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Water ingress and neighbours

6 replies

waterywet · 18/02/2022 19:15

We are semi detached built in an L shape and at some point our neighbours have extended out into the space.

So it's like have an extra extension from our house but not iyswim. I feel that a diagram is probably necessary and will post one!

We have damp in the room the other side of this extension so water is entering the gap between the two houses.

We don't have a damp proof course as v old house. They would do on this modern extension so damp wouldn't effect them. So water comes into the gap, and out into our room.

Builder suggested the water is entering the gap because their lead flashing has failed. This would not be helped by the fact we are concrete rendered but whose responsibility is the lead flashing? Theirs because it's on their extension- or ours because it's causing us the problem?

They also had an attached lean-to against our wall which they have knocked down. This had a gutter across it that took the rainwater from both our extension and their lean-to, to their drain. Now the rainwater from our extension just drops down onto the concrete ground and through cracks in that, into our house (at the back of where their lean-to was). There is nothing on the deeds about sharing drainage but we have old Rightmove photos that show their old lean to and the guttering running along from us and along their lean to.

This concrete ground where their lean to way is also higher than the floor in the room that is getting damp

Where do we stand with telling them to fix the flashing? And what about the rainwater gutter that runs into nothing? Can we insist they install a water butt, for example? Or allow us to link back up to their drain? We will eventually be having works done on our extension so we can do temporary measures now but will need a long term fix too. Just wondering where we stand with them.

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waterywet · 18/02/2022 19:16

Plan

Water ingress and neighbours
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Knittedfairies · 18/02/2022 19:22

I'm struggling to understand even with the diagram; it looks such an odd build. Have you had any conversations with your neighbours about your damp issue?

waterywet · 18/02/2022 20:14

Original house a bit like this theirs is blue, ours is green. Very old buildings. Pink Courtyard is theirs and their extension goes into it (black line in courtyard). Together also had a lean to, to the right hand side of pink courtyard, leaning against our wall. Theirs is listed, ours isn't as it had an extension in the 1950s. Their extension and lean-to probably done around the same time but as hidden in the courtyard, didn't stop it being listed.

We have spoken to them but they have kept quiet about the dismantled lean-to and pretended to have no knowledge of why our gutter ends without a drain. We didn't know about the fact that guttering had once continued along a lean-to and were saying how confused we were that anyone would put a downpipe with no drain but they didn't put us right. Probably because they are listed and should not have dismantled the lean to

Water ingress and neighbours
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thegcatsmother · 18/02/2022 20:49

Threaten to report them about the lean to unless they sort the flashing and the drainage.

Lucked · 18/02/2022 20:52

I would get a quote for the flashing, if it is just the one area it might not be too much and then chat with neighbour. Also get an actual roofer to investigate rather than a builder.

waterywet · 18/02/2022 20:56

Good idea re getting a quote for the flashing

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