L3 survey came out full of problems, unsure what to do

stuart45

If a damp course is missing( which is unlikely on a 30's house) a new physical one means either removal of brickwork to install, or a masonry chainsaw in the bed joint. This is a fair bit of work, so is rarely done.
Normally a chemical DPC is used, but there are doubts about it's effectiveness.

Slithery

pieroabcd said:
so the damp course can be added if it's missing?

No. But I'd bet my right arm that on a property of that age it won't be missing - they've been a standard part of house construction for hundreds of years.
Chances are it's just been covered up by the ground level being raised which is a cheap and easy fix.

[Deleted User]

damp is easily solved just need to find the cause. `gutters, chimneys , aerial cable installed incorrectly.. & most importantly not too expensive to fix 

DO NOT use chemical injections .. they mask not cure

canaldumidi

pieroabcd said:

canaldumidi said:

Do you plan to remove/do any work to the garage roof? If not, leave the asbestos alone and it will leave you alone.

I'll lay money on there being a dpc. Maybe slate. Maybe hidden esp if the externalground level is raised by eg flower bed/rockery, patio, driveway.

Damp is nearly always caused by simple things: high external ground level; leaking gutters/downpipes; poor internal ventilation; damaged pointing; etc

Wait for the report then speak othe surveyor but so far seems like no big deal...

so the damp course can be added if it's missing? The house is a mid terrace. Should it be added on both sides?
Is it very expensive to add?
There's a driveway at the front and a conservatory at the back. beside it there's a tile pavement that leads to the rear garden.

I did not say that and nor did anyone else. We are all saying there almost certainly IS a dpc. It's just hidden. My house is 150 years old and has a slate dpc.

If the driveway was added at the front and tarmac/block paving /whatever goes right up to the base of the wall, it is likely above the dpc. If so, you just need to create a gap between the drive and the wall to expose the dpc and thus prevent damp from the drive/ground penetrating the wall above the dpc.

Similarly at the back. If the conservaory was attached to the rear wall and the conservatory floor is higher than the dpc you'll get the same issue. The solution is not a new dpc (physical or chemical), it is creating a space/air gap to prevent damp penetrating the house wall above the dpc

pieroabcd

Well, thanks for explaining. The picture looks much better than I was lead to imagine.

To the user the asked: I'm not confident about posting the link to the rightmove ad: it's not yet mine, there are too many things that can still block the sale and it wouldn't be fair for the current owners.

I posted here because I need to understand how to interpret the report (when I receive it) and the suggested "solutions". I have absolutely zero experience in this matter so I thought better to search for a counterweight.

deeboy12

pieroabcd said:

The humidity meter records 100% in 2 spots ouf of 3, 50% in another place. According to the surveyor a reading of > 20% should be considered serious. Maybe not by coincidence there's a dehumidifier box in the loft.
There are also hints that the house may be lacking a damp course and that due to the damp the wood boards at the ground floor may be in bad conditions (they didn't dig more).
I should receive the full survey in the next few days, including a quote for the repairs.
For the damp, the suggested solution is a chemical damp proofing, but is it something that would stay for good or something that would need replacing every few years?
What about the the damp course, can it be added once and for all or would it need replacing?

Sadly, it's clear that your surveyor knows little about damp, so be very cautious about anything he says on this.

It's very unlikely your house does not have a DPC; take any of his 'humidity meter' readings with a pinch of salt; and do not under any circumstances commission a chemical injection.

You can take this further (with a paid-for, independent damp expert's survey) and it may not be as bad as your surveyor is reporting. Did you actually see evidence of damp on viewing? 

Slithery

deeboy12 said:

take any of his 'humidity meter' readings with a pinch of salt;

Indeed.

The room that I live in would give a 100% reading everywhere you checked it. It's perfectly dry, it just has insulated wallpaper with a foil backing.....

FreeBear

deeboy12 said: Sadly, it's clear that your surveyor knows little about damp, so be very cautious about anything he says on this.

Indeed....

pieroabcd said:  The most serious are: asbestos roof in the garage and damp virtually everywhere. The humidity meter records 100% in 2 spots ouf of 3, 50% in another place. According to the surveyor a reading of > 20% should be considered serious.

Think about it for a moment - A reading of 100% is basically pure water. The walls would have to have water running down the surface to get anywhere near that reading. At 50%, water would be oozing out... A reading of 20% in untreated timber is normal for well seasoned wood.

As for a DPC, it would have been a requirement for it to meet the building regulations in force at the time across most of the country - A poured bitumastic layer was commonly used, although it could be felt or even slate.

Slithery

FreeBear said:

As for a DPC, it would have been a requirement for it to meet the building regulations in force at the time across most of the country.

Building Regulations didn't exist until '65.

FreeBear

Slithery said:

FreeBear said:

As for a DPC, it would have been a requirement for it to meet the building regulations in force at the time across most of the country.

Building Regulations didn't exist until '65.

Building regulations in the 1930s would have been spread across a number of different acts along with local bylaws - It was a mess. Some history of the legislation here - https://www.buildinghistory.org/regulations.shtml