Damp proofing lounge?

[WillowTree4]

4 walls need damp proofing due to rising damp.
Skirting boards will obviously be removed and 2 radiators .
I've be quoted around £3.000, the damp proofing will be done by removing plaster and injecting into the internal walls.
Am I wrong to be a little shocked regarding the quote?

When we moved in the house had wall mounted electric heating which the previous owners never switched on. Prior to that the house had been closed for 2 years so no ventilation. When we moved in we installed central heating and then the problems began. The walls had so much moisture and heat source drew that out so behind the radiator and round the pipes were beginning to get black. Years ago the houses were rendered which probably started the problems as brick work couldn't breathe anymore.

I am a surveyor. You are wasting your money.

We used Dryrods and also increased ventilation a year or two ago and the situation is much better. We have a tanked converted cellar which is regularly used as a living/sleeping area and it is the walls above this that were getting some damp. We make sure we regularly air the cellar now as well

@BennyTheBall What is the best method to deal with damp?

Watching with interest. In very similar situation. Previous owner laid down a concrete floor. We've got damp tide marks appearing on all internal walls. So far I've spent 10k on external lime rendering and internal breathable plasters on 2 walls that still seem damp. I've realised house is sitting on alluvial clay deposit and don't know what to do. Was thinking about getting walls tanked. We can't ventilate effectively we're very close to the sea and it's usually realised humid outside. Nightmare.

I have contacted RICS and hopefully they'll send someone out.
On the wall near the radiator, not near the pipes, the plaster has blown.
Possibly damp coming from the outside.

We are also coastal

@BennyTheBall I hope to have a surveyor out this coming week, it'll be interesting to hear what he has to say...

I have noticed mould in certain corners on the walls and some on the ceiling in my home. I can also sort of smell a watery smell from the downstairs loo....Can someone advise how I would go about getting a survey done by someone independent? I don't have a clue about any of this and would like to get rid of it...

@rolos I have contacted RICS and hopefully they'll send someone out.

@rolos from that description it just sounds like condensation

Is it black marks?

@DelectableDetriment - have you removed the concrete floors and reinstated vented floorboards?

No point spending £10k on external measures if the main defect of the building is a concrete floor and blocked vents installed by previous owners

@OliviaBenson yes I have but unsure how to upload on here.
I have an independent surveyor coming out thia week

@Bw3344 pm sent

Hello Nemophilist,

No I'm thinking that's my next step. There was damp on the internal sides of the external walls and cracks to outside render, so I though getting them done would help. As did all the plasterers who'd 'seen it all before' and told me not to bother getting it surveyed as they'd got a sure fix. I had read a lot of the damp stuff people are referring to here. It's not just a concrete floor it's stone tiled, arghhhh. Thought of getting it up I could just cry at cost and disruption (single mum working full time).

Sorry Willow for crashing your thread. If you're also coastal I share your pain. Every time there's a dry day here I open all the windows, there's just not that many days where the humidity is low.

@DelectableDetriment

I have concrete floor in the kitchen that we can’t afford to remove.
I had quotes for around £1500 which isn’t a huge amount in the grand scheme of things but instead we just cope with the slight dampness in that area. Heating it and ventilating it has helped a little bit too.

@DelectableDetriment

Out of curiosity, is your tiled concrete floor so thick that it has blocked off the vents in your brick walls? There isn’t often a reason for raising floor height that significantly, so look around and see if there are vents which have been blocked off accidentally / deliberately (under windows near ground level).

I would not consider floor removal until you’ve done the following:

1. use trickle vents in windows if available
2. use extractor fans in bathroom and kitchen and leave on until steam is gone (which may be a good hour or two after a shower) - ideally these extractors are clean and vent to the exterior, not the cheaper option which is to vent back into the kitchen after filtering through grease absorbers
3. do not hang wet laundry on radiators
4. open windows in the kitchen when cooking produces steam ++
5. invest in a good dehumidifier- it can remove litres of water overnight from a house with all the windows shut if there is enough condensation indoors from washing / cooking / breathing.