Damp in house - rising or condensation?

Elspeth83

Hi there,

We've just moved into our house. It's a 1930's semi. The survey found there to be damp in the living room and front bedroom - he "suspected" it was from an inadequate damp proof course. So we had a damp surveyor out who diagnosed rising damp.

We got a reduction in price and went ahead with sale.

We've just had a different damp company out who believe that the problem is actually condensation. He took metre readings of all walls and the numbers where higher (around 25?) at the top and lower (19) at the bottom. In the bedroom the reading was even higher at around 30. He wants to put vents in and says the original damp company are awful.

Obviously we would like to believe him as his vents are far cheaper. But I'm not sure. There are no visible damp patches upstairs but there are in the living room - all across the lower wall (especially around chimney breast)

I'm wondering if we should get yet another damp company out? Or just try the vents and see if they help?

Does this sound like condensation?

wallbash

You have found a 'damp' company that wants to instal a cheap and effective cure instead of something mega expansive.

Bite their hands off. Get them back .

Ps a 1930's semi with 'an inadequate damp proof course.........unlikely

Elspeth83

Thanks, that's kind of what I was thinking. Just very confused by different opinions. Seems like damp problems are often misdiagnosed

pmartin86

Why did you get a second company? Did the first do something that you didn't like? Personaly I'd probably find a third company and see what they say, IF you have rising damp and you don't sort it, you will regret it later on, especially if you have suspended floors.

With regards to the "damp" wall, is it on the "cold" (north) side of the house? or is the house on a hill? How does your guttering look? is your drive/garden/street/patio etc an adequate distance below the DPC? If you ahve suspended floors, are your air bricks visible and clear?

wallbash

Lets have a vote.
Whose money ( alongside mine ) is on condensation ?

Elspeth83

First company the guy was very unresponsive and took ages to respond to us.

House is on a hill, with the cold wall on the sunny side facing south. All the guttering is leaking and being replaced next week.

Ground floors are solid, and lifting up the carpet near the damp patches on the wall I can see no sign of wetness to the carpet or underlay.

There is one air vent in living room. But it's got a radiator in front of it so can't see if it's blocked

pmartin86

If you ahve leaking gutters and the damp is worse upstairs than down, then I'd probably be more concerned about penetrating damp instead of rising, how does the rendering look? can you see any hairline cracks on the outside? is there mould/green patched on the walls outside? and do you have cavity walls with insulation?

SG27

wallbash wrote: »

Lets have a vote.
Whose money ( alongside mine ) is on condensation ?

Yes,

However, if the guttering is now fixed give it a few months to see if it improves. If not its most likely condensation. One other thing I would check is flashing on the roof around the chimney stack.

Jonesya

Might be worth getting something like this - their version for Victorian houses is good:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-1930s-House-Manual-Rock/dp/1844252140

Elspeth83

Although the damp meter showed higher numbers upstairs I can't actually see any signs of damp up there.

I can't see any problems with outside rendering and surveyor didn't mention any problems either. No discoloration, but outside has been recently painted.

Also chimney has been removed. Surveyor did mention there is no ventilation in the roof space.

Other thing that was picked up is there is no extractor in the bathroom.

Finally the house has been empty for a year so don't know if that makes much difference.

Thank you everyone for your replies and opinions I really appreciate it!

Elspeth83

Oh, also no cavity wall insulation. But when we spoke to adjoining neighbours when viewing the house they mentioned they'd recently had it done and since then they'd had really bad damp problems where they didn't before