Should damp have been picked up in survey

Yasmin02

Hi Everyone

I need some help it appears that I have damp in my kitchen at ground level there is bulding near our french doors. Now it was here when I first moved in and has not gone away. Should this have been picekd up by the building survey? If not would this be covered by buildings insruance who owns my freehold at the moment? Dpes aupme know any good damp specialists in east london that are reliable?

Thanks in advance for your responses/

Yasmim

mr.broderick

Yasmin02 wrote: »

Hi Everyone

I need some help it appears that I have damp in my kitchen at ground level there is bulding near our french doors. Now it was here when I first moved in and has not gone away. Should this have been picekd up by the building survey? If not would this be covered by buildings insruance who owns my freehold at the moment? Dpes aupme know any good damp specialists in east london that are reliable?

Thanks in advance for your responses/

Yasmim

What kind of survey did you have? Was it a valuation survey?
There are different forms of damp ie rising damp, penetration damp..
It may just be condensation.
There are comapnies around who do free surveys, might be worth getting one done.

Yasmin02

Hello

It was a valuation survey we had done and survyoer did not pick anyting up regarding it. It could be condesnsation but it in two different places but has not changed shapre at all or anyting like that. I thought it should have been picked up in my survey becase it was there the day we moved.

What does everyone else think?

Thanks very much in advnce

Yasmin

cattie

Valuation surveys are just that, to give a valuation & the surveyor works for the lender, not you. You would need to have paid for & had a homebuyer's or buildings survey carried out for damp problems to be flagged. Even then, the surveyor will usually just recommend getting a specialist in to check the severity of the problem

Damp issues are not covered under buildings insurance I'm afraid.

Remedial work for damp isn't necessary expensive, get a couple of reports & estimates & take it from there.

Yasmin02

Hi Cattie

Thank you ever so much . Yes i have a got a man coming around tommorow to have a look and will ring up for some more people to come round maybe Friday. Thanks very much I think that I just panic as it is our first flat and I knw that things are bound to go wrong . I have spoken to the previous owners and they have told me that a damp course had been carried out but that was before they owned the flat so who knows.

Yasmin

clutton_2

what colour is it and where abouts on the wall is it ? - is it near a washing machine, tumble drier outlet ?

Jonbvn

A valuation survey is unlikely to have picked up damp problems.

For more info about rising damp check out these links:
http://www.safeguardeurope.com/pdf_datasheets/rising_damp_book.pdf
http://www.uknetguide.co.uk/Homes_and_Gardens/Article/Rising_Damp.html
http://www.rics.org/Builtenvironment/Buildingpathology/Dampandwateringress/moisture_measurement_in_masonry_19950901.html

Yasmin02

Hello Everyone

Thanks for your messages it is near a electrical socket and near a french door but also need our washing machine. I have one guy come round and he used the beeping machine and it was beeping and red when he was using the machine. He siad that it has been here for some time and it is caused by the decking as it has breached the damp course. He is quoting 700 to get it all done as he needs to the plastienrg etc etc. WOuld this be coverd by buidlings insurnace if this was an underlying problem before I bought the property?

Thanks very much
Yasmin

clutton_2

removing some decking and digging down to expose the damp course or air bricks should not cost £700 !!!!!! - unless you live in a huuuuuge house !

damp is not normally covered by insurance unless it is caused by flooding of a broken pipe or appliance.

Yasmin02

Hello

Should it cost more? He told me that it would need a brand new damp course as it is oo the inside of kithchen and he used that beeper thing that was going red further down the wall. Is he trying to con con me?

Yasmin

clutton_2

any wall will beep - there is moisture in every wall. Dig out the decking first, and expose the air bricks, or have new ones installed, then see what happens. Then if the damp continues to get worse, consider having a new damp course installed. the current one cannot do its job because there is no ventilation - the decking has blocked it off.