Anyone had Gullies put in to help deal with damp?

minibbb

Im buying a very damp victorian terraced house and along with the usual damp proof course the surveyor has suggested installing gullies at the front and back of the house due to the ground levels being a very likely cause of the damp problem.

The living room at the front of the house is at ground level and the kitchen at the back of the house is below ground level- neither good news!

I was wondering if anyone had had this work done and can enlighten me on how effective it has been and possible costs involved. I.e whether its hundreds or thousands to do? :eek:

dampdaveski

Hi Mini,
Installing gullies or french drains as they are sometimes called are an inexpensive way of reducing high ground levels against a house wall.
They are usually 4-6" deep and about the same in width
Usually they are filled with gravel, the idea being that any water collecting will naturally drain away OR they reduce water splashing up above the Damp proof course during rainfall.
they arn't usually very expensive and for a terraced victorian house should be under £500.
Obviously I can't say with any clarity because I havent seen it

If the ground levels to the rear are excessively high you may need some tanking applying internally.

so basically they are a cost effective means of dealing with high ground levels, but usually need to be done in conjunction with other works, which can be new DPC, internal tanking, external water resistant coatings (like thomsons weather seal). On top of all that it is also very important to make sure the gutters/ rain water pipes are in good condition

hope the above helps

DD

ilikewatch

I installed french drains at the rear of a previous property where the level of the concrete yard had been raised by several inches, the total cost was £35 for half a days hire of a Stihl saw and about £10 on gravel - the damp started receding within days and never returned.

minibbb

Thankyou both for such helpful replies- sounds like they could well be what we need to help combat the damp problem!

I have asked our builder to visit the property again to quotes for the gullies so will be interested to see what he says. Tbh I'd rather let him do the work rather than have a go myself, i'd be happy paying up to £500 if need be for a good job.