Damp treatment. Advice needed.

[oeeeeeeg]

Hi all, long time since I've been here seeking advice, I'll keep this as short as possible.
In a nutshell I have damp & woodworm ( 3 bed semi). I have spoke to a plasterer, electrician & a small general builders/woodworking firm & have them informally lined up for the work which will include complete replacement of the downstairs flooring & joists. The one thing I have no knowledge about is treating the damp, I'm arranging for a couple of firms to take a look & quote for this.
I'm on here looking for some guidance on understanding the work & questions I should be asking, guarantees, rough price etc ( I've sought advice via Google which suggests a dpc would be charged per meter) but beyond that I'm a bit clueless regarding treating damp.
I have a theoretical plan for the whole of the work which I can expand on if necessary.
I'm in Yorkshire if that helps.
Many thanks in advance.

 

[tell80]

Who advised you that the above work was needed? Do you have, say, a Surveyors report?
For instance - woodworm chemical treatment is only confirmed by the presence of live wood worms.
Woodworm attacks on flooring are not always fatal for the flooring.
Damp needs experienced knowledge for identifying it, and treating it and its causes.

Why dont you "expand" and post any pics of relevance eg pics of the elevations from eaves to ground level?

 

[oeeeeeeg]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I'll take pics & add to this when I'm home Friday. Cheers

 

[oeeeeeeg]

Pics as promised. The pinholes are spread across a fair bit of the living room, can't see if it spreads to the kitchen/hallway as these are tiled.
The pics showing what I presume is damp are, in order, external wall under living room window. Internal wall at bottom of stairs & external wall under kitchen window but not near sink or pipes.
Cheers.

 

[jeds]

That woodworm looks historic to me. What makes you think it is active, have you seen definite bore dust? (known as frass) Surveyors look for bore dust around Spring time. You’re unlikely to see any this time of year.

My advice is hold off on any works until you know exactly what is causing the dampness issues. First thing is to establish 100% if there is dampness within the masonry. Not on the surface, WITHIN the masonry. You'll need to get it tested by an independent. i.e. NOT a damp proofing company.

 

[tell80]

OP,
There are a number of questions in my previous post to you - they are unanswered, perhaps you will answer them?

You undoubtedly have rising damp, and a little condensation.
There are signs of previous attempts to deal with the damp.
Can you gain access to any crawl space below any suspended floors?
Have you recently bought this house?

 

[JohnD]

Damp treatment. Advice needed.

Advice:

Do not allow anyone who sells silicone injections into your house.

Find out where the water is coming from.

Find the original DPC. Identify its height relative to ground level. Work out if, and why, it appears no longer to be working.

Stand back and take wider pictures of the entire damp walls, inside and out, from roof and gutter down to the ground or paving at the base. Show all drains, downpipes and manholes, and indicate the position of the DPC, preferably with a chalk line.

Have you got a water meter? How old is the house and the plumbing?

Heed the advice of Stephen Boniface, former chairman of the construction arm of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Rising damp is a myth, says former RICS chief

Stephen Boniface, former chairman of the construction arm of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), has told the institute’s 40,000 members that ‘true rising damp’ is a myth and chemically injected damp-proof courses (DPC) are ‘a complete waste of money’.

www.architectsjournal.co.uk