Damps & Vents... Help

pgalland

I just bought a terraced victorian house in London dating from 1890/1900.
Rising damp was flagged during the survey, which the bank didn't really care about, as it was not described as serious.
The surveyor had mentioned that it might just be due to the lack of ventilation in the cellar and the living room. He recommended I contact a specialist to assess the situation in more detail.

After contacting the "leading" damp treatment company in London, I was told that they recommended a damp proof treatment in the living room - which would set me back roughly 2.5k. They did not acknowledge anything in the cellar (although there is a strong smell of humidity...)

Although I think 2.5k is reasonable from what I have been reading in this forum, I am not sure it will cure the issue - ie. it might treat the wall damp, but what about the joist/lack of ventilation.

I also noticed that the cellar air-vents at floor level (ventilation bricks are clogged) - and don't seem to serve their purpose any longer.

At this point I am not sure whether this company just issued a standard quote to sell their service without really fixing what needs to be fixed. Could I address this damp issue by simply creating vents in the living room (some other houses on the street have them) and re-opening the existing ones in the cellar... are they serving a purpose? was it only necessary back then when central heating didn't exist?

I really don't know what to think anymore - thanks for your input,

tlh858

Unblock the vents. Possibly install some additional ones.

Paying someone £2500 to most likely take less than a day to inject £100 of chemicals into the walls is hardly 'reasonable', and it won't solve any damp issues either.

pgalland

Thanks for the feedback ;-)

I have to admit that charging 700gbp for replastering on top of the "treatment" seemed a little excessive

Do you think I should have some wall vents created in the living room? as there aren't any currently? (I cannot smell or see any trace of humidity in the living room, as opposed to the cellar)

katejo

pgalland wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback ;-)

I have to admit that charging 700gbp for replastering on top of the "treatment" seemed a little excessive

Do you think I should have some wall vents created in the living room? as there aren't any currently? (I cannot smell or see any trace of humidity in the living room, as opposed to the cellar)

I have a victorian terrace house which had evidence of damp when I bought it. i had treatment for the damp and new vents created under the front window. It cost nothing like 2500K (in 2006)

budgetdiyer

Well worth clearing the existing vents first, and give it the rest of the summer to see what difference that makes (if you can live with the damp for a period...)

Lexxi

I started a thread last month about my damp and one of the other members suggested a PCA damp specialist. They had found the one they had really informative. It was independant so they don't try and sell their products. You could try unblocking vents, airing, heating the property and see where you are up to then? It may be the house has been closed up for a while and it's got a bit musty.


ETA: I didn't go with the survey, I'm just passing on the info/advice I received, I'm still pondering mine

charlotte99

I had what I thought was damp in kitchen and dining room but reading on here someone said dont call in any specialised company and say its damp because that's their business and they will charge you to renew damprrof course and potentially a host of other stuff you dont need. I got my usual builders in and they pulled up the floorboard and found practically a whole house under there. It turned out that the previous owner had taken down a kitchen wall and a chimney breast and dumped it all under the floorboards as well as cement, sand, paper etc....so all the airflow was blocked by the rubble, paper etc. They had also put two new air bricks into the side of the house but they didn't go all the way through. All of this was cleared out, airflows were opened up, some new airbricks put in and the damp smell has now gone away completely. Might be worth seeing what it looks like under there.

ed110220

A common problem with Victorian houses seems to be that whatever damp-proof course there was (often rudimentary) has been defeated or bridged by garden walls or the ground level having been raised, for example by paving.

I would have a look for that and unblock those vents. A damp proofing company is likely to 'find' damp as they have an interest in doing so...

noelphobic

ed110220 wrote: »

A common problem with Victorian houses seems to be that whatever damp-proof course there was (often rudimentary) has been defeated or bridged by garden walls or the ground level having been raised, for example by paving.
.

That's interesting. I have ongoing problems with damp and was discussing it withe a neighbour yesterday and they mentioned the fact that part of the garden was flagged a few years ago. The worst of the damp is on the corner of the wall that has the paving outside.

If this is the cause then what is the solution? Taking the flags back up presumably?

greyteam1959

If the flags are higher than the damp proof course then yes removing the flags or lowering them is the only real answer.
Have a look for your damp proof course.

noelphobic

mervyn11 wrote: »

.
Have a look for your damp proof course.

Sorry, not sure what you mean. Could you explain please?