Penetrating damp on survey

lsg87

Hi,

we are in the process of buying a 100+ year old house. Survey has come back saying penetrating and possible rising damp. Penetrating form flat roof is easily localized and needs repair. We had a specialist out and he has quoted £15k to put it all right.

couple of questions.
1. We are scared that fixing the penetrating damp won’t fix the damp problem in the house, what about the water that’s been leaking in for god knows how long? Could there be lots of water in the house which will continue to cause problems?

2. We have asked for a price reduction on the base of this knowledge, knowing this information the house is no longer worth the money we originally offered and getting just a little off the price obviously won’t give us the cash to put it right. I keep hearing people say it’s normal to go half of the cost of repairs, but that won’t actually give us any cash to repair, so seems like it’s only a benefit of the seller? Hmm..

advice appreciated 

propertyrental

1) once the source ofpenetration is fixed, you can either wait for the house to dry out (several months depending on weather/temperature and extent of damp) or speed up the process with dehumidifier(s)

2) it's a negotiation. Ask for the full amount and seller may 1) agree 2) just say no or 3) suggest an alterative sum (prhaps 50% perhaps different.

What you agree on depends on how keen seller is to sell, whether he has other offers/interested buyers, and how keen you are to buy, whether you have the required funds

I assume the flat roof needs replacing? How serious is the leak, could the roof be patched and then replaced later when you have funds eg in 1 - 5 years?

What about the 'rising damp' (which arguably does not exist).

FreeBear

propertyrental said: 1) once the source of penetration is fixed, you can either wait for the house to dry out (several months depending on weather/temperature and extent of damp) or speed up the process with dehumidifier(s)

Agreed. Just don't get conned in to having "cures" such as injected DPC and waterproof render/plaster slapped on the walls. These measures just hide the problem for a few years and can do untold damage to the hidden structure of the building. If you have been told there is "rising damp", look at the external ground levels and reduce it to around 75-150mm below the DPC (if there is one). If that is not possible, installing a french drain around the perimeter will help to limit penetrating damp - A french drain needs to be nothing more than a trench 100-200mm deep and ~200mm wide filled with a decorative gravel.

Internally, avoid the use of modern paints & finishes on the walls - Stick to breathable paints and lime plaster. If there is any residual damp in the walls, breathable paints and lime plaster will allow the moisture to get out and evaporate harmlessly.

If the building has already had injected DPC and other damp "treatments", walk away. they have failed to cure the problem, and will cost considerably more than £15K to undo the damage.

lsg87

Thanks both. Super helpful.

the flat roof is only on a smaller extension and can be repaired, however we would prefer it replaced to illuminate the problem completely, if possible. There is a depleted joist at the bottom of wall, which the surveyor believes is from the penetrating damp. Will this be ok left for now or should this also be fixed asap with the repair of roof to stop internal damp?

what I’m scared of is that all of a sudden damp starts coming through wall and becomes a health concern for our children (and us) in the house. 

propertyrental

Unless there are signs of serious damp like mould smell, green growth, peeling damp wallpaper, I'd not be concerned about health/kids. Just let the house dry out naturally over time. As Freebear says, wait till it's dry before decorating!

As for the joist, depends how bad. If it's seriously rotted it will need replacing. If it's just a bot damp but the wood is basically sound, advice is as above- ;Let it dry out.

lsg87 said:

......we would prefer it replaced to illuminate the problem completely, if possible. ...

You'll need spot lights for that.

(sorry!)

lsg87

Thank you so much for your help and advice! Mega helpful ☺️

lsg87

And I just got the joke as well 😜

TheJP

Was the specialist also offering to do the work for you? Have you already asked the seller for a £15k reduction? The cost to replace the flat roof could be between £2-5K as you say its small. Are you an FTB? Sometimes these reports can scare you into making rash decisions that 99% of the time are not needed or not that serious.