Level 3 RICS survey: rising damp diagnosed, £7,500 to fix?!

[Cassie]

Good luck!

 

[Lacan07]

Just to finish this off, I viewed the house again today. No sign of damp to me (though I admit I didn't bother with a protimeter). Going ahead with purchase. Thanks all, for advice.

The one thing we perhaps didn't consider jmo was does the interior look like it had been decorated recently?

People do have a tendency to try and cover these things up before a sale.

 

[Lacan07]

Other than that if the sale goes through you can tackle any renovations on your own timescale. First up I'd deal with any high external ground and making sure all air bricks are clear and working properly

 

[jmo]

The one thing we perhaps didn't consider jmo was does the interior look like it had been decorated recently?

People do have a tendency to try and cover these things up before a sale.

Thanks, no I did look out for this and it's been kept in good condition but paint on walls obviously not brand new. I did have a grand plan to decorate most rooms before moving in but now will do it once I'm in. Yes, the exterior is the priority!

 

[Feltwell]

You'll find differing opinions on this subject, some people wish to insulate beneath the floor and you can understand why in this day and age of high energy prices but I see it as difficult and somewhat risky. At the very least you'd need to lift all the floor boards which can cause a lot of damage when its soft pine.

If you're lucky then there is enough space under the floors to crawl about - that's what I've got. I've some loose floorboards under a sofa - done by a pervious owner (job No. 13056 on the list - make a proper hatch!) - lift those out and there's a just-about-Feltwell sized hole to drop through. I insulated under there with rockwool between the joists about 10 years ago, definitely made the rooms warmer and it's breathable, no signs at all of damp as a result.

 

[Feltwell]

Those bricks look similar to mine, Ruabon or perhaps Accrington hard reds. Anyway, the smooth face and hard nature of them, plus the fact you've already got bits flaking off, says to me that getting the remains of that smeared render off them won't be too bad a job. Gently does it, hammer and a bolster, keep that SDS drill away from them!

 

[Cubist]

done by a pervious owner

Errrr... was it in your mind to suggest the PO was some kind of floor-board fetishist?

 

[jmo]

If you're lucky then there is enough space under the floors to crawl about - that's what I've got. I've some loose floorboards under a sofa - done by a pervious owner (job No. 13056 on the list - make a proper hatch!) - lift those out and there's a just-about-Feltwell sized hole to drop through. I insulated under there with rockwool between the joists about 10 years ago, definitely made the rooms warmer and it's breathable, no signs at all of damp as a result.

It's carpeted atm, I'm dying to lift a corner and check the quality of the floor boards below!

 

[Feltwell]

Errrr... was it in your mind to suggest the PO was some kind of floor-board fetishist?

I'll make no jokes about them "getting wood" then.

 

[Cubist]

I'll make no jokes about them "getting wood" then.

Best not, I'm conscious that we have some sensitive souls hereabouts and one of them may think we're suggesting he's stranger than he actually is.

 

[jmo]

Floors are quite tricky in my opinion. Like you I plan to go utilise the original floorboards because I can't envisage another practical option. My house certainly smelt damp at the beginning. The previous occupant, Ruby, had carpet down everywhere and I'm convinced that was where the smell was coming from. I'm sure a lot most of the moisture in my house rises up from the sub floor which can get damp after prolonged periods of rain. Ruby's carpet had simply become damp.

You'll find differing opinions on this subject, some people wish to insulate beneath the floor and you can understand why in this day and age of high energy prices but I see it as difficult and somewhat risky. At the very least you'd need to lift all the floor boards which can cause a lot of damage when its soft pine.

Thought you might be interested in what I found: decorative floorboard patterns near fireplace and rusted metal in the carpet grippers, suggesting the carpet is holding moisture. I'll pull it up this week for the sake of ventilation.

 

[jmo]

If you're lucky then there is enough space under the floors to crawl about - that's what I've got. I've some loose floorboards under a sofa - done by a pervious owner (job No. 13056 on the list - make a proper hatch!) - lift those out and there's a just-about-Feltwell sized hole to drop through. I insulated under there with rockwool between the joists about 10 years ago, definitely made the rooms warmer and it's breathable, no signs at all of damp as a result.

I found a little door in the floor under the stairs cupboard and can see the foundations. Sadly the surveyor missed this, he could have passed comment on the joists after all! I saw a very small patch of dampness in one where it contacted the brick. Tiny patch of fungus I think? Trying not to worry too much. Current plan is to lift front-room carpet, hope back-room wood burner is ok to use, then use it to heat the ground floor over the winter. Don't bother decorating straight away, but monitor it for now.

 

[Lacan07]

Thought you might be interested in what I found: decorative floorboard patterns near fireplace and rusted metal in the carpet grippers, suggesting the carpet is holding moisture. I'll pull it up this week for the sake of ventilation.

Looks pretty good, I'd make use of that original floor for sure.

 

[jmo]

I've been busy. Once I'd cleared the weeds at the side of the house and cleared the soil away from the disintegrating cement plinth, it was easy to see how the water flowing from the down pipe onto the side road (no gully) was pooling at the bottom of the wall at the front corner. So I've run the down pipe inside the garden wall to discharge at the end of the path. Future jobs I'm probably looking at: removing the rest of the plinth, repointing, French drain? Possibly a new plinth as four courses of bricks looked damaged but lime.

Have also cleared the blocked airbrick of what looked like cement and cleaned the rest. By shining a torch into the gaps I think I can see into the subfloor through each one. I'm going to check below the decking at the back as there might be blocked airbricks below the patio doors. It doesn't make sense to me that there are some at the front and side but not back, as surely it's best for air to flow from front to back?

I'm gaining confidence that I can deal with these issues, thanks to this forum, and my Haynes manual!

 

[Cubist]

Sounds like good progress and all heading in the right direction.

French drain may be a good idea and, as a rule, air-bricks typically were installed on all sides of a house - but there are always exceptions.

Keep it up and take care.

 

[Lacan07]

I've been busy. Once I'd cleared the weeds at the side of the house and cleared the soil away from the disintegrating cement plinth, it was easy to see how the water flowing from the down pipe onto the side road (no gully) was pooling at the bottom of the wall at the front corner. So I've run the down pipe inside the garden wall to discharge at the end of the path. Future jobs I'm probably looking at: removing the rest of the plinth, repointing, French drain? Possibly a new plinth as four courses of bricks looked damaged but lime.

Have also cleared the blocked airbrick of what looked like cement and cleaned the rest. By shining a torch into the gaps I think I can see into the subfloor through each one. I'm going to check below the decking at the back as there might be blocked airbricks below the patio doors. It doesn't make sense to me that there are some at the front and side but not back, as surely it's best for air to flow from front to back?

I'm gaining confidence that I can deal with these issues, thanks to this forum, and my Haynes manual!

And satisfying to know you're doing what's best for the house.

Looks like there's plenty of repointing there to be done, a job I enjoy very much.

If all the bricks behind that ghastly plinth are blown then yes you'd probably be better off just rendering it again in lime. A job you could do yourself, certainly can't be any worse than what was there before.