Suggestions for a damp surveyor!

[RichB]

You know what I mean I own a Victorian basement flat which the tenant tells me has several signs of damp on one of the internal walls. I will visit this weekend to investigate and take some photos. He is a junior architect, so knows a bit about buildings and I am not surprised due to the age of the building. Assuming it is not something simple like a leaking rad pipe (some hope!) I will need to get in a specialist. I am guessing I need a surveyor and then a damp proof specialist but one hears of so many "rip-off" damp experts that I am cautious. What approach would you lot suggest? Tnx Rich...

[RichB]

Thanks for teh suggestions do far, because it is a basement flat in a Victorian terraced row the street level is higher than the flat's floor but the damp is in an internal wall which is shared so I suspect rising damp? I will check all the other things on the list though.

[RichB]

Timmy35 said:

RichB said:

Thanks for the suggestions so far, because it is a basement flat in a Victorian terraced row the street level is higher than the flat's floor but the damp is in an internal wall which is shared so I suspect rising damp? I will check all the other things on the list though.

No such thing, apart from it being the name of a 1970s comedy.

Really? You are obviously being pedantic and I can't be bothered to argue so if you do a quick search for rising damp you'll see it's a term used by everyone, including CSRT surveyors, to describe dampness caused by capillary action. Anyway back on topic...

[RichB]

rovermorris999 said:

Advice from those who know here:
http://www.spab.org.uk/advice/technical-qas/techni...

If you want someone to look at it get a qualified surveyor who is familiar with old buildings. On no account get in a damp treatment company for a 'free' survey. Most are snake oil salesmen.

Agreed about the treatment companies and that link's very useful thanks, and quite ironic too

[RichB]

Thanks for all the input chaps, even the joke about Rigsby! The building is the basement plus 4 more stories. The damp wall is more or less centrally located in house so it's not high ground, anyway there is a garden at the rear and a stairwell at the front leading down from street level. The chimneys are paired with the houses each side but they are on the opposite side of the house from where the damp is and it can't be gutters because it's a terrace. So I reckon it could be either condensation, a leaking pipe or damp rising due to capillary action. I will report back on Sunday.

Edited by RichB on Tuesday 6th September 15:32

[RichB]

Timmy35 said:

...And if that doesn't work ( the damp we had came back in one out of three spots ) I'd definitely apply K-rend and re-plaster it. That solved our problem. K-rend is £10 a bag so it doesn't break the bank.

Thanks, I'm familiar with Weather seal but not this K-Rend, I'll look it up, sounds interesting...

[RichB]

eastsider said:

...soaking through from outside..

good general info but the wall concerned is centrally located in the building i.e. not an external wall.

[RichB]

Right chaps, good news it's a combination of leaks and humidity. Main bathroom is in the centre of the house and at first I thought it was the saniflo leaking, yuk! But upon investigation we discovered it is where people use the shower in the bath and the glass shower screen had come away from the wall slightly allowing water to run outside the bath, into the corner of the floor and soak the floor. This then was running under the partition wall and into the bedroom and making the bedroom wall damp. At the same time they never open the bathroom window in the second en-suite bathroom so that was damp too. Flat was being attacked from two directions! So... now it's a case of fit a new shower screen (and redecorate the main bathroom at the same time). Fit a air-flow extractor fan in the en-suite bathroom but sadly I need to re-carpet and fit skirting boards in the bedroom between where my tenant has allowed it to get so damp (wet?!?) before calling me! Tenants eh! All in all not as bad as I thought, a couple of grand should sort it.

[RichB]

Thanks chaps. The extractor I have identified has a timer switch and also a humidity sensor switch so it comes on during the day even if the light is not switched on.