Rising Damp/Woodworm - Paul Hopper are you there?

[Anonymous]

Hi, can anyone help, esp Paul as I've noticed your career was in this area! We have just had topline results of survey on house we are in process of buying. Know no details yet except it has "Rising damp and Woodworm". House is cottage started in 1780. Vendors have said new concrete floors throughout in mid 80's, though original flagstone floor in dining room not lifted. Damp course injected, I think (sorry, SO not knowledgable in these things) Not sure where damp is. My questions are firstly, we've been advised to get full timber and damp survey - how do we get someone independent who won't just see 'a big hob' and naive customers? Secondly, how surprised/disappointed should we be that a house of this age has damp? Is it a dealbreaker? The woodworm of course will need spraying. I'd just like a really independent opinion. Survey was our own, mortgage valuation not performed yet so don't know if they will do a retention or anything. House in Worcestershire if you felt like leaving retirement temporarily!

Any others experience with this situation would be welcome!

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

You could try one the the specialists in damp and timber who PAY to advertise on this site.

Ridout Associates in Midlands or Premier Heritage in Somerset, you will find both advertise in the Seeking Specialists section.

Robbo

 

[Anonymous]

'The woodworm of course will need spraying'... why?

How do you know it isn't long gone?

 

[Anonymous]

Also - who did your survey? i presume a chartered surveyor - was this person one with conservation expertise? How was the damp diagnosed? By sticking a damp meter into walls?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes its me Paul Hopper.
From what you say the building is essentially very old and may well have had many alterations, and modifications carried out over the years. I think any property of this sort of age needs to be carefully examined, It is not so much the woodworm that will be a problem though in some cases if left untreated timber can give way. it is an interesting little insect is the common furniture beetle but is usually controllable, Your greater problems almost always lie with dampness both at grould level and on exposed elevations, also inevitably caused by deglect or possibly poverty or ignorance. If your house is originally from around 1780 there are quite a number of areas where problems arise.It sounds as though some quite extensive work has been done especially to the ground floors. this can eliminate one area of problems but can also exacerbate others.
Check my profile on this website and you will see I do this generally out of a deep love of old buildings and almost 40 years of direct experience of most of the problems attached to old property. If you can contact me by email initially and if possible sent as much detail of the property as possible as Word Documents or Photographs and any reports or paperwork I will try to put together some ideas. You are not out of reach, so inspection is perfectly possible.
email me at hoppercp@btinternet.com
hope this helps a bit, keep in touch, certainly do not write off the house yet,there is always good in all old houses as well as the old problems inherited from our predecessors.

 

[Anonymous]

In reply to Mr Downham I entirely agree, there are many good companies out there and personal recommendations is the best way to find them, I am not trying to do them out of business, but nor do I seek any payment for helping people out a bit, so I will remain independent and qualified..I understood the site was available for any to post a question and for anyone who could help to submit a reply. I do not see that advertisers miss out on this , To be sure, were I in the Commercial Aspect of the subject I would certainly advertise on a site such as this. I ,mean no offence to Paying Advertisers and apologise if I have trod on any toes, but until the site master asks me to desist I intend to help people all I can, and at no cost to them

 

[Anonymous]

Paul - if you are offering free damp surveys via this site to all and sundry I warn you that you will be inundated!

There's plenty of free advice available regarding damp and timber issues by searching this site - many, many posts - and via generally available information on websites such as SPAB and via the homepage of PPUK for starters.

Woodworm possibly long gone and simply the old flight holes left. Spraying unless totally necessary with noxious chemicals isn't a great idea.

I see the house is in Worcs - possibly Ridouts is the nearest specialist?



http://www.oldhouse.info/ohdamp.htm

 

[Anonymous]

Depends how long it has been there , you can check easily now because the flight season for the cfb or common furniture beetle is from May to September. Try to examine an area under a floorboard if you can and if you find clean cut apparently "new" exit holes then you still have the little so and so's about. If all is a bit mucky or dusty with no sign of activity then I think you are OK, There are lots of products on the market to kill them and these days they are much more environmentally friendly than they used to be.A good professional Woodworm Specialist will examine these areas for you and give advice on the next step. hope this helps.

 

[Anonymous]

A damp meter is a useful guide, but to my mind experience counts for a great deal, I am unsure why you refer to a chartered surveyor, do you have a problem here? Email me at hoppercp@btinternet if there is further information you require..

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the warning Evelyn, No I am not offering free damp surveys! Guidelines and answers to queries is the point. I could't afford to visit every house with a damp problem with the prce of diesel what it is!Nor would I wish to..

 

[Anonymous]

The problem is - many who survey (for house purchase purposes) period properties haven't actually a great deal of expertise in them - and that is a long term problem which I know RICS is trying to address, through its conservation group and conservation accreditation. Therefore when engaging a surveyor it's always best to specify that they are conversant with conservation and traditional building construction.

It's something discussed here many, many times.

It's also a vicious cycle - the survey reveals 'damp' - although in fact it may not be a problem... then a 'specialist' is called in and in many cases the person isn't someone I'd let within a mile of a period building (a Man with a Van and a damp meter) and the whole inappropriate round of chemical injection, loss of historic fabric, cementy render etc etc starts...at vast cost. In so many cases it's not necessary.

Ditto 'woodworm' - old holes, insects long gone, but spraying is done anyhow becuse the man with a Van makes money out of it.

 

[Anonymous]

How I do agree with you!
RICS are indeed addressing the problem but good surveyors with conservation experience have always been both hard to find and often expensive.
I agree with the principle of leaving things alone if possible and I too query those that may wish to make money out of those who are unsure how to read the advice they have been given. it is fair to say though that a chartered (or anything else) surveyor can be caught out easily should he/she miss an area of damp or whatever and with the compensation culture we have today they have to cover themselves as part of their professional liability.(that itself is extremely expensive) This is a minefield area for professionals and non professionals alike

 

[Anonymous]

"The woodworm of course will need spraying. "

Really? You can make a lot of money with thinking like that...

"I'd just like a really independent opinion. Survey was our own, mortgage valuation not performed yet so don't know if they will do a retention or anything. House in Worcestershire"

We're based in Hagley on the W Midlands border. Click the profile for a link to our site and contact details.

I wouldn't let an overly cautious surveyor put you off the house if you like it.

Matt Green

 

[Anonymous]

While I heartily agree that Ridouts is an excellent and reputable firm and obviously near, and I would recommend you do contact them, SPAB also has lists of reputable people who know about damp and timber issues and for future reference I draw this to people's attention.

No, I wouldn't let it put you off - many of us have had dreadful surveys but in fact simple measures have made our homes perfectly habitable.

It's getting someone suitable to assess the perceived problem (if indeed there really is one) and give sensible advice and a report which is now required, not someone allied to a firm which will spray and chemical inject as that is all they do.

 

[Anonymous]

This precisely the reason I read posts with interest and try to offer a little help!

 

[Anonymous]

Mike Perrett (who I believe is now SPABS resident damp and timber expert) may have a reputation in the damp & timber department but he's no expert on period buildings.

My understanding is that he's spent most of his working life dealing with condensation problems in local authority housing!

Robbo

 

[Anonymous]

SPAB's resident damp and timber expert?

Not as far as I am aware!

Have you anything to back that statement up? Are you a SPAB member?

 

[Anonymous]

I understand that SPAB has produced a DVD about damp issues. I Know no more than that - it's something I read in another context. When I find out more I'll post about it.

All connected with giving advice at SPAB are highly qualified with great expertise in historic buildings.

Douglas Kent BSc (Hons) BSC MSc MRICS is the Technical Secretary.



http://www.spab.org.uk

 

[Anonymous]

Where did you get the information that SPAB's 'resident damp expert' is a) Mike Perrett and b)has no knowledge of period buildings?

SPAB holds details of those individuals and firms who are able and well-qualified to carry out work on historic buildings - SPAB does not do this in itself.

I'm very concerned that you have made a statemnt which may have given rise, to those who read it, to some misunderstanding regarding SPAB and the expertise contained in our oldest conservation organisation.

 

[Anonymous]

Well it certainly isn't me! (SPAB)
I'm just an experienced amateur now.