treat damp in 1895 cottage

[Penners]

I think a large part of the answer to 'damp' in old properties is, frankly, to accept it. I don't mean we should put up with mould growing on the walls and fungus crawling through the carpet but that we shouldn't immediately panic and reach for the silicone-this, DPC-that and magic-waterproofing-spray-on-other 'solutions'. Try opening the windows and let the fresh air waft through the house during the day (even cold air will have a significant drying effect) and wear an extra jumper in the winter instead of trying to emulate your last summer holiday all year around.

A old house won't 'perform' like a new-build, and can hardly be expected to, so a little bit of give-and-take will work wonders. Call it sensitivity if you like. Many people, of course, will disagree with such an approach, and that's fine, but it might be worth asking if a period property really is their sort of ideal home.

Solid gold advice, there. Bottom line: if a surveyor with a damp meter reports damp, that doesn't necessarily mean you've got a major problem.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I so agree with Flyfisher's summary of what it means to live in an old, potentially damp house. It's no good expecting to live in a hot, dry, sealed box. People don't realise they expect that, that's the trouble - it's a huge learning curve to get to grips with the fact that living in an old property calls for an adjustment in your habits, and that it won't be as comfortable as a modern property.

Where my pamments are laid on earth downstairs there's a puddle for most of the year. In high summer when I can bear to have the door open it dries up. To begin with this horrified me, so I had the dehumidifier on all the time to get rid of it. It rarely disapppeared, even with that running. Originally the real fire there would have dealt with the sweating pamments I'm sure - I now think reinstating a fire is probably the best cure.

But it's really not an issue living with a puddle for a lot of the time, like everything else you just get used to it.

 

[senorjackson]

Many Thanks for your advice again. We completed last week and are just trying to start sorting out the issue of how to address the damp in the ground floor. As I've mentioned in previous posts the house has been vacant for over a year and whilst the heating has been on, the ground floor radiators aren't working properly and are emitting minimal heat at best (upstairs is much better). The system is a single pipe one which may be causing issues and the survey pointed out a shortage of radiators downstairs. Will an overhaul in this system help to assist the reduction of damp issues downstairs? Should we keep the single pipe system or modernise it? Should we be more radical and look at an underfloor system downstairs or will the cost be too great?

Many Thanks in advance again

senor

 

[Penners]

The system is a single pipe one which may be causing issues and the survey pointed out a shortage of radiators downstairs. Will an overhaul in this system help to assist the reduction of damp issues downstairs? Should we keep the single pipe system or modernise it? Should we be more radical and look at an underfloor system downstairs or will the cost be too great?

Buenas tardes, señor. Here are a few amateur observations on your questions.

I would certainly have the central heating system modified to a twin pipe system. The problem with a single pipe system (as I'm sure you know) is that you tend to get lots of nice heat at the beginning of the flow, and precious little at the end. Even if you try to balance the system properly on the lockshield valves, it's still hellishly tricky to get that absolutely right, so that the available warmth is evenly distributed throughout the house.

And of course a shortage of downstairs radiators will exacerbate the problem of heating the whole house evenly.

As to whether this is contributing to the downstairs damp problem, it's extremely difficult to be unequivocal about this, on the basis of a written description, but it is likely to be the case. As has been explained before, damp in a period property can often be managed by a combination of steady warmth and decent ventilation. Until you have these two, you can't really know whether the damp problem is more deep-seated.

You could use a dehumidifier to help get the drying-out process going, but don't be overenthusiastic with it. You can cause problems if you try to dry out the fabric excessively and too quickly. You're coming to the best time of year for getting rid of damp, so plenty of warmth and open windows should be an effective recipe - particularly as we're promised a particularly warm summer.

Now where have I heard that forecast before? Oh yes - shortly before last year's disastrous "barbecue summer". :roll: