Damp

[minestrone]

Cannot grasp the English system of conveyancing.

We buy a house & we get the land.

We bid for a house and we are held to that bid by law, the recipients of that bid are held by law if they accept the bid.

The surveyor is responsible if the property fails on what he reports the property to be.

[Paddy]

I realise this is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, but how much does it cost to sort out damp? I've looked at a place with a bit of damp coming through an outside wall (its not rising damp - its a second floor flat).

Any ideas/experience/anecdotes?

Ta

As it is a flat, do you own the Freehold? What does the lease say about damp? Usually damp is the responsibility of all the leaseholders. Faulty guttering or broken tiles is a good place to start looking as a cause.

[stek]

It's working in a DAMP environment then?

[minestrone]

Not yet.

I am hoping that it is just rain coming in from the chimney, we placed chimney balloons in the fire places and I could here rain hitting them on occasions over the winter. As the chimney does not go straight up in this old house ( I think it has various ledges as it angles up) it might be rain so I'm hoping that it might be a simple job of cover the chimney.

If it is pointing it is not a massive job, it is basic maintenance that has to be tended to every once in a while on most houses.

Damp is usually pretty treatable if the house and surrounding houses have no design flaws where damp is an issue. If it was built in the 60s then possibly you might want to look into that.

[Ruprect]

Thanks all. Soupy, do you know what the cost is yet?

[minestrone]

It may possible be gutters and that can drift down several floors, very cheap to fix. If it is high up you might have to factor in scaffolding. IF it is against a wall without a gutter it might be more difficult and possibly pointing on the chimney. Might be felt on the roof and a slipped tile.

Could be anything really.

We have a bit of damp that is going to get sorted that, I think, is pointing in the partition wall. Going to have to negotiate with the old folks next door.

[configman]

I realise this is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, but how much does it cost to sort out damp? I've looked at a place with a bit of damp coming through an outside wall (its not rising damp - its a second floor flat).

Any ideas/experience/anecdotes?

Ta

Depends where the damp is coming from. It may appear it is it seaping in from outside but is it? I recently had watermarks on the kitchen wall and it appeared to be coming from outside but it was the central heating boiler overlow pipe with a leak that came down inside the cavity wall falling on top of the cooker hood extractor pipe that went through the cavity - and the water directed back into the house. If it is coming in from outside on a second floor flat it is most likely to be badly fitted windows, doors, or roofing - maybe the sealant or lack of. It should not be expensive to fix - but if you cannot pinpoint the source you may have to try several things.

[Ruprect]

I realise this is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, but how much does it cost to sort out damp? I've looked at a place with a bit of damp coming through an outside wall (its not rising damp - its a second floor flat).

Any ideas/experience/anecdotes?

Ta