Damp Surveyor

Diver22

Can anyone please advise how to get hold of a damp surveyor. My house buyer survey has identified rising damp and I’d like a more specialist survey. From what I’ve read there seems to be a lot of debate about misdiagnosis of damp. I didn’t see any signs of damp with the house on the two occasions I viewed it. I’ve searched the internet but can’t find listings. The house is in Cumbria. 

Spies

Not sure where you are searching but there are plenty https://www.ricsfirms.com/residential/maintenance/interior/how-to-deal-damp/ 

fourmarks

Pop him under the shower.

lookstraightahead

Can you tell us what has been said about the damp in the report?

Diver22

I’ve not yet had sight of the report but have had a phone conversation with the surveyor. The house is a mid terrace two up two down built circa 1900 with a modern bathroom extension. The original  house is stone built (sandstone), He says the whole of the original ground floor will need damp proofing, and that will entail removing all the kitchen cabinets, and replastering. He wouldn’t have lifted any floorboards because of carpeting. I’m not sure how he could have assessed the walls in the kitchen because there are cupboards and tiling above them, then more cupboards above. The wall is visible under the sink and I looked there when viewing and saw nothing of concern. If it is the case that the whole ground floor needs damp proofing that will be tricky because the walls each side are party walls.  The sister of the vendor lives on one side. 

It’s clear that in the past the house has been modernised, though it’s a little dated now.

Although compact, this house is ideal for me and I don’t simply want to walk away from the purchase without being clearer about any problems, hence wanting to have a full damp survey. And as I said, I viewed the house twice, and specifically looked for signs of damp which these stone houses can suffer from, but didn’t see anything. 

Diver22

The link that Spies posted doesn’t bring up any surveyors in my area. In any case it seems to be a general site for RICS surveyors when I’m after a specialist damp surveyor. Nor do I want a damp proofing firm because their surveyors job is to sell damp proofing primarily. 

Spies

Diver22 said:

The link that Spies posted doesn’t bring up any surveyors in my area. In any case it seems to be a general site for RICS surveyors when I’m after a specialist damp surveyor. Nor do I want a damp proofing firm because their surveyors job is to sell damp proofing primarily. 

I typed in Cumbria and 11 showed up, they will travel to your property, they don't have to be right on the doorstep. 

Diver22

I did that and you’re right. None of them are specialist damp surveyors though which is what I’m after. The house buyer survey I’ve had done was a RICS survey, but I now want more specialist knowledge and expertise to assess the problem. The RICS surveyor told me that he used a damp meter. There’s quite a lot of controversy online about misdiagnosis of damp problems, but there’s a clear theme that rising damp can’t be simply diagnosed by the use of a meter, and as I said I saw no signs of rising damp on my own viewings. So I feel a need a more specialist view to confirm whether there is actually rising damp, another form of damp, or none.As I write I’m sitting in a rental looking at rising damp stretching well over a metre up the walls so I kind of know what it looks like.

FreeBear

Try this lot - https://www.heritage-house.org/building-surveys/building-condition-surveys.html - If they don't cover Cumbria, I'm sure they could recommend someone that does.

Avoid anyone with links to the PCA and/or a damp treatment company, and certainly do not have a "free" survey done. Whilst a pointy damp meter can be used on materials other than untreated timber, the readings should never be used as a definitive value. In the right hands, they can be used to identify areas that might warrant a closer inspection. If there really is a damp problem on the ground floor, you will find floorboards, skirting, and other bits of timber rotting away - Did your surveyor check these ?

Diver22 said: As I write I’m sitting in a rental looking at rising damp stretching well over a metre up the walls so I kind of know what it looks like.

I suspect that some wally has injected chemicals into the wall and slapped some waterproof render/plaster on the walls to hide a damp problem. They invariably hack off the plaster inside to a height of 1.2m and then slap their magic cures on. If the source of the damp isn't fixed, it just rises up the wall and pokes its head out where the waterproof gunk stops. Check outside, I bet there are a row of holes drilled in the wall just above ground level.

Diver22

As noted earlier I haven’t yet got the written report so I can’t definitively answer  whether he checked skirtings etc. So far I’ve had a telephone conversation with him in which he fed back his main findings. I’d be surprised if he checked floorboards as there are carpets down and when I booked the survey he said he wouldn’t lift carpets. When I viewed the property I looked for signs of rot in skirtings, and damp patches on walls. Didn’t see any. Obviously I need to see the written report but it’s somewhat alarming he’s talking about the whole of the ground floor needing treatment on the basis of a Level 2 homebuyers survey. I would have thought if the damp is as extensive as he says then I’d have noticed at least some evidence of it during my viewings. His advice just doesn’t seem to stack up. As I’ve said, the damp where I am at present has made me very alive to damp issues, and there’s no way I would have made an offer if I had suspected there was damp as extensive as he says. 

Thanks for the link. They’re out of my league, I’m afraid. I can’t afford a starting price for a damp survey of £1500 plus vat. Their target market is large period properties, many of them listed buildings, not small terraced properties, needing surveys several days long and requiring advice about old building methods and materials. I’ll see if they can recommend anyone though.

youth_leader

I hope you can find someone to get it checked out to your satisfaction to save you future angst. 

I bought this 96 sq m 3 bed bungalow in March 2021 and had a L3 RCIS, again he couldn't lift the fitted carpets or move furniture. The bungalow has been extended with a completely concrete floored kitchen/lounge, partial in the back of the bedroom and back of the bathroom.

A local person who was also after this bungalow congratulated me then said she hoped I'd find the source of the damp - I took it as her being envious and unpleasant, but unfortunately not!

In November 2021 I discovered I've got wet/dry rot and woodworm in the front bedroom, as well as condensation problems throughout.  My clothes on the floor of the fitted wardrobe had gone mouldy.   Front bedroom was floorboards, other two bedrooms, hall and bathroom are chipboard, black and mouldy, smell was terrible when I lifted the carpet and underlay.

I'm a week into the two week job of having all the floors except the concrete floored kitchen/lounge replaced at £9K plus VAT, I've budgeted £11K.  Also have furniture storage costs on top, everything had to go, I'm camped in the concrete floored kitchen with the cat and dog.  What I hadn't expected was having to varnish it all myself afterwards, I'm off to buy some today.

Good luck.