Indemnity Policy Against Rising Damp in Buildings or Homes

Terry9999999

Can anyone advise if a guarantee against rising damp in my house is a good investment? I have found a provider charging £350.00 + VAT for a ten year Policy. I have read to fix even a small among of rising damp in my area of London would be a couple of thousand so seems a no brainier to me. Can pay by credit card giving section 75 protection under the consumer credit act.  This is the provider:
https://www.gpiguarantees.co.uk/
Advice appreciated has anyone taken out such a policy? 

daveyjp

If a property is damp it is because either water isn't being kept out, or it is being trapped inside,

Focus efforts on keeping it out.  Paths well drained, roofs repaired, gutters in good order, gaps around doors and windows and pointing filled,air bricks cleared, well ventilated inside and damp will never be a problem.

ComicGeek

I'm also not sure that the policy is what you think it is. It's a policy which covers appropriate remedial works that have been undertaken to repair damp issues - not insurance that covers any damp that happens to appear.

Wording on the website: 'Designed to provide cover in the event that the remedial works fail, during the period of guarantee, and the contractor has ceased to trade and is unable to honour claims on the written guarantee.'

Terry9999999

ComicGeek said:

I'm also not sure that the policy is what you think it is. It's a policy which covers appropriate remedial works that have been undertaken to repair damp issues - not insurance that covers any damp that happens to appear.

Wording on the website: 'Designed to provide cover in the event that the remedial works fail, during the period of guarantee, and the contractor has ceased to trade and is unable to honour claims on the written guarantee.'

Thanks for that, but they offer guarantees on their own against rising damp:
https://www.gpiguarantees.co.uk/rising-damp-guarantees
This is what I'm going to buy. 

JGB1955

So... you've had some remedial works done (under contract) and want to insure them? 

FreeBear

Terry9999999 said: Thanks for that, but they offer guarantees on their own against rising damp:
https://www.gpiguarantees.co.uk/rising-damp-guarantees
This is what I'm going to buy.

Save your money - Those policies are so full of cop-out clauses, they are worthless. Instead, spend the money on sensible fixes to get rid of the source of the problem, and you won't need any damp proof "treatments". daveyjp has provided some of the things to look for - None of them are expensive, and most you can do yourself.

Terry9999999

FreeBear said:

Terry9999999 said: Thanks for that, but they offer guarantees on their own against rising damp:
https://www.gpiguarantees.co.uk/rising-damp-guarantees
This is what I'm going to buy.

Save your money - Those policies are so full of cop-out clauses, they are worthless. Instead, spend the money on sensible fixes to get rid of the source of the problem, and you won't need any damp proof "treatments". daveyjp has provided some of the things to look for - None of them are expensive, and most you can do yourself.

If only life was that simple! Rising damp is common my neighbour had it and cost him £12k in repairs and decoration Kenwood Plc vans were working everyday for two weeks to fix it! You can stop Rising damp as you suggest (JGB) its a capillary matter within the fabric of the building only an effective damp proof course will stop it, its a £200 million pound industry operating at RICS directions,, my house is technically flawless and maintenance undertaken by a management company. Hence whilst I'm taking out the policy to protect against this element only, it looks good value for money, and the terms and conditions seem very fair. Always pay by credit card to get section 75 protection under the consumer protection Act.  No need to reply further thank you. 

neilmcl

Terry9999999 said:

Can anyone advise if a guarantee against rising damp in my house is a good investment? I have found a provider charging £350.00 + VAT for a ten year Policy. I have read to fix even a small among of rising damp in my area of London would be a couple of thousand so seems a no brainier to me. Can pay by credit card giving section 75 protection under the consumer credit act.  This is the provider:
https://www.gpiguarantees.co.uk/
Advice appreciated has anyone taken out such a policy? 

Given that rising damp is largely a myth I'd say it's a complete waste of money.

neilmcl

Terry9999999 said:

FreeBear said:

Terry9999999 said: Thanks for that, but they offer guarantees on their own against rising damp:
https://www.gpiguarantees.co.uk/rising-damp-guarantees
This is what I'm going to buy.

Save your money - Those policies are so full of cop-out clauses, they are worthless. Instead, spend the money on sensible fixes to get rid of the source of the problem, and you won't need any damp proof "treatments". daveyjp has provided some of the things to look for - None of them are expensive, and most you can do yourself.

If only life was that simple! Rising damp is common my neighbour had it and cost him £12k in repairs and decoration Kenwood Plc vans were working everyday for two weeks to fix it! You can stop Rising damp as you suggest (JGB) its a capillary matter within the fabric of the building only an effective damp proof course will stop it, its a £200 million pound industry operating at RICS directions,, my house is technically flawless and maintenance undertaken by a management company. Hence whilst I'm taking out the policy to protect against this element only, it looks good value for money, and the terms and conditions seem very fair. Always pay by credit card to get section 75 protection under the consumer protection Act.  No need to reply further thank you. 

It really, really isn't. If your neighbour had a damp issue then it was most likely down to water ingress.

Judging by your reply I'm starting to believe this is a spam thread rather than a genuine request for advice. Although you've seemed to have changed your tune from you last thread on the subject: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6203319/damp-survey-by-pca-member-kenwood-plc#latest

FreeBear

Terry9999999 said:  You can stop Rising damp as you suggest (JGB) its a capillary matter within the fabric of the building only an effective damp proof course will stop it, its a £200 million pound industry operating at RICS directions,, my house is technically flawless and maintenance undertaken by a management company.

OK, I'll bite... Most houses built since ~1875 have a DPC - This will be a layer of slate, hard engineering brick, bitumastic (either poured or felt), or a plastic membrane. Whilst some bricks are soft and porous, many are pretty hard - None will suck up water like a sponge. Modern properties use portland cement in the mortar between the bricks. This stuff is fairly impervious to water and would stop any capillary transfer of water between adjacent courses. The huge variety of brick types, and mortar used, these damp proof companies always seem to think that "rising damp" reaches a height of ~1m. Yet common sense would say that if there was rising damp, the affected height would be heavily dependent on the type of brick & mortar used.

Looking at the headline "cover" of this policy you linked to - "Indemnity guarantees for Rising Damp contracts – this includes chemical injection, electro osmosis, vertical damp proofing, cover for existing damp proof course against erosion."

A DPC does not suffer from erosion - It is protected by brick and mortar, and if slate/engineering brick. or plastic, is just not going to perish. As for the "elctro osmosis", have you ever taken a look at it ?

Sticking bits of wire in to a wall and waving pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo around is never, ever going to cure a damp problem - The companies peddling that carp (and that includes Kenwood) need to be prosecuted for fraud.

If RICS as a body stops climbing in to bed with these PCA charlatans (there are a few RICS members that do not follow the PCA mantra), the damp proofing industry would be a lot smaller and doing far less damage to properties up and down the country.

If your property is "technically flawless" and any structural issues dealt with by a freeholder, then an indemnity policy is really a total waste of money. If you want to throw money away, please, donate it to a worthwhile cause - NHS Together would gratefully receive your £350 and make better use of the money.

Doozergirl

OP,  why have you changed your tune so dramatically?