Damp in internal wall

fdl8

Hi all

Recently moved into a new house. We've had two damp proofing contractors look at the property who have given slightly differing advice.

The main issue is the party wall (house is semi-detached) which runs the length of the hallway and dining room. The first contractor said that only the hallway was affected; the second said it was the hallway and dining room. We've mentioned this to our neighbours who are expressing concern asthey've seen no sign of damp on the wall in their house and had the house checked when they bought it - although I think that was over 10 years ago. There is no visible signs on our side either but two independent contractors seem to think there is a problem.

I've asked how the internal wall is getting damp but haven't really had a straight answer. Does anyone know how internal walls such as this get rising damp?

The neighbours' concerns are that anything we do might affect their property. My concern is that if we go ahead with the work, is its impact going to be limited by the fact they seem to be reluctant to have any work done.

Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks

uk_messer

For what reason did you bring the damp contractors in?

You can also buy your own inexpensive meter and read to see whether there is any damp.

Rising damp is caused where there is no DPC or a defective one. Internal walls rarely suffer from it unless there is poor drainage away from the property. But you would normally have high humidity around the whole house generally.

uk_messer

I've asked how the internal wall is getting damp but haven't really had a straight answer. Does anyone know how internal walls such as this get rising damp?

For this reason alone I would not be relying on these companies. The DPC field is absolutely full of cowboys who will claim damp to make a fast buck.

fdl8

Hi

The survey flagged it as a potential issue. The first contractor went in before the purchase was complete, the second after we had moved in. The quotes are pretty much the same give or take a couple of hundred quid.

Water does pool outside some parts of the house in heavy rain but I don't know if/how that would affect the internal wall.

The house was built around 1910 so I don't think it will have any DPC.

fdl8

uk_messer wrote: »

For this reason alone I would not be relying on these companies. The DPC field is absolutely full of cowboys who will claim damp to make a fast buck.

The first was a company I picked from Yellow Pages. The second was sub-contracted from a reliable building company who said they trusted him.

The reply to my question was as follows:

[FONT=&quot]"Moisture readings taken in walls at ground floor level using a Protimeter Surveymaster moisture meter have indicated that the moisture present is consistent with dampness rising in the wall fabric known as capillary attraction or rising dampness.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We recommend the installation of our silicone injection damp proof course to walls at ground floor level as indicated on the attached sketch plan."[/FONT]

No explanation of how or why.

uk_messer

It will more than likely have a DPC. 1910 isn't that old.

You need to look at the survey again. A potential issue doesn't mean it is one. That can simply be survey jargon for I am not liable for x, y,z .

If water pools close to the house that will ultimately affect the moisture content of the earth your house is sitting on. Hence cause any damp on walls which have a defenctive or non-existent DPC..

Lift a floor board up near the internal wall. That way you can see the DPC and the dryness of the soil.

paulsad

If you have no visible (or otherwise) problem then I wouldn't worry just keep an eye on it yourself over time. Surveyors cover their anuses.

uk_messer

fdl8 wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]"Moisture readings taken in walls at ground floor level using a Protimeter Surveymaster moisture meter have indicated that the moisture present is consistent with dampness rising in the wall fabric known as capillary attraction or rising dampness.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]We recommend the installation of our silicone injection damp proof course to walls at ground floor level as indicated on the attached sketch plan."[/FONT]

No explanation of how or why.

Sounds like a typical DPC cowboy. A proper company would look at the source of the damp, check whether the existing DPC was defective etc.

uk_messer

And paulsad as said, if there is no visible sign of dampness, then don't worry. Although this could be masked by a previous DPC company having come in and re-rendered the wall with inhibitors. But in that case someone had already tried the injection cover up, so again, no need.

fdl8

I certainly think the surveyor was covering his bottom.

My wife wants to get a third DPC contractor in for another opinion. The worry is, I guess, is that if they can tell a fib about the internal wall, they could do so about the external walls too. There are certainly signs of condensation but do I really want to fork out £4k-plus for that? We're holding off on redecorating until this is sorted. It's annoying that we can't automatically trust the 'experts' nowadays.

fdl8

I certainly think the surveyor was covering his bottom.

My wife wants to get a third DPC contractor in for another opinion. The worry is, I guess, is that if they can tell a fib about the internal wall, they could do so about the external walls too. There are certainly signs of condensation on the external walls but do I really want to fork out £4k-plus for that? We're holding off on redecorating until this is sorted. It's annoying that we can't automatically trust the 'experts' nowadays.