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There is no point in replacing timbers that are sound so if replacing them as far as the sleeper wall does the job then that is all I'd do. Woody is exactly right, this isn't a particularly technical job and if you want someone to sell you an unnecessary retrofit damp proof course a great...

I don't really think the cement fillet is a satisfactory option for diverting the water away from the wall, it may help a little but its far from ideal. If he water is not going to a proper drain then you really need to install it. An Aco channel would do the job if you wanted a quick fix.

Don't get confused between the skill and the knowledge. Most have the skill, few have the knowledge.

You have two options when dealing with damp, affect a cure or put a management solution in place. Tanking, DPC injection etc are pure management solutions designed to hide or dam in the damp. In the case of DPC injection I would question it's effectiveness anyway, it's the renovating plaster...

Do the back siphon test first, if it's leaking then immediate replacement required, if it's not then is still definitely needs putting on your to do list. You would of course have to excavate from the house to the main stop cock at the property boundary and replace with polyethylene, but it may...

Jon, a couple of very obvious comments from the last pics you posted. If you look at how much paint and debris has blocked up the air brick you have probably lost half of the cross sectional area for ventilation. This is is significant loss in ventilation so take a blow torch to the vent and...

Shocking, the Chartered Surveyor has completely abdicated responsibility for any technical input into the report. He could have quite easily commented on the structural condition and any potential damp problems in the property but has caveated his report to the hilt. Sounds like he got paid for...

Hi Jon, Firstly, I have read the surveyors report and it is amongst the worst I've ever read. No testing done whatsoever yet he confirms a case of rising damp. It is impossible to diagnose rising damp with a hand held electrical moisture meter. Please read a couple of my articles here on the...

Yup, good point.

Judgement call this one Doug, the clay paints will do a job but what is the cost differential? Mineral silicates are far more durable so it's about whole life cost rather than initial upfront cost. Personally I'd go with the mineral option but your choice. A quick search and I found 10 ltrs...

It needs a DPC. Just do a search on google images for block and beam construction and you'll see lots of images showing the construction detail.

He won't be able to, the industrial dehumidifier has made it 'curl.' :lol:

Jon, I've just posted very detailed responses to a similar problem with granite walls. Can I ask you to read those posts first to see if this clears up any of your questions? If you have anymore questions after reading my last posts then please come back to me.

If the outgoing neighbour isn't prepared to share costs then it maybe something you need to take up with the incoming neighbour, first informally then possibly more formally as a party wall issue. You also have the option of reporting this to your local council who have powers to take action...

Yes, sounds like they know the mortar isn't up to the job and are propping in case the mortar fails. If the end supporting wall isn't at the correct height then they should be packing it properly with slate or something else more suitable. Also doesn't look like its been laid on a DPC?

The beams should be laid at either end on a supporting wall and ideally should be laid on a DPC. They don't need and shouldn't be propped and I'd strongly recommend that they are not laid on old mortar as this may crumble under the weight resulting in an uneven floor further down the line.

These issues can be difficult to work through but your starting point is speaking to the outgoing neighbour. They could just be very reasonable people and want to deal with it or it could already have been picked up during the survey and an adjustment made on house purchase price for the...

A highly subjective question to answer Graeme but accepted principle is that bare masonry dries out at a rate of 25mm per month. If you are heating internally then you could hypothesize that you're getting 50mm of the wall dried out every month. This of course is provided that the moisture...

That's a really good thought if detergent has been used. I'm sure it's detergent but the staining is indicative of a long term damp problem rather than a one off occurrence.