Internal Damp

[pwhalley]

Hi Everyone,

I am considering purchase of a bungalow for renovation. It was built in the 70's and has been empty for a long time. As a result there is damp in it. I've checked the external walls with a damp meter and they appear ok, however two internal walls (block) are damp on one side only. The wettest parts appear to be in the middle of the house.

There is a back boiler fitted. The wall behind the boiler shows damp and the other wall showing damp is wettest towards the boiler part of the house. My thoughts are that the boiler has rotted away leaking water onto the ground floor which is then finding its way up the walls close by.

Any sugestions to the cause?.

Also anyone have any ideas on a cure?

I will obviously have a full surevy done, but before I go down that route I'd thought I'd pick a few brains!.


Thanks in advance.

Paul

 

[shaggy]

It's always difficult to diagnose a damp problem when the property has been empty for a long time. Damp meter results can be meaningless because condensation is often the problem. You are right to think that the damp near the boiler may well be a water leak of course. Your survey may indicate damp but not where it's coming from. I once had a house for sale and I was a bit hard up so couldn't afford to heat it properly. The surveyors meter showed damp and, coupled with the fact that my dog used to rub herself along the lounge wall if she was wet, so marking the wallpaper, led the surveyor to think it was rising damp. I persuaded him otherwise and he was ok about it.
Perhaps it's not possible to have the heating on to dry the property out but unless you can do this you will be guessing, and so will the surveyor.

 

[pwhalley]

Thanks Shaggy,

Its always good to have a second opinion, and cheers for the tip about the surveyor.

paul