New purchase worries

[daniel oram]

Good day folks!!

I'm hopefully soon to be a member of the period property gang, and thoroughly looking forward to it!

New purchase of an 1847 Flint cottage, coming up and i'm currently in the possession of a Homefile report upon the property. My surveyor has asked for an engineers report and a damp proofing inspection.

My worry is that nobody seems to have a definite view on damp proofing a flint cottage, like whether it is required or not. i also understand that a flint wall doesn't allow good chemical injection either. Also i do not want to get quotes from companies who really do not understand the requirements of an old building and could cause more damage than repair.

The house does not currently show any real signs of damp problems, so why would the surveyor request such a report?
The Structural Report i understand as the property does show signs of movement, albeit old, and doesn't want to make the call.

Can you provide me with any assistance, anyone? Like how can you ensure that the companies you contact understand the property and whether work is required or not?

 

[Gervase]

Most surveyors request such reports because they haven't a clue how any building that doesn'y hae cavity walls and a damp-proof membrane actually works.
How clued up is your surveyor? Was S/he appointed by the mortgage company or is this someone you've found yourself? I woud suspect that the recommendation has been made essentially to cover their backside with the mortgage companies (who are equally clueless).
There are many companies offering free damp surveys. You will almost certainly find that their report will find damp, will recommend an injected DPC, impervious plastering, tanking, rendering and a host of other things with are actually injurious to the house. Avoid them like the plague. Look in the 'seeking experts' section of this website for people who actually understand old houses.
Your first port of call could be the conservation officer who oversees the area in which you're hoping the buy the cottage. You can usually reach him or her through the planning department. Any CO worth their salt would be able (a) to give you sound advice based on what they can see and (b) guide you away from the cowboys.

 

[biffvernon]

Remember that folk have been living in it for 159 years and it is unlikely that any of them died of damp.

 

[darrenptalbot]

The surveyors will have put in the fact that you need to have specialist reports as they are building surveyors and do not generally have the specialist skills required.

There is also the issue of professional indemnity insurance - there is the case of Merrett vs Babb, where the surveyor was held personally responsible for the contents of his report, as his employer had gone bankrupt.

Hope that helps

 

[Penners]

The house does not currently show any real signs of damp problems

Then whatever you do, don't allow yourself to be browbeaten by a damp "expert" into seeing problems that aren't there. As they say in America: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

As Gervase has suggested, your surveyor is probably armouring his/her ar*e.

 

[monkey writer]

i agree - you'll regret putting in a 'damp proof course'.

What you need is a good dose of ventilation. Our house had been empty and locked up for 6-8 months and the walls were lined with papers and paints. Once we opened it up the smell of damp went within a week or so. Now I've stripped the wallpaper, the walls are nice and dry. And hopefully where I'm chipping off the gloss paint it will enable the walls to breath and so stay dry.

I'm fairly new to this too, but something interesting I've recently learnt (correct me if I'm wrong), is that lime walls and plaster (as yours should be) are self-healing. If a crack forms, then any moisture in the wall will dissolve a small amount of the lime and fill the crack where it will evaporate and dry out, leaving no crack. Experts - is that how it works?

 

[NT]

A structural report on a property of such age is generally a good idea.

A damp salesman's report on a property that has no symptoms of damp is a waste of time. (Why do some people think that anyone calling themselves an expert is one?)

Surveyors are interested in covering their asses. In reality getting involved with the free damp survey folks is far more likely to cause damage and financial loss than gain anything, but surveyors generally dont seem bothered by that.


NT

 

[monkey writer]

we had to get a (free) damp report as a condition of our mortgage, but I checked first that we weren't required to carry out the recommendations. We were sent a copy of the report and I filed it away somewhere.

 

[Moreteyne]

Use the right materials and all should be fine. Stay away from modern housey stuff . Remember its an old build , and mixing building materials really doesn't go down to well.

There are places for modern materials , like modern houses.

DPC , don't go there, ( modern material )

Learn to love your home and the way it was constructed, it could last for hundreds of years as is without any DPC.

 

[Nemesis]

I'd find another surveyor - one with period property qualifications and expertise, who won't want his ass covered but will know how a historic building should function.

May cost more - but in the long term worth it.

RICS surveyors with conservation expertise are available... as are firms who specialise in damp in period buildings and have nothing at all to do with the 'damp proofing industry'. Some even advertise on this site - 'Seeking specialists.

Anyone who mentions chemical imjection and cement render, those who 'diagnose' damp by sticking a damp meter into every avialable wall then tell you they are damp regardless of lack of any symptoms - run a mile.

 

[daniel oram]

Thanks chaps, you've pretty much confirmed my thoughts.

I'll ask whether the Structural Engineer can advise anything regarding Damp, as i think he has period property experience.

I'll also check through the recommendations of the Surveyor, as i think he only required an Engineers report, to proceed.
I think the Damp Survey was a personal recommendation (ass cover) to me.

I'm really rather annoyed at the cost charged by the Mortgage lender for the survey, i found out much more about the property with a chat to the Vendor whilst going through the survey again on site!!

It's an expensive lesson learnt, that i doubt i'll use again, though.

Thank you all for your help, catch you soon!