Damp on home report - buy or walk away?

marymac27

Hi all,

Looking for some advice about damp in a home report for a ground floor one bedroom tenement flat in Edinburgh built 1900. So the damp is a 2 on the report.It says there’s some slight damp on internal walls between shower room and bedroom. The thing that’s concerning me most is signs of decayed skirting boards in the bedroom cupboards. The owner got a quote for the work (tanking and DPC injections) for £3090.

We’ve negotiated down the price below market value and have a damp survey being done this week. Just wondering if anyone has experience of buying a property of this age with signs of damp? It’s been vacant a few months and I’m wondering it if needs heat and ventilation. It’s just those skirting boards that worry me!

The last sell fell through because the buyer didn’t want to do the work and had offered a lot more than me at closing date.

Any thoughts would be massively appreciated! Thanks so much!

G_M

What is on the external side of that wall?



Ideally show us a photo of both inside and outside.

marymac27

It’s the bathroom (well shower room), but it’s the wall with the radiator on it so not the shower side. I don’t have pics yet I’m afraid. Will get some this week.

G_M

Sorry - I missed that it was an internal wall.


Less usual for internal walls to get damp.



Plumbing leak? Past or ongoing?
Rising damp? What kind of floor is it? Solid concrete? Suspended wood floor (with/without ventilation below)?
Condensation?


Who was it recomended "tanking and DPC injections for £3090."? Tanking seems a strange solution! And DPC injections may/ may not be appropriate.

marymac27

Thanks for taking the time to reply to this!

Yeah I’m wondering if it’s a leak internally in the bathroom. The home report just says timber floors which is what I recall in the cupboard but will need to get more info.

The quote is from a joiner. Seems to be to stop the damp but hasn’t addressed the source. I guess I just need to be patient and wait for the report. I’m just concerned that as it’s a company offering damp solutions they’ll recommend a lot of treatment which will be a deal breaker.

G_M

OK - so a joiner, who specialises in woodwork, has recomended tanking and injection, to resolve a damp problem that is clearly outside his area of expertise...... Have you seen his report? does it actually specify the cause of the damp? Pinch of salt comes to mind.

You are now having a 'damp survey' done by 'a company offering damp solutions'. Is this by any chance a free [STRIKE]survey [/STRIKE]sales report? They will almost certainly find a damp issue requiring remedial services that they provide. Another pinch of salt.....

You need to determine where the source of the damp is. Either through yur own investigation, common sense, and some internet research (helped by us here of course!), or via a totally independant specialist who has no axe to grind - no ulterior motive.

On a suspended wooden floor it is unlikely that damp is originating below and 'rising', though it is worth checking that there is adequate sub-floor ventilation - look at the outside walls for air bricks low down. Below the dampproof course level (if there is one) and below floor level).

Could simply be some condensation in the cupboard that has over time affected the skirting boards. Could have been a historic leak (from the radiator /plumbing in the bathroom?).

My instinct from what you've said is that it's not serious. You've negotiated the price down, so you'll have a bit of money to throw at it once you've bought.


Doozergirl may be along sometime with further ideas.

marymac27

Thank you, really helpful to hear your thoughts.

Yes the joiner does seems a strange one. I think the seller rushed out and got a quote because people were asking about it having seen the home report.

The survey is actually not free (sadly), my solicitor who is really good and very cautious about this recommend them but still, they’re quoting for work!

I’ve found some pics of the floor in the cupboard and the skirting board. I’ll post.

Thanks again! I’ll arrange to see the flat again and have a look for signs you mentioned.

marymac27

Cannot for the life of me see the attach option here to post an image!

G_M

Either upload your pictures to a picture hosting site eg
https://imgbb.com/


and then give us the link.


Or try copy/paste function - unless the picture is too large it should paste into your post.

marymac27

Ah it won’t let me as I’m a new post because of spam. 😬. I’ll try again tomorrow.

davidmcn

marymac27 wrote: »

Ah it won’t let me as I’m a new post because of spam. 😬. I’ll try again tomorrow.

You just need to disguise the link slightly so it isn't recognised as being a link e.g. put in a space.