Render causing damp. Should we buy?

[Lupa Monkey]

Hello,

We've found a house which we potentially want to buy. It is possibly 50 grand below the price we want for ours!

The reason for its low price is the damp which they believe is being caused by the poor render. We want some advice so we can go along for a viewing with some fact and figures.

It's a detached house and I'm guessing the whole render will need to come off. Looks like some sort of pebble dash painted over what I believe to be sandstone (according to the EPC). I would actually prefer to keep the stone on show if it is in any fit state once the pebble dash is off. But I'm anticipating a new render being put on.

What I need to know is, and I know talking costs is frowned upon, but I just need a ball park so we know whether the asking price is reasonable. What will hacking off a whole house's render and re-rendering cost? I know it won't be cheep as a neighbour of mine recently had it done and it cost almost 10 grand for an end terrace.

It has an annex towards the back, but I think that might be ok.

I'm also assuming all the damp inside would need to be sorted too. It doesn't look too bad in the pictures, no horrid black mould, just a bit of discolouration. We'll get a better look once we go for a viewing.


I've added a pic of the google street scene of the house in question. Looks like the work was being done when they went down that street! I've added a pic of the one of the interiors that looks to have damp. Also I've added a pic of one of the neighbouring houses. I'm probably coming across as a bit dim here, but is that sandstone? Is the house in question possibly made of the same stone? There seems to be a few houses around the neighbourhood with this same stone. What are the chances that after taking off the render it could look nice like that? Is it worth saving stone that has once been rendered? Or would it be cheaper to re-render?

What do you think? Will we come away with any change from the 50 grand difference after all the problems have been sorted inside and out?

Sorry for all the questions! Thank you for any advice you can give.

Untitled

• Lupa Monkey
• 2 Jun 2013
• 2

Untitled

• Lupa Monkey
• 2 Jun 2013
• 1

Untitled

• Lupa Monkey
• 2 Jun 2013
• 1

Untitled

• Lupa Monkey
• 2 Jun 2013
• 2

 

[Lupa Monkey]

Just to clarify, just wondering if I should avoid this house. Is it going to turn into too big a job to rectify?

Can anyone offer their invaluable experience?

Many thanks.

 

[Burnerman]

I don't think anyone would say yay or nay to this one Amanda, but here's my pennorth anyway.
Render itself doesn't create damp, although it shouldn't broach the damp course level.
Has the render been applied to prevent water absorbtion through the original stone, do you think?
I would imagine the property has no damp course, but you need to ascertain this, and check that any bordering ground isn't higher or close to DPC, if as I suspect there is rising damp.
If I was going to visit, I'd take someone knowledgeable or at least take a cheap damp detector with you - available from most DIY sheds.
Find if the house has concrete floors or suspended timber ones....if its the latter, there should be air bricks visible.
John

 

[arv]

Its the sand and cement plaster thats sucking up all the water. Chip this off and use lime plaster..

Also if your going to take the external render off, leave it off..

 

[Lupa Monkey]

Many thanks John and Arv for your responses. It's good to know what to ask when we view it on Saturday.

Looking at the Google street view, there is a very narrow gap from the ground to the render. I'll be asking who did the rendering. Surely a professional company would have done everything properly?

 

[Burnerman]

Ideally, the render should stop at DPC level, and be swept away from the house to form a drip, so I imagine thats what you're seeing.
John

 

[stevethespreader]

dont look like there is much wrong with the render from the pics you have shown , but the roof looks a bit suspect its sagging , i may be wrong but a couple of the lads on here does roofs maybe they will comment al or roy maybe?

 

[roy c]

I'm with steve on the fact the render doesn't look too bad. As for the roof there doesn't look like there is a fillet or coping up the verge and the slating is finished level with the wall which should be kicked over the edge to cover the top of the wall. And also you don't know what backing plaster they have put on the internal walls as in the photo of the "damp" inside, the damp on the chimney could be rising "damp" but the "damp" in the elcove is too high for rising damp,(it only rises to 1200mm usually) so it is either penertrating damp or condensation or it could be coming down from where the slates are flush with the wall. These are some of the options to look at but it might be worth getting a reputable builder or (dare I say it) a "good" surveyor to look at it....

 

[roy c]

On picture 4 on right hand side gutter is that a join in the fascia or is it a step back in the building that the photo doesn't show? As the gutter and fascia looks out of line!!! I have looked at one of the other photos (Pic 3)and I think it must be how the images appear on here so (it might be my computer!!!)

 

[Lupa Monkey]

On picture 4 on right hand side gutter is that a join in the fascia or is it a step back in the building that the photo doesn't show? As the gutter and fascia looks out of line!!! I have looked at one of the other photos (Pic 3)and I think it must be how the images appear on here so (it might be my computer!!!)

I think it's just the way the Google street view looks in places Roy.

 

[Lupa Monkey]

I'm with steve on the fact the render doesn't look too bad. As for the roof there doesn't look like there is a fillet or coping up the verge and the slating is finished level with the wall which should be kicked over the edge to cover the top of the wall. And also you don't know what backing plaster they have put on the internal walls as in the photo of the "damp" inside, the damp on the chimney could be rising "damp" but the "damp" in the elcove is too high for rising damp,(it only rises to 1200mm usually) so it is either penertrating damp or condensation or it could be coming down from where the slates are flush with the wall. These are some of the options to look at but it might be worth getting a reputable builder or (dare I say it) a "good" surveyor to look at it....

Cheers Roy. It hadn't occued to me that it may be the roofing at fault. That's another thing I'll ask them about. The suggestion that the damp may be caused by the render is actually made by the estate agent in the description.

 

[roy c]

Ask the estate agent how he comes to that assumption. Then tell us lads on here ,we might learn something,,,

 

[Lupa Monkey]

Can I just ask the experts, the pics show that it has been pebble dashed. Can lime render also be pebble dashed? Or is that a giveaway to it being sand and cement? I've been reading that Sandstone should be lime rendered only, but I want to get my facts straight.

Another question if that's ok, is the only solution to sorting out the damp walls to hack away the damaged plaster and re-plaster?

 

[Lupa Monkey]

Ask the estate agent how he comes to that assumption. Then tell us lads on here ,we might learn something,,,

Will do Roy

 

[Lupa Monkey]

Actually, looking at the roof, it does seem that the edge of the tiles on the gable end is offering no protection whatsoever from the elements! Shouldn't there be some sort of overhang?

I might post up another query on the roofing section to see what advice they can offer. May be that the render is correct and the roof finish is to blame.

Thanks for pointing that out guys.