New Build - Garage damp floor - causing stored items to get damp and go mouldy

Jon_B_2

Hi,

Moved into our brand new house on 30th September.

Only recently started using the garage to store items like bikes etc. However, whilst retrieving a Christmas present for my daughter this afternoon, I noticed an old sofa I had put in there when our new one turned up had started to go mouldy. I also noticed all the boxes in the garage felt flimsy and damp.

Only experience of a garage I have was in our last rented accommodation which was under a coach house, so was watertight and warm. This garage however is detached with a standard pitched tiled roof, with associated fascia and guttering.

Are they meant to be watertight? Should a DPC be in place? Are my expectations too high out of a garage?

I've put in some photos of the dampness inside the garage and a picture outside from the offending wall in case there is issue - I notice that the gravel at the back seems to be above the ground level.

Thanks,

Timbosaurus

Did they lay the parking surface, or have you had that done since? It looks like surface water from there is getting down between the parking surface and the wall. There should be a gravelled strip area of soft ground between the two for the surface water to run off into. You should absolutely be complaining about this, and making a warranty claim, as the way they have built this doesn't meet NHBC standards.

Jon_B_2

They laid the parking after the garage was built as it is for the flats which have been recently finished.

Marktheshark

My guess, the cavity was not cleared and is full of rubble and dirt taking it above the dpm.

G_M

Jon_B wrote: »

They laid the parking after the garage was built as it is for the flats which have been recently finished.

'They'? Who?

The builders of your property?
The builders of the flats?
Same builder?
At a subsequent time?

If the parking tarmac was laid after completion of your garage as part of a completely separate build, and does not belong to you, then NHBC won't be interested. They guarantee the construction of your building, not the flat's.....

But you might have a legal case against the flats' developer.

PasturesNew

As a rule of thumb - if a garage isn't integral and in a fairly new build, it'll have just been "cobbled together" without thought for damp/cold/weather.

I'd certainly not keep anything important in there, or anything susceptible to damp (e.g. cardboard boxes/furniture).

Jon_B_2

The developer who built both our house and the flats. We completed during mid construction of the flats.

I didn't expect it to be 100% watertight as it is not a habitable building, but I didn't expect this level of weather intrusion. Although to be fair I don't think we've had many dry days since we moved in.

phill99

Marktheshark wrote: »

My guess, the cavity was not cleared and is full of rubble and dirt taking it above the dpm.

Garages aren't built with cavities,. They will be single skin with piers.

Owain_Moneysaver

Any new build will take time to dry out. The garage is probably unheated and poorly ventilated.

You could try using pallets to keep stuff off the floor - that might help a bit.

bigfreddiel

I would ask Geoff Howell who has a column in the Telegraph on Saturday. Send him an email and he will answer your question.

Good luck fj

Noctu

My one year old new build garage is double skin with piers. Was quite surprised at that!