Faulty box gutter and damp issue

magn8p

I am in the process of buying a link-detached house with a box gutter that seems to be faulty (or clogged?)

As can be seen in the picture below where the gutter starts, it seems to leak on to the external wall causing damp spots. I have viewed the house and there are damp spots or mold from inside.


Who do you think should I get involved to understand what's going on? I believe a RICS survey would point out the damp but not really get into further details, hence asking.




Thanks in advance.
mag

plumb1_2

Most probably a leaking joint, get a £5k reduction and have it relined or walk away.

magn8p

plumb1_2 said:

Most probably a leaking joint, get a £5k reduction and have it relined or walk away.

Thanks for your response - looks like this is a niche topic, as I didn't receive anymore responses.

Would it cost £5K to fix the leaking joint? Also, would a roofer be able to assess what exactly is going on?

Apart from fixing the joint, do we need to repoint the bricks?

Many thanks.

stuart45

You would need someone to go up and take a proper look at what's causing the problem.
Are you talking about the few discoloured joints, or the whole wall?

magn8p

stuart45 said:

You would need someone to go up and take a proper look at what's causing the problem.
Are you talking about the few discoloured joints, or the whole wall?

Hi Stuart - its just that portion in the first pic. The rest of the wall on both sides looks absolutely fine.

The other thing that puzzled me is - if it is due to a leaky joint of a gutter, wouldn't it stain/discolour bricks all the from the top? Instead, as you can see in the pic, the top row is absolutely fine but the damp marks start at 6th row and get worse at 20th row.

Eldi_Dos

Can you walk round estate and see if any other house's have similar marks or is the problem specific to the house you are interested in. Maybe try and have chat with someone local see if it is a known problem.
There seems to be marks under window above door.

stuart45

If it's blocked up near the end it could be coming over the top and hitting the wall a bit further down. Only a guess without looking.

magn8p

Eldi_Dos said:

Can you walk round estate and see if any other house's have similar marks or is the problem specific to the house you are interested in. Maybe try and have chat with someone local see if it is a known problem.
There seems to be marks under window above door.

Hi ya...yes - many houses in that estate have this issue and in a similar location where the box gutter starts. I am tempted to ask the owners how (if at all done) they addressed the issue, but not quite sure how to do that.

If you are referring to the second picture - don't think its a damp mark under the window but natural variation in the colour of the brick, which can be seen throughout - but then, I am not an expert.

I have seen the property from inside and has no issues whatsoever.

Also to note, its only a 5 year old property and is still under NHBC warranty - asked the seller to check with them and she has started the process.

I am thinking of getting a damp survey done but I will wait for the seller to get back to me on her correspondence with NHBC.

FreeBear

magn8p said: I am thinking of getting a damp survey done but I will wait for the seller to get back to me on her correspondence with NHBC.

You don't need a damp survey - You can see there is a problem, and where the likely source is.

If you go for one of these "free" surveys, it will probably come back diagnosing rising damp in the bedroom(s) and recommend waterproof render/plaster internally. It just needs the gutter fixed properly !

magn8p

FreeBear said:

magn8p said: I am thinking of getting a damp survey done but I will wait for the seller to get back to me on her correspondence with NHBC.

You don't need a damp survey - You can see there is a problem, and where the likely source is.

If you go for one of these "free" surveys, it will probably come back diagnosing rising damp in the bedroom(s) and recommend waterproof render/plaster internally. It just needs the gutter fixed properly !

Thanks a ton...sounds very reassuring. By free survey, you mean the survey done as part of the valuation by the bank? If so - its due next week and I am waiting for it too. Raising damp in bedroom - there isn't any....it just seems to be external only...I have examined closely and the seller doesn't seem to have painted or plastered the walls ever since they bought the property in 2017.

WRT fixing the gutter - do you think I should involve a roofer or are there tradesmen that specialise in gutters?

FreeBear

Don't believe banks do a damp survey as part of the valuation - It is often done sitting at a desk without any visit to the property.

As for fixing the gutter - An experienced roofer should be able to do it. But the good ones are all busy at the moment (as are all building trades). If you find one that says he can do it in a week or two, he has either had a job cancelled (unlikely), or the horse is tied up just round the corner.