Dubious about 30 year damp proofing guarantee- any advice?

Amarna

Hello,
I've recently moved into a 19th century terrace cottage and I've found that the skirting board and wood block flooring below it are damp and damaged. They are soft and are beginning to look rotten in areas.
This was not picked up on by the survey I had prior to purchasing, but the property has been tanked previously about ten years ago and covered under one of those 30 year damp proofing guarantees. So I got them out to have a look. They sent one guy and then decided a senior surveyor needed to take a look. He's telling me it's water getting into the wall floor junction and that all the skirting and some flooring need to be lifted, the concrete sorted out and damp proofed and then the flooring and skirting back on.
Convieniently this is not covered under their guarantee. In one area they have recommended replastering. But they also say this is not covered because it is an area ABOVE where they plastered before.
They are going to quote me for the works, some of which they won't do anyway ie: the flooring. But I can't help but think I'm being taken for a ride here and they are just avoiding doing the work under the guarantee.
They were initially employed to carry out damp remediation works and a guarantee was given, do they not have to correct it as the remedial works have clearly failed?
Does this sound like a nightmare job?
Any advice appreciated.

Doozergirl

I wouldn't touch a 19th century building with a damp proof course. It's perfectly possible that it's made things worse if the initial problem wasn't rectified.

Why was it tanked, for a starting question?

Amarna

Doozergirl wrote: »

I wouldn't touch a 19th century building with a damp proof course. It's perfectly possible that it's made things worse if the initial problem wasn't rectified.

Why was it tanked, for a starting question?

All I know is that it was done about ten years ago, by an occupier who was not who I bought the property from. The property was very damp on all walls and the previous occupier clearly got advice at that time and had it tanked and replastered.

I fully accept from the little bit of research I have done that 1. It has likely made the issue worse in the long term and 2. Any surveyor working for a damp proofing company has a vested interest in selling damp proofing.

With this in mind what should be my next course of action? Get an independent damp surveyor to have a look or??

stuart45

Tanking usually holds the damp back for a while, but it normally breaks down somewhere and allows the dampness back through.
I wouldn't be looking to pay that company any money.
Old properties need their walls and floors to have breathable products used on them.

FreeBear

Amarna wrote: »

I can't help but think I'm being taken for a ride here and they are just avoiding doing the work under the guarantee.

Both you and the owner that commissioned the work are being taken for a ride. You need to get someone in who knows about older properties and how to conduct sympathetic repairs. Undoing the damage caused by the older damp treatments is not going to be cheap, but will certainly cost less in the long term than having yet more work done by the company in question.

As a starting point, I'd suggest talking to someone like Mike Wye and see if they can recommend someone in your area.

Amarna

Thanks Freebear you have been very helpful on this and the other thread I posted.
Would someone like Mike wye diagnose the damp issue? Or should I get an independent damp surveyor or structural engineer to have a look first?
I really feel clueless about all of this!

FreeBear

Amarna wrote: »

Would someone like Mike wye diagnose the damp issue? Or should I get an independent damp surveyor or structural engineer to have a look first?

Mike Wye is a company specialising in the sale of lime & eco products. Their sales staff are, in the main, knowledgeable, but I don't think they do site visits or offer surveys. However, they should be able to point you towards someone local to you who could.

A structural surveyor will normally just tell you to get a damp survey done, and I doubt they would be able to do much more. There are a few independent surveyors out there with experience of old properties and can provide expert opinions, but it isn't something I've ever had to call upon.