J.A.S.'s fixing the damp & swimming pool in the house thread....

JustAnotherSaver

The survey came back that the extended wall & the front wall has a damp issue, which it certainly does as i can feel it.
However the wall that joins on to next door, i'm wondering if this is damp also. It doesn't feel as damp & they probably didn't pick up on it as IIRC there was furniture & stuff against the wall. You can see salts coming out the wall a lot though.


The pinky patch in that photo is most certainly damp & was picked up in the survey.

Which is at the left end of this photo...


Now, i'm not really knowledgeable in this area, but to me it seems that someone has tackled it before looking at the new plaster below the dado rail.
However i'm thinking that they've done half a job, because the new plaster finishes just a midges below the dado rail & it's here where you can see salts coming out & certainly just above the rail. I'm guessing they just didn't want to remove the rail?! The new plaster doesn't feel damp & isn't 'salting' but the old plaster is.

You can even see the pencil mark they did above the rail, so no idea why they didn't re-plaster up to this...








Now, we're going to get someone to look at it. This house was built in the 1930s.

Just wondering though, aside from the earlier questions - with that big wall being the dividing wall between us & our neighbours, will there be any point in any damp treatment on THAT wall? As if it's on the other side (neighbours side) wont it just work its way back to us? Would it have to be knocked straight out (so you could see into next door) or can they just take a 'top layer' off?

Just wondering what your view is on this (as best as you can give from just looking at photos).

The sellers estate agent sent out someone to check it out & here was their assessment (when furniture was still in there & probably blocking their path to the main wall)...

On our inspection of the above property for rising damp to the lower sections of the ground floor walls, we took high moisture meter reading from the main front wall around the bay window 3.5 Lin Metres and the main rear wall either side of the doorway going into the rear extension 2.0 Metres the damp is being caused by a breakdown in the original damp proof course. We have included our price below for the installation of a chemically injected damp proof course to the walls as detailed above 5.5 Lin Metres of walls in total. This would be carried out using the Sovereign Chemicals system of installation and on completion of the work the treated areas would be covered by a Sovereign Chemicals 30 year guarantee.



Total cost excluding VAT £ 440.00

cyclonebri1

1930's house so may or may not have cavity walls as by 1935 they were normal in most if not all areas.

I'd guess they are solid walls so there would be no cavity in between the 2 houses.

If you have an issue then the next doors will too. It can be treated to your and your neighbours benefit from your side of the wall by chemical injection. They simply drill and treat your side 1st, then drill deeper and do the 2nd skin of brick.

I'd have a chat with the neighbour.

(all this assumes what I said about it being none cavity wall?)

JustAnotherSaver

Funny you say that as on the survey the house is stated as having been built in .... 1935.

But i don't think it's a cavity wall. There's no mention of it.

Also, the neighbour on the other side of this wall is moving out - by that i mean their house is up for sale.

Would us repairing this repair it for the neighbour? Not that i care a great deal. All i'm interested in is sorting it for US. If it sorts it for us then fine.

The bit i mentioned as feeling damp is certainly damp & was picked up on the survey. What about the crystals/salts though. Would you say that's certainly damp?

And these 30yr guarantees, does the treatment generally last for that sort of term?

cyclonebri1

Yes, in so much that it can be treated from just your side as I mentioned, but there would still be the issue of damp plaster that would bridge the damp course on their side and wick back through to yours.

To be honest if it's up for sale I'd arrange to view it, that should give you a good idea of whats happening.

Could just be the reason they are selling?;);)

JustAnotherSaver

Well we got a bloke out to assess today. He was with us for about 2 hours. Very pleasant (doesn't relate to his quality of work i know).

Basically the walls are soaking. He commented on half job harries who did the plastering in the past.
Every wall in the living room & i mean EVERY wall needs tending too as they were all showing up high readings of being piddle wet through.

The extension wall was previously an outside wall so that'll have been battered by rain in the past & soaked through. Spoke of capillaries & whatever else that i've forgotten.
Once sorted he says the damp from next door wont push through into ours. If anything it'll just 'rebound' back to them as it wont penetrate.

He stabbed the skirting boards & said he'd never seen readings like that for a long while (said he usually gets about 15-20 on his little gizmo but ours was 30-45+). So he left it up to us whether we get new skirting or re-use.

I hope the wooden floor boards are fine

Am dreading this quote when it comes through.

tony6403

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Funny you say that as on the survey the house is stated as having been built in .... 1935.

But i don't think it's a cavity wall. There's no mention of it.

QUOTE]

The bricks showing on next door's property appear to be laid in stretcher bond. This indicates that the property does have a cavity wall.

cyclonebri1

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Well we got a bloke out to assess today. He was with us for about 2 hours. Very pleasant (doesn't relate to his quality of work i know).

Basically the walls are soaking. He commented on half job harries who did the plastering in the past.
Every wall in the living room & i mean EVERY wall needs tending too as they were all showing up high readings of being piddle wet through.

The extension wall was previously an outside wall so that'll have been battered by rain in the past & soaked through. Spoke of capillaries & whatever else that i've forgotten.
Once sorted he says the damp from next door wont push through into ours. If anything it'll just 'rebound' back to them as it wont penetrate.

He stabbed the skirting boards & said he'd never seen readings like that for a long while (said he usually gets about 15-20 on his little gizmo but ours was 30-45+). So he left it up to us whether we get new skirting or re-use.

I hope the wooden floor boards are fine

Am dreading this quote when it comes through.

That's a little bit laughable to be honest, unless it's period georgian house or similar, (which it isn't), it simply won't be cost effective to take the boards of carefully and refit them in the same way. The labour will outweigh any material savings and to be honest skiring for a single room only comes out at about £40.

I would still visit next door, I would find it very strange if a house that is effectively a part of yours in so much as it shares the same materials, footings and construction and even weathering, does not exhibit the same issues

And you do of course need multi quotes and opinions, it could vary wildly.

cyclonebri1

tony6403 wrote: »

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Funny you say that as on the survey the house is stated as having been built in .... 1935.

But i don't think it's a cavity wall. There's no mention of it.

QUOTE]

The bricks showing on next door's property appear to be laid in stretcher bond. This indicates that the property does have a cavity wall.

Where do you get that from Tony, I can't see the picture??

JustAnotherSaver

tony6403 wrote: »

The bricks showing on next door's property appear to be laid in stretcher bond. This indicates that the property does have a cavity wall.

You are indeed correct. We picked up more paperwork from the solicitor today & it does have cavity walling.

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

That's a little bit laughable to be honest, unless it's period georgian house or similar, (which it isn't), it simply won't be cost effective to take the boards of carefully and refit them in the same way. The labour will outweigh any material savings and to be honest skiring for a single room only comes out at about £40.

I would still visit next door, I would find it very strange if a house that is effectively a part of yours in so much as it shares the same materials, footings and construction and even weathering, does not exhibit the same issues

And you do of course need multi quotes and opinions, it could vary wildly.

He did advise that for the cost we would be better getting in new skirting rather than reusing the old, especially with the condition it is in.
He didn't want to make that or indeed any decision for us & assume our answers. He advised on everything but left every decision down to us. We could've easily said no. We didn't though - we'll be getting new skirting.

tony6403

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

tony6403 wrote: »

Where do you get that from Tony, I can't see the picture??

Bri , the OP has another active post which shows some brickwork on the adjoining property.

cyclonebri1

Ah, that explains it, but I did ask the OP for that info without a direct answer;);):A