Would damp put you off buying somewhere?

leftism

Annoyingly I never took one from the right angle. This was all I got... ibb.co/qxn7Nnc

AdrianC

https://ibb.co/qxn7Nnc

A tile-hung, possibly wood-framed bay.

Yes, you definitely want to see what's going on where the other side of the bay meets the brickwork - that's where water's getting in. If the bay is wood-framed, then I suspect there's some remedial work needed inside. Does it sound hollow if you tap around the plaster on the inside of the bay?

leftism

AdrianC wrote: »

https://ibb.co/qxn7Nnc

A tile-hung, possibly wood-framed bay.

Yes, you definitely want to see what's going on where the other side of the bay meets the brickwork - that's where water's getting in. If the bay is wood-framed, then I suspect there's some remedial work needed inside. Does it sound hollow if you tap around the plaster on the inside of the bay?

Very helpful. I can’t answer that I’m afraid, because I only looked when I viewed the house.

If there is a huge amount of work to be done to the bay is it the sort of thing that will be very expensive? Like, into the thousands? I know this is a lot of guesswork at the moment, but like I say, it’s the only thing putting me of he house. Thanks for all your help so far!! You seem to really know your stuff!

csgohan4

Looks expensive to fix if needing to replace the whole window and surrounding damage

tom9980

I dont think this would stop me buying the property personally.

olgadapolga

The problem with damp is not just fixing the cause of the damp, it's the length of time it takes for the affected area to dry out.

We had a survey done on the house we now call home and it stated that there was no damp.

When we stripped back the wallpaper, we found a wall that was soaked, floor to ceiling, several feet along. We dealt with the issues causing the damp, plants up the external walls, holes in walls, dodgy guttering. Six months on, despite running a dehumidifier and heater 24/7, the wall has not yet dried out enough for us to decorate.

We've been living in a building site for the last six months with no end in sight. It's just awful. Had we known about the damp, we would not have purchased the house.

But we did. So we have to live with it. Maybe it wouldn't be so annoying if it was in a different room but it's the main room downstairs and it's a nightmare.

AdrianC

leftism wrote: »

Very helpful. I can’t answer that I’m afraid, because I only looked when I viewed the house.

OK, but that's something to do when you go back with a builder... NOT a "damp proofing" company salesman...

If there is a huge amount of work to be done to the bay is it the sort of thing that will be very expensive? Like, into the thousands?

<wet finger in air>
Let's assume worst case. The upstairs window is rotten and needs replacing. The timber for the bay is rotten and needs a lot of work. The downstairs window is rotting. The joists for the floor are rotting.
Yes, not hard at all to see that well into four figures and a good chunk of disruption.

But it might just need the tiles and plaster removing, some new timber letting in to window and bay frame, and refinishing. Not exactly pocket change, but not terrifying, especially if you get a local one-man chippy in for the hard stuff and DIY the finishing.

FreeBear

AdrianC wrote: »

<wet finger in air>
Let's assume worst case. The upstairs window is rotten and needs replacing. The timber for the bay is rotten and needs a lot of work. The downstairs window is rotting. The joists for the floor are rotting.
Yes, not hard at all to see that well into four figures and a good chunk of disruption.

But it might just need the tiles and plaster removing, some new timber letting in to window and bay frame, and refinishing. Not exactly pocket change, but not terrifying, especially if you get a local one-man chippy in for the hard stuff and DIY the finishing.

Looks like uPVC windows, so they won't be rotting. It could be a sloppy installation, but my first suspect would be the flat roof over the bay - If that is leaking, the water could well be running down one side of the window frame and getting in around the bottom. Someone needs to get a ladder out and have a close look up there.

When the plaster is removed from the bottom of the bay, get some insulation in there. If the roof needs doing (which I suspect it does), more insulation up there too.

markin

The is a rain hopper with no pipe into it like next door, it looks like the flat roof was replaced very poorly with no proper over hang and the original possibly was led with a drain to the hopper, the windows can be reused so worse case its rebuilding the bay wall and a new roof.


If its not too far gone just leaving the plaster off a month so it can dry out and applying a wood treatment and a new flat roof.


The moss on the chimney wants looking at.

thearchitect

And use renovating rather than gypsum plaster for any repairs. This is important.