damp issue... how bad?
Discussion
Went to view a house today and all was good apart from the bathroom which appeared to have damp all over the place. Is there anyone who can suggest if this could be a serious problem or if it is just surface mouldy stuff?
The house has been empty for a while and the water is shut off so bear that in mind. Also, I dont know if the windows and doors are ever opened to allow airflow.
just concerned that im going to be stuck with a massive damp fixing bill if i buy the house... obviuosly will get a proper survey done but some ides before i go ahead and spend £400 on a surveyer would come in handy.
The house has been empty for a while and the water is shut off so bear that in mind. Also, I dont know if the windows and doors are ever opened to allow airflow.
just concerned that im going to be stuck with a massive damp fixing bill if i buy the house... obviuosly will get a proper survey done but some ides before i go ahead and spend £400 on a surveyer would come in handy.
Mmmm I'm no expert but that does look pretty bad ......
Saying that if it is just the bathroom it might just be poorly vented with no extractor fan and window closed which if it had been used like that over a long period of time could possibly cause excessive damp.
I'm sure someone who has more experience will be along in a bit but I wouldn't discount the property because of it
Saying that if it is just the bathroom it might just be poorly vented with no extractor fan and window closed which if it had been used like that over a long period of time could possibly cause excessive damp.
I'm sure someone who has more experience will be along in a bit but I wouldn't discount the property because of it
Edited by Herbs on Wednesday 15th September 18:50
Run. And don't look back.
That is so bad, I'd say either the bathroom is a sub-standard single-skin block wall add-on (is that the outline of the mortar joints showing up in mould?), or there is a drains/drainage issue. Is that an outside shot? Drain overflow or rain pooling looks quite possible.
That is so bad, I'd say either the bathroom is a sub-standard single-skin block wall add-on (is that the outline of the mortar joints showing up in mould?), or there is a drains/drainage issue. Is that an outside shot? Drain overflow or rain pooling looks quite possible.
simple101 said:
I did think it looked bad. My first impression wasnt a good one.
One of them is an outside shot yes, showing a gap of bare bricks beneath the outer fascade stuff.
Get a builder to look at it for you. Certainly looks like that wall is getting water from somewhere - the roof or the wall outside.One of them is an outside shot yes, showing a gap of bare bricks beneath the outer fascade stuff.
If it's brick on the outside and block on the inside of the wall then it's not 'single skin'.
The black mould is surface - possibly enhanced by rising damp - damp caused by lack of ventilation, heating and use of the building. Removed by washing with bleach, heating the place and using the room.
The dpc - if it exists - looks bridged by either the bell mouth / bottomed render or the raised paving. This may have caused rising damp.
There could also be leaking plumbing and drainage in the bathroom.
If it is localised around the bathroom then it's probably a maintenace issue rather than a latent defect. Easily fixed.
Ask your surveyor to specifically look at it, or take a builder to look at it. Neither can give a definative answer without opening up - which they won't be able to do.
The black mould is surface - possibly enhanced by rising damp - damp caused by lack of ventilation, heating and use of the building. Removed by washing with bleach, heating the place and using the room.
The dpc - if it exists - looks bridged by either the bell mouth / bottomed render or the raised paving. This may have caused rising damp.
There could also be leaking plumbing and drainage in the bathroom.
If it is localised around the bathroom then it's probably a maintenace issue rather than a latent defect. Easily fixed.
Ask your surveyor to specifically look at it, or take a builder to look at it. Neither can give a definative answer without opening up - which they won't be able to do.
As the wall is rendered, it could be single skin block on a brick base up to the render line - it's easy to check if you're there, but hard to tell from the photos. It is also reasonable to assume that if there is a DPC, it is where the render drip stop is, so probably not bridged. That is way more than condensation. There is an odd square shaped stain around that air brick/vent, but again impossible to see if it is significant from here. Something needs fixing - that's for sure!
rovermorris999 said:
Impossible to tell from photos and the info provided but it'd lay money on a combination of no or little heat and no ventilation is the cause of the mould. Real rising damp is pretty rare. What's the rest of the place like?
The rest of the place looks pretty sound.The bathroom is at the rear (old terraced house style) and is the only area with the issues. Outside shows no real signs of anything untoward.
I think the next step is to grab a builder and see what he thinks. Obviously these pics dont tell enough of the story.
It's predominately condensation, you do not get black mould growth with rising damp. Your first photo suggests to me that the render bead on the corner has been fixed using bonding plaster (carlite) that will act like a sponge in damp conditions.
You will control most of it with improved heating, ventilation and insulation.
You will control most of it with improved heating, ventilation and insulation.
To clarify what I posted a bit more.
The photos show signs that there maybe a couple of different damp issues.
One being condesation/excess moisture in the air.
One that maybe a bridged dpc. By bridged I mean that water is able to get above it, not that there is a physical path over it like the render. Although not clear the bottom of the render is not high enough off the ground (judging by the visible brickwork). This might be because it was done before the paving.
It might be something leaking above the dpc and the water settling at the dpc.
I reitterate my thoughts that this is just a lack of general - ie easy - maintenance rather than a major defect.
The photos show signs that there maybe a couple of different damp issues.
One being condesation/excess moisture in the air.
One that maybe a bridged dpc. By bridged I mean that water is able to get above it, not that there is a physical path over it like the render. Although not clear the bottom of the render is not high enough off the ground (judging by the visible brickwork). This might be because it was done before the paving.
It might be something leaking above the dpc and the water settling at the dpc.
I reitterate my thoughts that this is just a lack of general - ie easy - maintenance rather than a major defect.
mk1fan said:
To clarify what I posted a bit more.
The photos show signs that there maybe a couple of different damp issues.
One being condesation/excess moisture in the air.
One that maybe a bridged dpc. By bridged I mean that water is able to get above it, not that there is a physical path over it like the render. Although not clear the bottom of the render is not high enough off the ground (judging by the visible brickwork). This might be because it was done before the paving.
It might be something leaking above the dpc and the water settling at the dpc.
I reitterate my thoughts that this is just a lack of general - ie easy - maintenance rather than a major defect.
I hope so The photos show signs that there maybe a couple of different damp issues.
One being condesation/excess moisture in the air.
One that maybe a bridged dpc. By bridged I mean that water is able to get above it, not that there is a physical path over it like the render. Although not clear the bottom of the render is not high enough off the ground (judging by the visible brickwork). This might be because it was done before the paving.
It might be something leaking above the dpc and the water settling at the dpc.
I reitterate my thoughts that this is just a lack of general - ie easy - maintenance rather than a major defect.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff