oliveoil54
Member
- Messages
- 3
My son is about to buy an end terrace cottage in Buxton (circa 1866), which has solid 2ft thick sandstone walls. It has no damp proof course and the vendor has recently had the external walls re-pointed (how can you tell whether its lime or cement?) she had no idea which product had been used. There is also weathered damage to the facing of some of the sandstone ‘bricks’. The end gable has been sealed with a silicone weather treatment spray which is supposed to stop damp ingression.
The structural Survey (using damp meter) has revealed some internal damp on this gable wall, & the Surveyor suggests that some dry lining ‘may’ have been done to mask damp penetration – the house has obviously just been freshly decorated. The dining room & kitchen floors are solid (no idea if these have a damp proof membrane), and the lounge has boards on joists but has laminate flooring so further inspection isn’t possible.
Given what I have read on this web site, does this mean that he may have to re-do the re-pointing with lime mortar & will the sealant make the damp problem any worse, also could the presence of solid floors contribute to damp problems?
There is also a half cellar which the Surveyor has said is damp & not ventilated. The cottage next door (adjoining wall) is having the cellars excavated as usable rooms, & I am concerned that if they use cement for the tanking this could cause a damp problem which could penetrate my son’s proposed house.
Any advice would be extremely welcome, especially as I also live in a sandstone detached cottage (circa 1900), which has exactly the same problems with pointing & mix of solid & wood floors, which over the last two years the damp, mould & condensation on the internal outer walls has become unsightly & very time consuming to deal with. I would like to help my son to avoid the problems I now have to deal with!
The structural Survey (using damp meter) has revealed some internal damp on this gable wall, & the Surveyor suggests that some dry lining ‘may’ have been done to mask damp penetration – the house has obviously just been freshly decorated. The dining room & kitchen floors are solid (no idea if these have a damp proof membrane), and the lounge has boards on joists but has laminate flooring so further inspection isn’t possible.
Given what I have read on this web site, does this mean that he may have to re-do the re-pointing with lime mortar & will the sealant make the damp problem any worse, also could the presence of solid floors contribute to damp problems?
There is also a half cellar which the Surveyor has said is damp & not ventilated. The cottage next door (adjoining wall) is having the cellars excavated as usable rooms, & I am concerned that if they use cement for the tanking this could cause a damp problem which could penetrate my son’s proposed house.
Any advice would be extremely welcome, especially as I also live in a sandstone detached cottage (circa 1900), which has exactly the same problems with pointing & mix of solid & wood floors, which over the last two years the damp, mould & condensation on the internal outer walls has become unsightly & very time consuming to deal with. I would like to help my son to avoid the problems I now have to deal with!