Level 3 RICS survey: rising damp diagnosed, £7,500 to fix?!

[jmo1981]

Hi,

I'm grateful for any advice, thanks for reading. I have just received the results of a level 3 RICS survey for an end terrace built around 1908. The only concern from that is 'evidence of rising damp to the majority of the ground floor walls' detected using 'a proti-meter'. When I viewed it I had no concerns about damp, the building seemed sound to me. No visible damp patches or damaged plaster. No smell of damp.

Since the only evidence the surveyor could offer came from this meter, and I've reason to doubt their accuracy based on the reading around I've done, it seems off to me. I live very close so have been round today as it was raining heavily, to check the guttering and roof. Everything looked fine. The walls even looked very dry. I've come to disbelieve this diagnosis of rising damp detectable from inside the house. However, I did see something that concerned me -- see pic, by far the worst one I took.

The house did have DPC injected around 2008 and I suspect the cement (? sorry if wrong, I'm no expert on this!) below the injection holes was applied at that time. It is now clearly flaking off and vegetation is growing there which is obviously not ideal.

My worry really is the soundness of those bricks under the cement. They look damp and mossy to me. What the surveyor told me feels wrong, and he never mentions this issue in the report.

My tentative conclusion is if something is wrong, it might be this and perhaps the cement can be removed with potentially the bricks replaced? I really want to buy this house but am afraid it's clouding my judgement.

Personally I’d phone the surveyor, with the photos ready to email to him. Dubious external brickwork at ground level + damp readings at floor levels internally suggest an issue to me : but I’m definitely no expert!

Oh the damp meter con...!!....those bricks need the render removing so bricks can breathe and allow damp to escape....look at heritage house website about damp....tells you all the myths and cons of the meters and surveys.

Thanks, I just feel like he's said there's a problem and referred me to "experts", what was I paying for with a level 3 survey!?

Ta, this is what I was suspecting re the meter. Have seen the website you recommend in my 24 hours of research since the survey... Just feel like I'd be a fool to give up on a dream house with a decent mortgage rate (sorted before base rate increase, never mind recent shenanigans) based on a potentially dodgy meter
reading

It is nerve wracking and those bricks do look a little damp, maybe spalled and need replacing. If someone has used concrete instead of lime mortar to point then that may cause damp issues, think it's something to do with breathability.

In my personal experience, my last house had the damp meter go beserk when I had a survey before buying it. This was diagnosed as rising damp. I was there for over two years and there was never any damp issues at all. 🤷🏼‍♀️

How do you fix damp?

I second this. Try the traditional and listed building advice Facebook group. One of the founding admins is a surveyor who I think runs/owns Heritage House and has recently written a book about the subject of damp and the con artists who sell dodgy solutions that make things worse. The cement will be causing the problems and needs to come off.

Thank you, this is what I feel will happen with this house.

Great tip, ta

@Saz12 @PhilInt @Whatevergetsyouthroughthenight @earsup Thanks for your replies, clearly I need to learn how to reply properly in Mumsnet!

Your surveyor is either ignorant or getting a kick back from their damp proofing mates. Either way I wouldn’t pay their invoice based on that.

www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/the-ping-prong-meter-guilty-of-fraud.html

The ground level is probably too high around the rear of the house. Digging it back to original levels, and removing the cement render, won’t cost 7.5k.

I thought RICS surveyors had been trained not to give rising damp as a diagnosis anymore?

Already paid! FTB, I'm on a learning curve... Unfortunately, I wouldn't own the road at the side of the house so that might be an issue. I agree, though, that any fix prob won't cost that much

From my research I thought they'd been advised the hand-held meters aren't fit for that purpose.

Yes I’ve just looked and it’s the FORMER chief of RICS saying rising damp is a myth, my mistake. I still wouldn’t trust it as a diagnosis, more likely it’s something else. Those chemical proof courses do nothing and often just make the issue worse. Same with that cement.

We had damp, we lowered the ground level which had been raised with concrete and was sat against the house, cleared airbricks and repointed in places. 5 years in, no damp.

@PigletJohn knows a bit about damp iirc 🙂

It's the concrete. Remove it. You will always get some water vapour through bricks, it's how ot's supposed to be. The concrete makes it worse as it traps it. Please don't buy a damp proof course, it's almost as criminal as spray foam insulation.

Sounds sensible to do that

Yes I've read their posts with interest!

I reckon this is it, and no I don't intend to be subjecting the house to anything like that.

Following this thread with interest, as I'm currently dealing with my own damp!

@ChilliBandit Was lowering the concrete ground levels a big and expensive job? Pretty sure I need to do the same, but a bit panicky about the costs!

Hi @LisaVanderpump1 - In our case someone in the 60s or 70s had just dumped a load of concrete all round the house way above the original slate damp proof course and airbricks to create a driveway. As a stop gap we first had a channel cut in the concrete to uncover the airbricks and stop the concrete bridging the original slate damp proof course. We added French drains to the trench, still below the air bricks etc which cost about £2,000 I think. This did solve the issue but we obviously had a nice hole to trip down all round the house!

We then later had the concrete all broken up and a driveway and patio laid at the correct ground level which was very expensive I won’t lie. The actual breaking up of the concrete wasn’t bad it was the relaying that cost £££.

@LisaVanderpump1 - I should say the £2,000 was about 5 years ago and was about 40ft of French drain. We also already had a soak away it could be channeled to.

@ChilliBandit may well be right.

The quality of the bricks and workmanship in your pic looks exceptionally high.

A house built in England in 1908 should have had a DPC, most likely in slate but sometimes lead, bitumen or copper. Look at all the other walls to see if you can find it. It may be more visible at a doorway or under a doorstep. Once you have found it, it will almost invariably be at the same height in all the external walls all round the house (hillside builds may be different).

Stand back and take some wider pics of the damp wall, from ground to roof. Pay extra attention to gutters, downpipes, drains, manholes, and watery things such as taps and sinks.

A house that age might have a cellar.

The quality of brickwork makes me think it will have reasonable footings and at least a crawlspace.

Do not allow anybody who sells silicone injections anywhere near it.

P.s.

Looking at the pattern of damp, moss and lime crust in the bricks exposed where the cement plinth has fallen off, I think I can see where the DPC is.

Between the wet green brick, and the dry red one above it.

Did your surveyor have a guide dog?