rising damp

imported_goldie

Dont knowi if this is the right forum, can someone please move it if not.
I live in arented bungalow which is really nice now i have decorated it and garden is ideal for my dogs. However, both bedrooms have rising damp (i had to change living room into my bedroom as my health was suffering). Is there anything at all I can do about the rising damp? Landlord obviously wont do anything - he says it is condensation and if i pushed it with health inspector etc would probably be kicked out. I cant find anywhere else as have two dogs (one large) and everywhere says no pets. Cant have a damp proof course put in as its an old property and single wall construction. The b edrooms have concrete floors which neighbours have told me is often replaced so obviously landlord knows there is a problem. Any ideas?

Nile

Hello imported_goldie

I'll move your thead to the 'In my home' board, where it should get more views and responses.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Regards

Nile

imported_goldie

I believe there is something (like black tar) you canpaint the floor with. Does anyone know if this helps?

clairehi

What are the signs of damp that you have in the house?

Has the landlord refused to do anything to put them right?

imported_goldie

The bedrooms are side by side, the skirting boards of the adjoining wall in each room rottedaway (hedidreplace them) and the wall iscrumbling away. The carpet and mattress have to be replaced every fewyearsbecause of the smell of damp. Have thought about putting down lino so the smell cant penetrate it like it does with the carpet. Know i should move out but hasbeen impossible to find anywhere else.

ka7e

If you check the AskJeff website, he says "rising damp" is unlikely to be occurring.

Genuine rising damp is actually very rare. Damp, flaking plaster and stained, peeling wallpaper are usually caused by penetrating damp from leaking gutters or raised outside ground levels, or by condensation (due to high internal humidity, poor ventilation, and lack of heating).

Is it possible there is pipework embedded in the wall or just under the floor? It can cause condensation under plasterwork - we have problems in our kitchen from pipework left after an old back-boiler was removed. We also have a cold water pipe in the bathroom wall that seeps moisture into the brickwork.
Also check guttering and downpipes - overflow from blockages may be entering anywhere along their length and finding a course through your internal wall. Drainage pipework from your kitchen or bathroom may be routed through the house to external drains - especially noticeable in bungalows, I'm afraid.
Finally, condensation is a huge problem if the right balance between heating and ventilation isn't made. Calor gas heating allegedly creates lots of unwanted moisture in a confined space. Large pieces of furniture can also block airflow, leading to dampness and mould.
Hope you get your problems sorted soon!