Damp issue right before exchange arghhh!!

G_M

Penetrating damp upstairs? If genuine, you cure the CAUSE. ie overflowing gutters.downpipe making the wall wet. Or poor pointing (the cement between the bricks can wear away over time and need renewing). You do NOT start injecting chemicals!

Worm? Is it ACTIVE? If there was live woodworm 50 years ago, the holes they made will still be there. Does not mean the worms are still there or active!!

You've got reports from companies that want to treat your property whether it needs it or not. They are totally unreliable.

Ignore and get independant advice, or read up fast and use your own common sense - none of this is rocket science if you do a bit of research!

Ask Jeff also has a section on woodworm on his site...

MiniSis

Exactly what I was thinking G_M! If there is damp upstairs then a mesh isn't going to solve it....just put a barrier between the cause and the wall inside the bedroom!! So I would be happy to investigate myself or pay someone not connected to a damp company to have a look (who would be best to do this?)

As for downstairs I think again it could easily be solved without the need for chemicals to be put in. I guess I may need to dig a bit of the front garden by the wall??

The drawing the Damo man did pits damp around the fireplaces.. Would I need to get these checked? They may need a bit of work possibly? And the airbricks put in the wall in the back room to aid ventilation.

As for the woodworm, yes evidence upstairs but I don't know if there is still woodworm there. Would the damp man have checked or gone "ooooh woodworm holes... This house needs woodworm treatment"

DPJames

The damp around the fireplaces may be from rain coming down the chimney. If they're not being used, cap them off but leave some ventilation so it can still air out.

MiniSis

Thanks is this an easy job? They won't be used with an open fire but the fireplaces will stay open with probably electric fire eventually.

The fireplace in the bedroom is blocked off with a wall now. Would capping the fireplace solve this too?

motherofstudents

You have had some good advice. It's scandalous the way these dpc companies carry on. You need to get the heating on and plenty of ventilation to start with, that will make a huge difference. There are independent damp surveyors who charge about £165 last time I looked.

It is possible you will be able to find out much of the information you need from forums but if you are not used to looking for these things it could help if you can get a trusted builder to have a look.

Our present house was very damp, the floorboards had holes in and we ended up replacing a lot of the floors including joists but now it is fine. It is just about finding the cause so that it doesn;t come back.

Mayflower10cat

We live in an Edwardian semi-detached farm workers cottage. Our structural survey indicated dampness in three areas on the ground floor - our surveyer talked us through his recommendations. He said in an older property like this, with solid brick walls, there is often going to be some dampness and his advice was to 'manage' the damp, not have a chemical damp proof course injected. He pointed out that a horrible old concrete path close to the house (looked 60's ish) wasn't helping and neither was a flower bed right hard up to the front wall of the property. We removed the concrete path when we had an extension built (with decent ventilation bricks) and dug out the soil from the flower bed, replacing with gravel at a lower level and increasing the slope of the garden away from the house. We also need to get our pointing re-done as it's quite badly eroded on the corner of the house. These old properties need looking after and bless 'em, they've stood for over a hundred years - will todays new builds last so long I wonder.....

DPJames

Mayflower10cat wrote: »

will todays new builds last so long I wonder.....

Not a chance.

G_M

MiniSis wrote: »

.... damp upstairs .... I would be happy to investigate myself or pay someone not connected to a damp company to have a look (who would be best to do this?)
an independant survyor, or get a couple of builders round.

As for downstairs I think again it could easily be solved without the need for chemicals to be put in. I guess I may need to dig a bit of the front garden by the wall?? I've not seen the house so impossible to say! If the ground level/front garden is higher than the dpc, then yes - if the damp is a blocked drain, clear the drain! If water is running down the wall, renew the downpipe.... FIND THE CAUSE

The drawing the Damo man did pits damp around the fireplaces.. Would I need to get these checked? as above, find the cause. Could be water down the chimney. Could be pointing in the chimney.They may need a bit of work possibly? And the airbricks put in the wall in the back room to aid ventilation.

As for the woodworm, yes evidence upstairs but I don't know if there is still woodworm there. Would the damp man have checked or gone "ooooh woodworm holes... This house needs woodworm treatment"

That is exactly what he would have said. And he'll show you the holes to prove he is right. Even though he probobly isn't!