Rising Damp after Salt Test, how to proceed...

Birty2k

Hello everyone, me and my partner are currently in the process of purchasing a terraced property. Initially for £115,000 but was then accepted at £113,500 as that’s what our lender valued it at. As a result and suggestion from the homebuyers report I paid for a reputable impartial, independent Damp Surveyor specialist to come in and do a survey (price was £120). The initial reports were fine except for 3 areas of salt action behind some of the radiators. He said it could simply be the new plaster work drying out as it has recently been done, or it could be something more serious, and the only way he could be definitive is if a chemical salt test was carried out on the plaster debris.

I paid a further £180 for this test to be completed, in good faith to the vendor as she intially reduced the price by £1,500 to match our valuation. The chemical results have come back as a definitive presence of Rising Damp, and he says from his knowledge of the area and trade it will cost around £2,500 to remedy.

My question is, I have paid £300 in good faith to get the house checked out, and I understand neither me or the vendor are obliged to do anything, but we are completely stretched in terms of deposit, extra costs, etc. Would it be completely unreasonable to ask that we will still pay £113,500 providing the vendor can get the remedial works done? Even if we ask her to reduce the price by a further £2,500 she will still be £2,500 out of pocket either way.

Now I don’t mind if she is prepared to get quotes and get the work done herself providing I get someone certified who can provide me with a guarantee on the work. So it may not even cost that much.

One other thing to note is so far the vendor has been very supportive and just wants to sell the house as quickly as possible.

It’s just a tricky situation, and we do really like the house, but are completely stretched in terms of funds. Any advice would be appreciated!!

TamsinC

https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/the-fraud-of-rising-damp.html

Birty2k

TamsinC, having a quick scan through that article I am well aware of what it’s getting at but isn’t it just going to cause me problems when I come to sell the property?

Birty2k

And the surveyor was impartial, I paid £300, it wasn’t a free service hoping he would get the work. He is simply a surveyor.

ProDave

Alarm bells ring when you say "it was just re plastered" WHY.

My guess is if you want to proceed then move in and see how bad it really is. And only do anything about it if it is a problem.

But I would still want to know WHY it was just re plastered. To hide the signs of damp?

Rising damp can be real, and often the fix is nothing more that lowering the ground level outside that may be bridging the damp proof course, or fixing a leaky downpipe etc.

G_M

I too am always sceptical of 'rising damp', though I note you have paid for an independent survey thus avoiding a salesman.


What has the surveyor said about


* the damp proof course? There isn't one? It is breached? It is faulty in some way?


* what remedial treatment has he recommended? Chemical injection? New dpc? Sealing the plasterwork?


You say it is in 3 areas. Where?
* all in the same room?
* internal or external walls?
* what is outside in the affected areas?

G_M

ProDave wrote: »

Rising damp can be real, and often the fix is nothing more that lowering the ground level outside that may be bridging the damp proof course, or fixing a leaky downpipe etc.

I agree those are the most common problems, but they are not causes of 'rising damp'. Both a bridged dpc, and a leaky downpipe, would result in 'penetrating damp' (water penetrating horizontally through the wall).

Rising damp is where water rises vertically up the wall from the ground, as if the bricks/stone acted like a sponge, and where it is not prevented from doing so by a dpc

The result is the same (a damp wall) but they are very different animals!

TamsinC

Go through the rest of the site - it shows you how to combat damp. When you resell, as long as you have corrected the problem (without recourse to a chemical injected damp course) you will be fine. Many a good house is ruined by the wrong type of damp course, rather than rectifying the problem and allow the house to breathe. Is it possible the salts are leaking through from the old plaster that wasn't removed properly?

https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/types-of-damp-what-have-i-got/salt-damage-in-old-buildings.html

Birty2k

G_M wrote: »

I too am always sceptical of 'rising damp', though I note you have paid for an independent survey thus avoiding a salesman.


What has the surveyor said about


* the damp proof course? There isn't one? It is breached? It is faulty in some way?


* what remedial treatment has he recommended? Chemical injection? New dpc? Sealing the plasterwork?


You say it is in 3 areas. Where?
* all in the same room?
* internal or external walls?
* what is outside in the affected areas?

From the report:

Test Area:
--Front lounge, Front elevation to the left hand side of the radiator.
--Rear Dining- Left hand party wall.
--The dividing wall of the kitchen/ dining room to the side of the radiator within the kitchen.

The Results: The 10 cc beaker detected nitrate salts and the 50cc beaker detected nitrate salts in significant quantities. This is a definitive result that there is dampness within the tested walls for the common form of dampness known as rising dampness. As sated within the original report I would suggest that the works are carried out to prevent any further dampness occurring to the walls.

Front Elevation:

An inspection was carried out to ensure that all of the external ground levels adjacent to the external walls, are approximately 150mm below the existing damp proof course and the internal floor levels to prevent moisture from migrating through the structure.
I have assessed the pathways adjacent to all of the elevations and conclude that the ground levels at the time of my inspection are not 150mm below the floor level of the kitchen, dining and front elevation. A further inspection within the property to the ground floor external walls did not give me any real concern to indicate significant dampness due to the level of the external ground levels.

However salt action was visible to the front elevation wall to the side of the radiator.
Front Elevation

The paved walkway to the front elevation is sloping and the corner of the left hand party wall is below the ground level and in my opinion allowing moisture to migrate through the wall creating the salt action.

Recommendations should dampness occur: Front elevation !!!8211; Apply a tanked system to comply with BS8102 structures below ground.

Ground Floor Walls

6.2 Ground Floor Walls
Observations & Recommendations: Essential Works
There were signs of dampness to the ground floor walls by the showing of damp patches and surface salt. Further investigations with a salt test, concludes there is dampness within the plastered walls due to rising dampness.

In order to offer a dry environment for the occupants, I recommend the following scopes of works are carried out all in accordance with the PCA code of practice, BS6576:-
--All of the front elevation.
--All of the left hand party wall within the front lounge and rear dining.
--All of the rear elevation beyond the radiator within the kitchen

£2300 plus VAT he has roughly quoted.

As for why it has been re plastered, I cannot answer that...

G_M

PCA code of practice, BS6576


so a chemical dpc injector.

System

I wouldn't ask the vendor to have the work carried out, they have zero interest in getting something done properly...