Damp in the outbulding in new house

[daugavpils]

Hi everyone

I just bought a house which has a brick outbuilding in the garden that previous owners have used as an office building for their business. I have always been living in flats and finally got a house and now I need to figure out all the aspects of lookng after it as well as fixing possible problems.
I am keen to use the this outbuilding as an office too - it looks solid and pretty new with proper corrugated roof , double glazing windows/doors, electricity+heaters, and even a bell that rings ( insancely loud) when someone uses a main bell at the front door.

However there is a damp problem that I noticed pretty soon as you can see from the photos. The damp is located around one corner of the building, between the windows and can be seen in multiple places from floor to ceiling. I can also see some bubbling paint on the outside closer to the roof on one of the affected walls. Stangely there are no ventilation holes visiblle inside and it gets stuffy after a while if you have a heater on. I suspect that's not helping the damp problem at all.

I have contacted damp proofing company and sent them some photos, their suggestion was to contact a roofer.
At this point I am in doubt if I should start poking randomly at different kind of trade specialists if I can't figure out what is the actual reason for the damp.

I was hoping someone here could point me out in a right direction, i.e. what kind of specialist shoudl I reach out first to avoid waisting mine and their time?

Thank you!

 

[martysmarty]

i do agree that roof dont look the best. it's probably safe to asume there's a lack of insulation in the roof and leaks

things to consider are, ventihilation as you have stated, is there a cavity wall or is it solid brick?

 

[daugavpils]

Hi, not sure if there is a cavity wall or how I find out how can I find out if there is one?

 

[martysmarty]

you could try measuring the width of the walls from outside to inside, can be tricky. there's other ways by drilling with a long drill bit to measure the depth but you dont want to go all the way through
to the inside.

 

[daugavpils]

The fact that there is no ventilation hole is surprising tbh. Is it even normal? I would expect that this shoudl be done as a standard but I am not very clued upt in there things. Would it be a good idea to get someone to have the ventilation hole done anyway? I am also thinking of getting gutters done by a professionals just to be sure. For the damp to go away, I am also thinking to use dehumidifier until problem is solved. Is it a good idea?

 

[martysmarty]

it doesnt look like there's any trickle vent's in the windows?

 

[daugavpils]

Oh god, i did not realise these things even exist, proper space age. Will need to do some research how they look like and check if they are installed

 

[daugavpils]

Ok , definetly no trickle vents or anything that looks like them. The windows and door are solid, no holes or slits

 

[^woody^]

A roof issue would give you yellow/ brown stains and damp would be evident after rain.

You may have a problem with the render leading to a damp wall, and/or some condensation due to the wall construction.

I'd suggest getting a survey of the specific problem by someone independent and who has no other product or service to offer in terms of the remedial work he may recommend.

Definitely not a roofer or builder at this stage or you will be trying "this and that" on the off chance that it may work, and it could get expensive without actually remedying the problem.

 

[daugavpils]

Thank you @^woody^ , that sounds like a best approach. What kind of surveyors I should look for , I guess 'Building Surveyors'? RICS homebuyers report did mention something about the damp but did not go far: "
Some defects were noted; Windows are stiff to open, guttering with debris built-up and hi moisture
reading to the internal walls.
Moisture content readings were taken throughout the ground floor walls with an electronic damp
meter and dampness was noted to the internal walls suggesting the damp-proof course is not
operating effectively. You will need to seek quotations from a Property Care Association company who
could provide quotations for upgrading works required which will include replastering of some
internal surfaces."

 

[^woody^]

Building surveyors should be able to report on this as would members of the Property Care Association.

I'd suggest that this is more like a building defect which is causing dampness, rather than a case of the building just getting damp, if you see what I mean. So it may be that the "someone" should be experienced in building defects along with dampness - but building surveyors can be members of the property care association!

What I'd do is contact some of the above and tell them you want a specific survey to identify the cause of the damp. Mention that it could be the roof (so bring a ladder) or the wall or maybe some condensation - send them a couple of photos to illustrate the building and situation. Tell them that you don't want some massive report recommending other surveys, but you want them to just tell you what is wrong - the cause and the remedy, and it must be in a simple report, in laymans terms. You could fit the report on a couple of sides of A4, so no need for a load of waffle. If they are not confident on being able to survey and determine the problem without referring you to others, then find someone else. What you don't want is for one surveyor to come and look and then tell you you need another "specialist" surveyor, or a roofer, or a renderer etc to then come and have a look - like in that homebuyer's report. Rather you want to know who can repair the defect that the surveyor identifies

That will be your instruction, and they should be able to carry that out no problem. Some surveyors don't like this type of work, so if no joy at larger firms , try a small practice or an individual. You're looking at a charge of 2-4 hours work max - visit plus some time writing a report. If you don't want a report, tell them and tell them not to charge you for one, then they can just tell you verbally.

The key thing is that the person understands what you are expecting from them and not to do things you have not asked for.

Normally something like this (a building defect) should be obvious. Other times it many be necessary to open up something - say if its a cavity wall it may have a cavity breach for instance. So it may be that on the inspection, further opening up (by a builder normally) may be advised and then another look at what is found.

 

[daugavpils]

Excellent advice @^woody^ , I will start my research.

 

[daugavpils]

Update - the surveyor confirmed that the issues is to do with the roof design. I have got fiew roofers to quote me for a job now. Essentially, the problem is with the fact that during the rain water runs down the wall and eventually causes the wall damp. Whoever smart person was to come up with this design , now I will never find out.