Just viewed a 1st floor flat. Downstairs smells damp. . .

[Bumpstart]

Just seen a flat to rent. It was the downstairs tenants who showed me round, and they invited me into their home too. It smelled really damp. Their heating was on, and the upstairs heating was off.

Do you think the upstairs will also suffers from damp and poor ventilation?

Thanks

[tricot39]

Probably will be damp - if you don't ventilate!!!!! There are some genuine causes of damp but mostly people don't open windows.

[Bumpstart]

I guess people get used to the smell and don't realise that they need to ventilate. I lived in the same type of ground floor flat some time ago, and it did suffer from rising damp. The landlady had the damp course renewed and it did help. I think It was not caused by poor ventilation as the windows were terribly draughty, and it didn't smell like this flat.

What I'm wondering is that if it is rising damp, would the upstairs flat be affected?

[gregssausageroll]

For rising damp to hit an upstairs property the downstairs would be riddled with it and you would know without a doubt as it would cause breathing problems, paint work woul all have peeled and the walls would be black and have fungus.

Most likely due to not opening windows.

[Bumpstart]

Ok, thank you! I'm not convinced by it though....

For cheaper rents, where do you look? Gum tree seems full of agents

Really want to avoid an agent if possible.

[bureni]

Bumpstart, rising damp will rise to a max of 1 metre so if there is damp upstairs it will not be rising damp.

[xxxresixxx]

Look in your local paper or try //www.letalife.co.ukco.uk

[Bumpstart]

I think would prefer an upstairs flat this time, as then you don't have the damp problem, you get more light and you don't have someone stomping up and down upstairs.

Am looking for letalife. Have tried the websites of my local paper but it just sends you onto an agency

[PigletJohn]

condensation, damp and mould in UK homes is mostly caused by people draping wet washing around the house or hanging it over radiators.

Water vapour is lighter than air, so in a house condensation in worse in the upstairs rooms and in the loft. If it is modern purpose-built flats then not much will leak up through a concrete floor, but if it is a conversion or has wooden floors, their damp will make your windows steamy

It will be worse if some idiot one has cut holes in the ceiling for lamps to poke through.

[FishfingersAreOK]

PigletJohn, I plan to hang my washing in my utility room (on a shiela' made kind of thing) and/or airing cupboard on wet days. How do I avoid the damp issue - open utility window? What about the airing cupboard? Do not want a tumble drier and cannot guarantee dry days....is there a solution Please?

(Sorry to hijack OP)

[PigletJohn]

zzzz..

if you have an extractor in the bathroom (you should have) turn it on, shut the door and window and leave your washing on an airer or a rollup line over the bath. The extractor will suck the water vapour out without allowing it to drift around your home.

The airing cupboard will send steam round the house.

An open window is not as good because depending on wind direction, it might blow the moisture in, not out.

If the extractor fan is worn out and noisy, buy a new one. A typical extractor runs for 50 hours on 14p of electricity.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Everything will be new...apart from the house . Thank you PigletJohn and sorry if you have done this one before. Bathroom it will be then. might still do Sheila's maid (spelt correctly) but just not tell Piglet about it Ohhhhhh just realised we are having extractor in downstairs loo.....next to/built within Utility....that'll do it....leave loo door open, extractor on, da dahhh..

[PigletJohn]

you are allowed to have an extractor in the Futility Room as well.

[FishfingersAreOK]

No, no, no....5 extractors in one house is enough thank you! And the electricians are earning enough without adding yet more miles of cabling. (DH a geek so the most amount of CAT6 cable ever used according to them). I am already extractor obsessed without having any more. thanks in part to you. Mutter, mutter.

[Bumpstart]

Ok, so their condensation problem will affect the upstairs flat(old and wooden floors)..... Even more reason not to go for it. It really smelt.


I bet though, next flat I look at will not have such friendly neighbours!