Niamhie
Member
- Messages
- 2
- Location
- Glasgow town.
We are in the process of buying a ground & basement, mid-terrace conversion about 100 years old. Surveyor reported damp readings "off the scale" in basement rooms front and back which is below ground at front (but with a courtyard outside wall so ventilated) and above a void space at back which you can walk into (actually about 10ft up at back).
No signs or smell of damp. Having read the damp FAQ, we are much reassured about the damp issue but on investigating further we have found out about two previous pieces of work:
- chemical damp proofing & replastering to a few feet in height in front basement room walls. Presumably to deal with rising damp...could this cause any future probs?
- treatment of dry & wet rot in joists in the void space underneath back bedroom.
No-one has properly looked underneath the floor in the front bedroom to check those joists (when the work was done previously or now) and we haven't had an independent view on the timber joists in the back void space.
What I'm not sure about:
Is it fairly safe to assume that where the dry & wet rot was treated previously under the back room should not need treated again? This area is well-ventilated. I understand that some joists were replaced at that time.
How would we know if there was rot in the joists under the floor in the front? Is this something that you just have to take a risk on? How would it show up if there was a problem? Doesn't seem to be any major squeaky floorboards or anything???!! As we don't own the property yet, we haven't been able to lift floor-boards or anything... If this did need work what kind of costs could it lead to?
All help/advice massively appreciated. It is quite stressful buying such a huge thing as a home!!!
No signs or smell of damp. Having read the damp FAQ, we are much reassured about the damp issue but on investigating further we have found out about two previous pieces of work:
- chemical damp proofing & replastering to a few feet in height in front basement room walls. Presumably to deal with rising damp...could this cause any future probs?
- treatment of dry & wet rot in joists in the void space underneath back bedroom.
No-one has properly looked underneath the floor in the front bedroom to check those joists (when the work was done previously or now) and we haven't had an independent view on the timber joists in the back void space.
What I'm not sure about:
Is it fairly safe to assume that where the dry & wet rot was treated previously under the back room should not need treated again? This area is well-ventilated. I understand that some joists were replaced at that time.
How would we know if there was rot in the joists under the floor in the front? Is this something that you just have to take a risk on? How would it show up if there was a problem? Doesn't seem to be any major squeaky floorboards or anything???!! As we don't own the property yet, we haven't been able to lift floor-boards or anything... If this did need work what kind of costs could it lead to?
All help/advice massively appreciated. It is quite stressful buying such a huge thing as a home!!!