Houses and Damp?

[big_si]

Hi all,

Been looking a a few properties recently and the latest one we saw we really liked. Thing is... It smelt a bit musty in couple rooms and a fair number of the window frames had damp and mould round them.

It's not really being properly lived in at the moment so I'm not sure whether that's a factor.

Anyone else encountered damp of this kind before. What did you do to fix / get rid of it and was it expensive? House is at the upper end of our budget (and that's if we got a good deal on it) so isn't really any money left in the pot for much remedial work should it be necessary.

Any advice?

Cheers!

[RubberD]

If it's not being lived in properly it's probably just condensation and a lack of ventilation. Have a mooch round here Bricks & Brass: Dealing with Mould and Rot
Difficult to tell properly without seeing it.

[buchhawk]

Go back take some pics put um up
Ken

[mala]

its a good bargaining point if you like the property and want a few quid off.

[big_si]

Originally Posted by mala

its a good bargaining point if you like the property and want a few quid off.

Yeah, it would be. We'd already be going in with an offer £28k under the asking price though (which the agent thinks would be accepted)... Could be considered taking the pi$$ a bit Wasn't really sure how much work would be involved to sort it out.

[yazzyfooty]

Check the outside brickwork and that the pointing is intact and not fallen out at the windows and other areas. Get a screwdriver and and actually stab it into the bricks on the first couple of courses make sure they dont crumble. Might be worth going to visit it when its p***ing down with rain to see if rain water is causing any of the damp.
Indoors lift up carpeting/lino near the damp windows and check the floorboards are not rotting with damp.

[KeyLimePie]

A quick and easy way to be sure is to get a damp meter and just test the walls/wood. Condensation is often mistaken for dampness and is far easier to rectify. Dampness depending on where it is and what is causing it can be expensive to remedy. Have a look for any kind of fungus growth too as this may be a sign of serious trouble like dry rot.

HTH

Dave

[liamm]

Could also be the gutters need cleaning or replacing, but i'd be willing to bet that its condensation. What type or heating does it have and what is the wall construction - cavity or solid? If its electric storage heaters or similar that doesnt maintain a constant level of heat then again this could cause condensation. Condensations could also point towards poor insulation if there is a wall cavity. Most of these are easy fixes unless the heating is antiquaited or as mentioned above the pointing needs fixing.
Dont worry that its rising damp as it cant be if its more than a meter up from exterior ground level.

[mala]

Originally Posted by big_si

Yeah, it would be. We'd already be going in with an offer £28k under the asking price though (which the agent thinks would be accepted)... Could be considered taking the pi$$ a bit Wasn't really sure how much work would be involved to sort it out.

without looking at the property its difficult to give advice.
might be just a matter of turning the heating on.

best of luck anyway.
if you are having a mortgage then you can always adjust your offer downwards if the survey shows a few problems.

daryl

[Mark Chase]

If there is only mild occurrence of mold and just a general damp musty smell, this is often the result of lack of occupancy and damp setting off the detritus in the carpets.

Bin the carpets and the smell goes away

However if there is evidence of lifting wall paper and heavy black mold growth, then be careful as its not cheep to fix.

Condensation is IMHO the most serious and difficult to treat from of damp affecting buildings. It demonstrates a poor balance between the heating, ventilation and most importantly the insulation qualities inherent in the property.

At the cheep end of a fix you can improve the ventilation using insulated air bricks called Passi Vents. These come in at around £150 +vat fitted £65 supplied and you need one in each bedroom and one in the living room.

The Condensation Shop - Passyfier Vent

Then you need to look at the main moisture producing areas like the Kitchen Bathroom and utility room (If internal). These areas should be fitted with humidity controlled extraction fans.

Cheep fans don't work. Go for a quality unit like the Ferrob Sensatronic 1000 in the Kitchen with a self cleaning sensor that can cope with air born grease. In the bathroom i recommend the constant flow Nuaire Genie X Range with boost. Allow £350 for each supplied and fitted.

Domestic Ventilation fans and equipment by Ferrob

The Nuaire Group - Residential Products

ALL redecoration in problem rooms should be carried out with ACS anti mold paint.

This is a high quality product used as a decorative finish just like normal paint. However this has a solid fungicide ground into the body of the paint which gives total protection against mold growth. The Product is guaranteed for 5 years and in our experience remains effective as long as the paint film is clean and in good condition.

Wall paper and lining paper should be hung using a pre mixed PVA based adhesive. This does not offer a food source to mold unlike normal starch based wallpaper past. Normal paper paste even ones claiming to contain a fungicide provide an ideal food source for black mold.

Control and Cleaning of Mould Growth in Housing

5 ltr's ACS Antimould Paint £ 30.00 +vat

2.5 ltr’s ACS Antimould Paint £ 18.00+vat

0.25 ACS Pre Wash £ 5.00 +vat


Other forced measures like heat exchangers and positive pressure fans will be more expensive and would need justification by survey. In really bad cases we insulate the walls (if solid) with 30mm Thermal board on the internal face. This is a superb solution but costs apx £65 m2

Finally, if you have a ground floor in this property and its a timber floor this should be inspected for ventilation and any existing problems with damp and timber decay. We have found many many cases where condensation problems in the habitable areas have been associated with heavy condensation in the sub floor void that causes timber decay and increases the likely hood of timber infestation by wood boring insects.

HTH

Mark