Damp in survey

[Ramite]

Hi everyone new on here and looking for some help.
Im a first time buyer and ive had a survey done on a house we are in the middle of buying.The report shows a 'high moisture content' in the party wall, outside wall and dividing wall with lounge there doesnt appear to be anything showing through the wallpaper.He recommended a'specialist damp proofing company' as the damp proof course had broken down'in our opinion'.Having read a few threads it put my mind at ease (abit) that is unlikely to be this .I want to give him a ring to get a few more details having done abit of reading on here was gonna ask where exactly the readings were taken and what the readings were, what else should I be asking ?
Just to give a few details about the house.Was built in the 30s has a 280mm cavity wall with a timber floor.It is occupied but doesnt have an air brick on either external wall.There is a poor joint from this house and next doors guttering could this cause damp in an internal wall ? Sorry for the long post.

 

[Skavenger]

Before I start I am not a Damp Expert I, am an enthusiastic amateur. This thread caught my eye though as I am living in a house built in the 1930's and when we bought it about 7 years ago (first time buyers), the survey said there was damp in the outside wall. They usually pick up damp to cover themselves and always recommend a professional Damp Proof Company but be warned I am not saying that you should ignore it but unless you can see mold and blistered paint on the skirting and carpets and the odd mushroom growing on the walls it might not be that bad.

Damp is caused externally either by the ground level being allowed to rise above the DPC, enthusiastic gardening or outdoor building projects, or by water being able to penetrate the outside wall through missing mortar or loose guttering. The outside walls need to be able to breathe.

Damp can be caused internally, usually by having central heating, double glazing fitted without adequate moisture extraction.

Internally check the water pipes from the outside in and see if it is leaking anywhere.

CHECK ALL THE ABOVE

We bought our house and had several quotes for a chemical DPC, from £500 to £3000, there are a lot of Cowboys out there, we never did get the work done and its been 7 years and the house is still standing.

I did however get to the route of the problem, the outside wall used to have a french drain (a gravel ditch) running along side, I found this out from a local builder who lived nearby since he was a kid. The next door neighbor had laid concrete and built a shed, I dug up the concrete and have pointed the wall and the problem has been resolved.

If you do buy the house you might be able to get the price down on the damp in the survey, but don't run out and get in the first professional Damp Proof Treatment until you've; tried resolving the issue any other way.

Good Luck

 

[^woody^]

Gaaaaarghhhhhh... not another poxy surveyor not doing his job

A surveyor is by definition there to survey, to tell you what is wrong. Not to tell you to get several other "specialists" to tell you what is wrong.

And certainly not to put a damp meter on a wall and exclaim "damp!"

Get him to qualify this "high moisture content". What possibilities exist within that particular property which may cause elevated moisture levels ... and especially if the moisture levels result from a structural issue or if they are normal. Is this significant or not. He needs to consider all the possibilities, and discount the improbable ones, and form a conclusion

Also ask him if he has done a complete wall survey with his meter, or if he has just probed one place. If he has not done a full wall survey, then he is an idiot and his readings are meaningless.

Basically damp meters are not designed for walls, and I doubt if he has done a proper test for damp on a normal survey

 

[Ramite]

Many thanks for the replys will ring him tmw and see what he says.Will post back.
Hope I can help out on the alarm/cctv forum as thats my trade.

 

[Ramite]

Spoke to surveyor today said he checked across the walls and the damp was patchy.Said the readings were high but not more than what he would expect in a 30s house.He said it was down to the DPC breaking down in places and was likely to start to break down in other places within 12 months.Didnt think it was likely to be caused by anything else apart from that but couldnt explain how it could work its way across 2 other walls.Put the cost at 500 to 1000 to replace the DPC.Yours thoughts ?

 

[noseall]

Run the heating for a while, then invite your surveyor back, complete with his damp meter, to try another test.

 

[JohnCo]

Has the house stood empty? Are the vents blocked in the larder? It certainly won`t be much causing the damp! Amongst other trades, I have spent some time` damp proofing`and in all, bar one house, there was a reason and a solution for the damp that didn`t require us to drill and plaster 1 metre all round!! We still did it though as the householders always wanted an `insurance backed guarantee`. It was really difficult drilling perfect brickwork for no reason and not saying anything. Regards JohnC.

 

[Ramite]

the house is occupied.There are no air bricks in the kitchen even though it is the biggest room in the house.I guess it could be something like this ?

 

[^woody^]

Due to the DPC breaking down, in several places at the same time, and will continue to do so?

A DPC material with such a brief lifespan, and which then degenerates with no other reason other than age? I'd like to know what the "new found" DPC material is, as its certainly new.

If your surveyor has probed a standard damp meter into the plaster at the bottom of the wall, then he has no chance of diagnosing a damp problem. The variable salt content of plaster (and hygroscopic nature of the salts) will fool the meter and it seems, has fooled the surveyor too

Whilst defective DPC and subsequent rising dampness is a possibility, from the details provided it is way down the list.

Elevated moisture at the base of a wall, without any other staining or visual signs, is not due to defective DPC. More likely natural condensation due to thermal properties at the base of a wall, is held within the wall as moisture - particularly the plaster.

 

[GS70]

Same thing happened to me, just bought a 1930s terraced house, where the initial survey flagged up "higher than usual damp readings" and recommended a specialist timber damp survey.

The firm who did the damp survey recommended the installation of a DPC if at some point in the future I was planning on decorating or refurbishing. They also recommended tanking between our house and next door's, checking guttering, installation of ventilation at the front of the house (the air brick has been rendered over) and, as there was no woodworm treatment certficate in evidence, they recommended this too. The total quote came to about £1100. (This didn't include the associated building work, chipping off plaster etc.)

We got money off the mortgage to reflect this, but I'm wondering whether a full DPC is necessary.

I know the guttering needs replacing as water is running down the exterior wall and the air brick needs chipping out, but how long should I leave it after doing this before making a decision on the DPC? Should I get another firm to come back at some point after the house may have dried out to do another survey?

The only evidence of damp I can see is a small patch of powdery blown plaster by the front door on the adjoining wall.

Advice gratefully received! Apologies for the long post.