DPC Issues on Potential House Purchase

Mercurial

I've seen a house I want to make an offer on. Bought a friend along whose quite good at DIY. He was impressed with the property apart from mentioning someone has partly buried the DPC all along the gable wall, with the driveway. Does anyone know how expensive an issue this will be to resolve? Also, if I make an offer and it's accepted I could maybe ask for a lower price with risk of rising damp?
TIA?

stuart45

What type of wall is it? eg cavity, solid, timber frame.

Mercurial

stuart45 thank you, not sure house was built around 1925 must find out if it's cavity or solid. Driveway is tarmac.

I've read some people think there is no such thing as rising damp? Interior and exterior wall didn't feel or look damp. Maybe just leave it until there is an issue?

Doozergirl

Mercurial wrote: »

stuart45 thank you, not sure house was built around 1925 must find out if it's cavity or solid. Driveway is tarmac.

I've read some people think there is no such thing as rising damp? Interior and exterior wall didn't feel or look damp. Maybe just leave it until there is an issue?

You need to deal with potential issues before there is a problem.

You just need to cut the tarmac back away from the wall - say 20-30cm, dig away so that the ground level immediately against the house is the required two courses below the damp proof course. You can finish it off with gravel to neaten it.

Hopefully the tarmac slopes away from the house. If it's sloping to the house, you'll need to put some drainage for it to act as a french drain and divert it away from the house.

It's a day's work, if that, for someone with the right tools.

I don't believe that rising damp is some spontaneous thing that starts without reason because a damp proof course just suddenly fails. There is always a reason for it and it is almost always a maintenance issue, or where people have done inappropriate work, like this laying of the drive right up to the house.

Fix it, it should fix the problem without expensive and invasive chemical treatments that do not work. It's still stopping the source that stops it.

FreeBear

Mercurial wrote: »

stuart45 thank you, not sure house was built around 1925 must find out if it's cavity or solid. Driveway is tarmac.

I've read some people think there is no such thing as rising damp? Interior and exterior wall didn't feel or look damp. Maybe just leave it until there is an issue?

1925 will be on the cusp of widespread use of cavity walls - It may be cavity on the ground floor with solid brick on the upper half..

Regardless of construction, a French drain should be installed along the affected wall - This need be little more than a trench 200mm wide and the same deep filled with gravel to a level below the DPC. Shouldn't be very expensive, and is something that can be DIY'd.

If you buy, put it at the top of the list of jobs to do before decorating or a new kitchen.

G_M

Mercurial wrote: »

I've seen a house I want to make an offer on. Bought a friend along whose quite good at DIY. He was impressed with the property apart from mentioning someone has partly buried the DPC all along the gable wall, with the driveway. Does anyone know how expensive an issue this will be to resolve? Also, if I make an offer and it's accepted I could maybe ask for a lower price with risk of rising damp?
TIA?

It will cost you a weekend of labour and a bag or 3 of shingle.


Dig out a trench round the base of the wall and backfill with shingle.


Sorted.

Mercurial

Thanks everyone that's a great help. I thought it would be an expensive job but it doesn't seem too bad. And of course it's best to get fixed before the issue becomes serious. Why would anyone cover a DPC?!

Davesnave

Mercurial wrote: »

if I make an offer and it's accepted I could maybe ask for a lower price with risk of rising damp?
TIA?

You didn't say that the relevant part of the property showed signs of damp.

Property prices aren't usually discounted because of something that hasn't happened yet, unless it's something like an imminent development nearby etc.

I have a small area beside my house where some twit built a concrete path too high, but it's caused no problems in 10 years so it will probably stay. The property had real issues to deal with without inventing another. There are particular factors at work, like the aspect and a sheltering hedge, so although it could be a 'risk,' it's turned-out not to be one.

Mercurial

Davesnave fair enough I'm probably pushing it asking for a reduction. External wall didn't look damp at all.

Good to know you haven't had problems with the path. Will discuss with surveyor once he's done the HB report to see what he thinks.

stuart45

Mercurial wrote: »

Why would anyone cover a DPC?!

See it all the time on properties I work on. People getting new drives and paths often have contractors in that don't care or know any different. In some cases it does not seem to affect the walls, in others in can cause damp problems. Rain bounce can affect walls for example.
Solid walls often suffer more than cavity walls.

Davesnave

Mercurial wrote: »

Good to know you haven't had problems with the path. Will discuss with surveyor once he's done the HB report to see what he thinks.

Houses sometimes have the ability to surprise in a nice way.


With this one's location, I'd never have installed cavity insulation, but someone did, and it's fine. The previous owners also installed after-market extra ventilators in all the bedroom walls, which we removed. Still can't understand why they were there!