Rising Damp

cloud84

Hello,
I bought a 1950s semi detached ex local authority house last summer. It's is fair condition old couple had owned it since the 80s but had flooded 10 year ago (everything made good by insurance) . When I bought I didn't get a survey due to the timings and having to move fast. A decision I'm sure many will comment on. I have savings to repair and renovate the house and bought at a good price.
So I got a building contractor in to quote to skim the upstairs and hall way. I noticed mould in the downstairs cupboard. When I looked the downpipe outside had lost its shoe so all the water was going directly into the wall. So I told the contractor about this and what the best way to dry it out. He proceeded to put a damp meter on the other walls in the hall (mostly internal) and said that I have rising damp everywhere. He said that the whole house will have it!
The house has no tide marks to bubbles or mould no damp smell nothing.
Looking online rising damp is a confusing topic and I'm totally out of my depth. I'm looking to get an independent damp surveyor but just wondering if anyone else had any advice.
Many thanks. 

neilmcl

You haven't got rising damp, there's really no such thing, there maybe some residual moisture in the walls from the flooding that's being read on the meter. Damp problems only really come from 2 things, water penetration or leaks from an external source or condensation.

The mould in the cupboard is possibly down to water penetration from the downpipe but it could also simply be down to poor ventilation.

Doozergirl

neilmcl said:

You haven't got rising damp, there's really no such thing, there maybe some residual moisture in the walls from the flooding that's being read on the meter. Damp problems only really come from 2 things, water penetration or leaks from an external source or condensation.

The mould in the cupboard is possibly down to water penetration from the downpipe but it could also simply be down to poor ventilation.

Probably both. 

If there's evidence of damp, you don't have it.  The downpipe problem is a classic cause, so you fix it and let it dry out.  It will take a few months but there's no other work needed unless it's genuinely ruined the plaster.   You could use a dehumidifier to help it along, or not.  Your choice. 

Check that the ground level outside isn't too close to the damp proof course.  There's
no reason for a 1980s house (especially) to have any kind of damp that isn't immediately and obviously solvable by removing the source of excess water.   I'd not be worrying.  

cloud84

I've looked around the house and there is no high ground over the dpc. Everything seems in order, a couple of blown bricks on the other side of the house. Which seems common for the brick type as a few neighbours have this too. Seems to be where the water gathers near a step. 
I have a dehumidifier from my last house which had condensation problems so i'll set that up in the cupboard to dry it.  

neilmcl

Doozergirl said:

neilmcl said:

You haven't got rising damp, there's really no such thing, there maybe some residual moisture in the walls from the flooding that's being read on the meter. Damp problems only really come from 2 things, water penetration or leaks from an external source or condensation.

The mould in the cupboard is possibly down to water penetration from the downpipe but it could also simply be down to poor ventilation.

Probably both. 

If there's evidence of damp, you don't have it.  The downpipe problem is a classic cause, so you fix it and let it dry out.  It will take a few months but there's no other work needed unless it's genuinely ruined the plaster.   You could use a dehumidifier to help it along, or not.  Your choice. 

Check that the ground level outside isn't too close to the damp proof course.  There's
no reason for a 1980s house (especially) to have any kind of damp that isn't immediately and obviously solvable by removing the source of excess water.   I'd not be worrying.  

1950s house, but splitting hairs as your point is still very much valid 😀

FreeBear

cloud84 said: I've looked around the house and there is no high ground over the dpc.

You have a DPC, so that will act as a barrier to any "rising damp". No need to waste money of fixing a non-existent problem.

Fix the downpipe, ventilate the cupboard, and the damp will disappear.

Doozergirl

neilmcl said:

Doozergirl said:

neilmcl said:

You haven't got rising damp, there's really no such thing, there maybe some residual moisture in the walls from the flooding that's being read on the meter. Damp problems only really come from 2 things, water penetration or leaks from an external source or condensation.

The mould in the cupboard is possibly down to water penetration from the downpipe but it could also simply be down to poor ventilation.

Probably both. 

If there's evidence of damp, you don't have it.  The downpipe problem is a classic cause, so you fix it and let it dry out.  It will take a few months but there's no other work needed unless it's genuinely ruined the plaster.   You could use a dehumidifier to help it along, or not.  Your choice. 

Check that the ground level outside isn't too close to the damp proof course.  There's
no reason for a 1980s house (especially) to have any kind of damp that isn't immediately and obviously solvable by removing the source of excess water.   I'd not be worrying.  

1950s house, but splitting hairs as your point is still very much valid 😀

Hungover, sorry!! 😬😂

floppydisk1

 I can see what your contractor did - put small gadget with 2 pins on your wall and said  that reading is high and you have " damp " . Those 2 prongs " damp meters " are a gadgets calibrated to measure moisture content in WOOD and nothing else. It measures how fast electric current goes from one prong to another . Tell your contractor to put it on anything metal and see what happens...  
 Rising damp does exist but in very specific and limited circumstances, hardly anyone in mainland europe even heard of that yet so called damp proof industry in this country would let you believe nearly  every house is battling it and there's no escape from it unless you buy expensive and pointless chemical treatment that can actually seriously damage your property.  House from 1950s is most likely one of the last to be built with lime mortar and lime plaster, small amount of moisture can naturally get in or out and heating and ventilation is how to keep it dry and sound.  99.9999% reason for mould in your cupboard is poor ventilation. Make sure there is no leak ( downpipes or plumbing issues ) and all  " rising damp " will magically disappear in 4 - 8 weeks. 
 I forgot to add   -  independent  "damp surveyor " = salesman/woman of chemicals employed by producers of such chemicals. So much for " independent " ...