Sorting out house damp.

[phil24_7]

There is some damp in my new (old) house that I would like to get treated before it becomes a problem.

Can anyone recommend and companies that do a good job but don't cost the earth?

Having just bought the house, I'm a little strapped for cash but would prefer to pay out now, that pay a shed load more in future!

Cheers

[Spiderman]

what type of damp is it Phil and where is it? Obviously i dont know anyone over your side to suggest, i'm just asking before someone else does

don't know anyone, soz but got the same problem, atm we are just wiping it off all the time as the flat has no radiators in the bed rooms so we don't know how to stop it atm.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by TheOnlyNemesis

don't know anyone, soz but got the same problem, atm we are just wiping it off all the time as the flat has no radiators in the bed rooms so we don't know how to stop it atm.

That sounds like condensation, not damp. Make sure the place is being ventilated properly to help solve that.

Phil - we need to know what kind of damp, i.e. where is it coming from.

ventilation is a problem, we are on the ground floor with massive windows you can climb through

[phil24_7]

I have some in the walls, possibly caused by poor rendering/stone chipping and some rising from the cellar if I recall correctly. I shall double check the survey in the morning and let you know for sure!

Nothing too major, it's mainly in the walls on the ground floor, with a little in the upstairs walls (though I think that is confined to the chimney stack). Nothing is showing up on the internal walls that I can see so it must just be in the walls (and possibly floor timbers ?).

[sauluk]

Ou want to watch out for the cellar, they can be very expensive.

I recently had a chemical damp course in a property, good decision as it was getting bad. Not cheap though. The course itself is pretty cheap, it's the knocking back to brick and rerender that isn't... And finding a plasterer has been a nightmare!

[Spiderman]

yeh, damp in the floor timbers may be easy to cure and fix as long as its not rot, or even worse, dry rot.

You can also get a dehumidifier fairly cheeply these days

[phil24_7]

The report from my surveyor states:

Dampness, rot & infestation:

Repair Category 3

Damp meter testing revealed some signs of dampness to the main walls, mostly at ground floor level, but with one or two instances in the first floor accommodation. Despite the presence of a chemical injection damp proof course, it is recommended that you now instruct a specialist damp proofing and timber treatment contractor to carry out an investigation to identify the full extent of the problem, and the necessary repairs required, together with an estimate of the cost.

Woodworm holes were noted to a number of structural timbers, etc. in the property. It is not known whether this is active or has been treated in the past. Further advice should be sought from the specialist damp proofing and timber treatment contractor.

Some ground floor joist ends appear damp affected where built into the rear elevational wall. This should also be checked by the specialist contractor.

Chimney stacks:

Repair category 3

Damp staining is present on the chimney flues in the roof space. Externally the chimney stack render appears old, porous and in need of attention. At the same time, the flashings should also be checked and improved if found necessary.

Roof including roof space:

Repair category 3

The roof has been re-slated at some time in the comparatively recent past. The slating generally appears satisfactory but dampness is penetrating through the front and rear cement hips. These require rep[air.

Internally the roof structure appears adequate with no signs of significant distortion or distress.

A small hole was noted in the underlay beneath the slating. This should be patched and care taken not to cause any further punctures.

Rainwater fittings:

Repair category 3

Generally rainwater fittings appear satisfactory but leaking was noted from the gutter outlet point on the side elevation and this will need repair...


It is also noted in the report that:

Generally, the render on the outside is in reasonable condition, but there are a number of gaps and holes in the side elevation, in particular, where the waste pipes exit the bathroom and en-suite, and that these need to be filled/sealed.

There are a few small gaps around window/door frames and the external wall surfaces and that these should be sealed with flexible frame sealant.

Some inside faces on the main walls sound hollow and off-key beneath the decorations, but is mainly sound.

sections of 2 floor joists in the cellar have been replaced in the past.

I think this is all the relevant information!

Regards