Damp next door caused by me?

Marvel1

Just phoned my next door neighbour (landlady) about being ok with me raising the back wall.

Anyway she wanted to speak about a damp issue in her house, coming from my bathroom! She said a surveyor came out and explained it to her husband, who be best to speak to myself about it.

We are on meeting on Sunday to show me but now I'm understandably worried, if I explain my bathroom is downstairs but not joined to her wall. I don't have any windows or extractor fan (strange weird house), but I do have a dehimter (sp?) right outside.

Should be I concerned? Any advice what could cause this? I don't see anything on my side of the wall.

G_M

my bathroom is downstairs but not joined to her wall.

Seems strange. If there is no Party (shared) Wall between her house and your bathroom it seems unlikely your bathroom is to blame for her damp.

What is between the bathroom and her house? Your external wall, a gap (how wide?) and then her external (damp) wall?

What is above? Might there be a broken or leaking gutter on the roof above (yours or hers) which is dripping down her wall?

Similarly, might there be a blocked downpipe from the gutter? Or blocked drain where the downpipe goes into the ground?

Are ther any external pipes (outflow from your bathroom?) in this area which might be leaking/blocked?

Take a good look at that whole area (don't forget to look UP, and DOWN) to identify any sources of damp.

If you want, take photos and post here for us to look at (plus explain the layout of the adjascent properties).

When they come round, offer tea and cake - keep it friendly. Make sure you understand clearly what the surveyor believes the problem is. Unless it is 100% obvious you are responsible, do not admit liability, or apologise, just try to be understanding, obtain paperwork (eg surveyor's report), make notes for yourself, and then say you'd like to discuss with..... anyone! Your surveyor? Your partner? Your brother-in-law who is a builder.... Whoever. It gives you time after the meeting to decide how to respond, rathr than having to respond there and then.

Above all be friendly - neighbour disputes are a nightmare once they escalate!

Marvel1

I will do a through check on the the joining wall, I have wallpaper, so the only thing I can check is patches - is that right

Was going to go to B&Q to get a damp meter reading depending on price but at £99 - no chance.

My Uncle is coming to the visit also, he would be more clued up than me in the discussions (also worried as he does not back down easily and definately won't admit fault), but can be tidy also *fingers crossed*

Between the bathroom and her wall is a hallway - gap of say 2 people standing next to each other (at work so no measure tape so just guessing).

The only I can think of is whether the cold air blast from the defimnter backing on the wall is the issue.

I know my shower plug (drainage) goes underneath/behind the kitchen but again not her side.

I will attempt some photos later.

Will get my own surveyor to investigate though.

DaftyDuck

I wouldn't get anyone in yet, or buy a damp meter. I assume it's a dehumidifier you are using - to dry the air. Shouldn't cause a problem next door. See what she says, and see what the problem appears to be on her side.

Do listen to G_M; he's a cranky old codger at the best of times, especially when the meds haven't kicked in, but he is right that a pleasant chat will work wonders. Never go in all-guns-blazing, just try to resolve the issue. Equally, it's important not to be walked on, admit it's all your fault, or offer to pay (when not your fault). It's a difficult path to tread, and one that tea and cake (G_M's suggestion), or a good bottle of white wine in the sun (Dafty's recommendation) will always help.

If there is damp in her house, the source could just as easily (more so) from her side and, if she (and her surveyor) believed your bathroom was next to the issue, it might seem like the easy culprit. Now... surveyor... did she really get one out, and what did he say? Was he actually a surveyor, or was he one of those jumped-up clowns who used to pester us all, offering free insulation, who has "graduated" to damp treatments...

First thing to do is see the problem on her side. Where is it, relative to whatever on your side? What kind of damp, how much, where on the wall, how long does it appear to have been there, what damage is there. Second, ask to see this ... supposed surveyor's report... What does it say (and why didn't he just knock on your door for a quick peek inside)?

If (and it is a pretty huge if) you begin to suspect there is actually a problem caused by you, there might be some point in getting somebody in, if you aren't confident to do a bit of sleuthing yourself. But, for now, I wouldn't worry about it.

If you do want to get a damp meter, then you can get a perfectly good one from Toolstation for £12:62, delivered free. But, be warned, you can find damp anywhere with one, if you try hard enough...

G_M

I misunderstood. I assumed from what your neighbour said that your bathroom must adjoin onto their property. Then when you said: "not joined to her wall." I envisaged 2 detached properties with a narrow gap between their separate external walls (hence gutters etc up above).

Am I now right in assuming the 2 properties are joined by a Party Wall? ie they are semi-detached or terraces? But that your bathroom is the other side of your property from this neighbour?

(hence my earlier request "plus explain the layout of the adjascent properties" which is still not clearly explained!). See? Dafty is right. "Cranky".

Since your bathroom is nowhere near the wall in question it seems unlikely to be the culprit, however telling us that
"my shower plug (drainage) goes underneath/behind the kitchen but again not her side." does not really help us as
a) we have no idea where your kitchen is and
b) your shower is not the only drainage. I assume your property has an indoor loo? Maybe a basin or 2? Perhaps a washing machine? All these (and more) will need drainage - where do they go?

They will also have water pipes supplying them, which may leak, maybe from above? All needs checking.

Dafty is right - you can get cheap damp meters but it's not worth it.

eddddy

cjdavies wrote: »

She said a surveyor came out...

If it was a real, professional surveyor - I guess it's likely that there really is damp penetrating through the wall.

(If it was a 'Damp Proofing Company salesman' pretending to be a surveyor, it's much less certain.)

If it is penetrating damp... Are there any radiators, central heating pipes or water supply pipes nearby, which could be leaking? (They might be under the floor.)


If the surveyor is less competent... Is there a chimney breast nearby? Is it the neighbour's pipework that's leaking? Could it be condensation?

upoiupou

I can't really see the point of speculating. You haven't even had the conversation yet. Why not wait until they explain and show you?

G_M

Well, it does make sense for he OP to educate himself a bit in advance, and consider possibilities, so that if they come and talk carp, he can politely point out it is carp, while serving a 2nd slice of cake.

itchyfeet123

Maybe I'm missing something, but if the neighbour is also your landlady, then shouldn't damp coming from something wrong at your place be her responsibility?

Davesnave

itchyfeet123 wrote: »

Maybe I'm missing something, but if the neighbour is also your landlady, then shouldn't damp coming from something wrong at your place be her responsibility?

I think it more likely that the next door neighbour is a tenant and the OP phoned their landlady over a matter relating to the properties.

konark

Davesnave wrote: »

I think it more likely that the next door neighbour is a tenant and the OP phoned their landlady over a matter relating to the properties.

C

No ,his neighbour is a landlady