Damp!!!

[PSEnny]

I live in an older property. Large early 1900s maisonette. I’ve lived here almost 8 years and have had persistent trouble with damp and leaking roof.
I’ve spent almost £4000 so far on various fixes. At the back of the property is an old outhouse type building but it is accessed from the house. This is the root of the damp problems. I’ve had two damp proof courses and repointing done. It is still damp and you can see water damage. Builder has now suggested rebuilding the external wall as it is very old and the brick work at the bottom is shot to pieces (crumbling and flaking off). I’m probably looking at around £1500.

Also have an absolutely soaking rafter in the roof. It is drenched. Likely issue further up such as chimney needs repointing or leak that is significant and causing rain to run down that particular rafter. No idea of cost to repair as roofer still needs to look at it.

It just feels never ending, I’ve had to refelt two flat roofs, had guttering replaced, had tiles fixed, paid for rubbish damp work, does it ever end?
Are some houses just doomed to have constant damp and water issues?

Have you had a GOOD roofer to look at the roof? My old roofer said once you start getting damp to look for the obvious problems. Clean your gutters & check your loft.
As for does it ever end? You've just reminded me why I got rid of mine! Granted now I'm living with family so maybe not the greatest solution. I started with damp & got ripped off by a roofer, that, with peri menopause & a massive paycut, I'd just had enough, cut my losses & moved on.
I'd say to check your roof & flashing, unfortunately in my personal experience 90% of roofers are just a wee bit corrupt.
Maybe look at your insurance company? I didn't do that but it's in their interests to use decent companies & not jack the lad.
Possibly use check a trade too.
Good luck. I had enough of mine but my menopause symptoms & lack of support made everything 100 times worse than it really was.

Thank you, I do actually have a reliable roofer who doesn’t rip me off. I think it’s more that the property is so old there is always something! I get the gutters cleaned every year. I live at the coast and damp air, salt, high winds etc are constant.
Someone once said to me that if you live in an old house you just need to accept the constant maintenance. I feel slightly better in that neighbours always have problems too.
The damp at the back of the house has definitely been a waste of money trying to fix, I wish I’d just been told that damp proof courses would fail due the poor condition of the external wall but two companies carried out work regardless. Lesson learned.

It is never ending where I am, not sure what the case is. Dehumidifier, clothes get mouldy, specific old wooden items catch the mould, when the t were recently close to zero , there were droplets forming on the ceiling.

we manage a normal level humidity on some days and less mould after redecorating but there are two external walls which are very damp. Slightly older building also and perhaps built with defects

we too had some water tank leaked water, then fixed it, last year the most bizarre thing: through the hole where the light cable goes in, twice water leaked .....we went in the attic and there was not water anywhere

Can you post some pictures of the damp wall?

Damp problems are often caused by multiple issues and you have to try eliminating different things until you hit the right one.

A house that age should have a slate damp proof course, which last hundreds of years so I wouldn't have thought a failed damp proof course is an issue. Could it have been breached by high ground levels?

In older buildings you should be looking at where water is coming in.

If there is suspicion of issues with your chimney and roof that's where to start.

No damp proof course is ever going to be effective if water is coming in at the top and unfortunately these were likely mis sold to you.