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Shed too close to wall?
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At that point did you not get a timber and damp report done?
Who advised you to get a new damp proof course done?
The shed may be nothing to do with the problem.
Shed regs for info:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/
Providing it's less than 15sq mtrs and below 2 mtrs tall, they can put their shed there.
It could be caused by soil building up along the all covering the damp course, or water dripping on the wall from a window sill above, defective rendering/morter/brickwork.
There are lots of things it could be.
How much of the wall is damp? at what level?
EDIT: go back to your surveyor and ask him what he thinks is causing it. You really should have investigated it before you purchased.
'Dampness is affecting ground floor wall including the chimney breast. I suspect this is due to a breakdown of the damp proof course. Concealed timbers may be defective and dry-lining should be opened up and fully investigated. A damp proof contractor should be instructed to carry out an investigation to identify the problem and carry out the necessary repairs'.
This is what we did. I can call them but I would imagine they will tell us the same as what the survey says. Reading your link it I read it that it still states it should be at least a metre away. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
No one can be 100% sure from the info here, but from what you've told us the shed is a maximum of 10m2 in area, so if that's the case, annie is correct.
What I don't get is how this 'reputable' damp proof co did not notice the shed while doing the work in the first instance! Perhaps their work was unneccessary. Surely finding the cause was part of them exercising "reasonable care and skill," and if they didn't, then s*d their guarantee, you still have a case against them.
"After settling in my wife and I decided the get a damp course done to treat the wall. This was done approx 3 months ago at the cost of nearly £1000, though we were given a 25 year guarantee.
A month after that was completed we decided to get a decorator in to redecorate the house. When he started to paint the wall that was treated the paint started to congeal and he advised us that the wall was damp again. We called the damp engineers out and they inspected the wall to confirm it was damp. The wall is an external wall and they looked round the back to see what could be causing the problem and they noticed a shed that has been built by our neighbours at the back of the house which is less than a foot away from our wall. The engineer stated that the shed was causing the damp and the guarantee will not cover this."
I'd be getting a Chartered Surveyor to look at the problem (after checking the airbricks), i.e. someone with a degree in this business.
Some of these "damp surveyors" have only completed a three day course to gain their "professional qualifications".
I really can't see how damp can be caused by next door's shed.
After getting a proper inspection from a Chartered Surveyor I'd be heading to the small claims court to get my money back from any cowboys I'd paid to sort this out.
Unless it's very tall or very big it's not required to be 1 mtr from the boundary.
Thank you for that. Several points here.
1. The T&D guys you had in must have noticed the shed, so it can't be a surprise to them.
2. A failing DPC isn't corrected by just having a new one put in if the timbers now have wet rot, they need treating or replacing depending on how bad they are
3. Your walls are dry lined, have they been breached?
4. It could be a problem with the chimney breast, could the pointing have failed and water getting in that way?
5. When it next rains, get out there and look at the gutters, a blocked or badly drained gutter can cause the water to overflow on the building side.
In your shoes I'd find a local forum and ask for recommendations of a builder or damp company if you prefer. I'd get the dry lining off and have a good look.
Well, we'd do it ourselves but I can fully understand if you don't want to.
If you find it is caused by a different problem, then you can have months of fun playing, get your money back for a DPC you didn't need.
It's like shooting nerds in a barrel
They haven't breached building regs and it doesn't need planning permission.
Quote from my link earlier:
Building Regulations
If you want to put up small detached buildings such as a garden shed or summerhouse in your garden, building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres and contains NO sleeping accommodation.
If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed of substantially non-combustible materials.
The OP has never stated that the shed is more than 15sq mtrs.
And I don't think it's anything to do with the shed. I think it's either gutters, or chimney, or defective DPC for years that has caused timbers to get wet rot. And I've been looking at surveyors/building reports for decades and sorting out the problems so I do have some experience of this sort of thing.
Garden Sheds have Class 6 Exemption from the Building Regulations.
See the government's schedule - http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/responsibilities/buildingregulations/approvalneeded/exemptions
Class 6 has three subcategories - big sheds, small sheds, & nuclear shelters.
Sheds with a floor area of under 15 square metres, with no sleeping accommodation, do not need to be fireproof within 1m of the boundary.
Sheds bigger than 15 square metres need only to be "substantially of non-combustible material" within 1m of the boundary.
Sheds bigger than 30 square metres are not exempt.