How much for DPC on 2 bed house

DrPepper123

Been told house we are interested in has no DPC, now I am unsure if it's ever had one (does it make a difference?). What are the costs of a completely new DPC and what does it involve please?

thanks

SG27

Does it need one? Is there a damp problem? Old houses never have DPCs.


Edit just to add. Our house is 300 years old. Its never had a damp proof course. We had high damp meter readings in some areas but no real damp issue. Only problem is a little bit of condensation which a DPC will not help and might even worsen.

DrPepper123

Well I will find out next week if there is any damp problems. it is 150 years old so expect one has never been done. I assumed that if you don't have one you should get one done so thanks for advice. would that make it harder to sell in the future?

SG27

DrPepper123 wrote: »

Well I will find out next week if there is any damp problems. it is 150 years old so expect one has never been done. I assumed that if you don't have one you should get one done so thanks for advice. would that make it harder to sell in the future?

It comes part and parcel with buying/selling a period house. I wouldnt buy a 150 year old house expecting there to be any kind DPC. If there is no major damp I wouldn't worry. Our house is listed so couldn't install one even if we wanted not that we would want to.

spannerzone

Rising damp is pretty much a myth according to many people but unfortunately there is a huge business in providing damp proof solutions, funnily enough houses started to need damp proof treatments when these businesses started to appear

Many property inspections cover their !!!!!! by saying it could have damp and they recommend treatment whether it's needed it or not.

Many damp issues are from poor ventilation / no ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens, drying clothes indoors, breathing etc all contributes to damp.

I'm not saying damp houses don't exist, they do, I live in one! but rising damp and damp proof course failures aren't necessarily the likely causes.

I got this book which was reasonably helpful if not a rather a dull read (but doesn't actually discount rising damp)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Damp-House-Treatment-Dampness/dp/1861269668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367771495&sr=8-1&keywords=the+damp+house

This site might be worth a look too
http://www.heritage-house.org/

G_M

Many houses that age had slate dpc put in. Often hard to spot and surveyors cover themselves with "get a specialist to check" statement in their report.

As others have said, what matters is whether there is damp.

What is the point of paying £2000 (or whatever) to install a dpc in a 150 year old property that has no damp problem? After all this time, it's not going to suddenly get damp out of the blue!

And how do you know if there is damp? Well, obvious signs are a musty ('damp'!) smell; peeling paint/wallpaper; discolouration of paint/paper; soft/rotting wood; or.... wet walls/floor etc.

Of course, surveyors will find evidence of 'damp' even where the above do not apply:

Because the don't use 'damp meters', they use 'electrical conductor meters'.

These measure electrical current between two prongs held against a wall. But they are designed for use on wood (which does not conduct electricity unless damp!). When used on plaster, stone, other materials (eg walls - which surveyors frequently do) the material itself may conduct electricity, and give a 'damp' reading, even if bone dry!

more here.

DrPepper123

great thanks, that's useful. I have to say I can't smell damp and as you say if it's not there then why pay out good money.

SG27

spannerzone wrote: »

Rising damp is pretty much a myth according to many people but unfortunately there is a huge business in providing damp proof solutions, funnily enough houses started to need damp proof treatments when these businesses started to appear

Many property inspections cover their !!!!!! by saying it could have damp and they recommend treatment whether it's needed it or not.

Many damp issues are from poor ventilation / no ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens, drying clothes indoors, breathing etc all contributes to damp.

I'm not saying damp houses don't exist, they do, I live in one! but rising damp and damp proof course failures aren't necessarily the likely causes.

I got this book which was reasonably helpful if not a rather a dull read (but doesn't actually discount rising damp)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Damp-House-Treatment-Dampness/dp/1861269668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367771495&sr=8-1&keywords=the+damp+house

This site might be worth a look too
http://www.heritage-house.org/

I agree. Poor ventilation causing condensation is the mostly damp you have. £200 on a decent de humidifier will do more than an DPC. In fact a DPC may even seal areas that need ventilating and make things worse.

mysk_girl

My house is 130yrs old and has no DPC. We have a few spots of damp, but as long as we keep things like bookcases an inch or so away from the walls to let air circulate, they are a very small problem and don't spread. Don't put built in cupboards in alcoves and things like that that will stop the air from circulating and you won't have too much of a problem.

It's not always possible to retrofit a DPC in any event, we have 2' thick solid walls with a rubble full centre, an injected one would be almost impossible to achieve a proper DPC so we didn't bother

sandsni

DrPepper123 wrote: »

Well I will find out next week if there is any damp problems. it is 150 years old so expect one has never been done. I assumed that if you don't have one you should get one done so thanks for advice. would that make it harder to sell in the future?

Depending on the structure of the house, if it's 150 years old a modern DPC might actually cause more problems later. As other posters have said, unless there are obvious signs of damp then there more than likely is no problem. Don't rely on readings from those little meters the surveyors use - they measure conductivity, not actual moisture content, so can be mislead by salts on the surface of the walls or mortar. My house is at least 160 years old and I've never had a problem with damp.

www.periodproperty.com is another useful websites for tips and advice on old houses.