if it goes wrong???