Old terrace house - what is this on the wall?

[Touty]

Hi, I’ve been viewing an old mid terrace house, seen a few things to be investigated; but can someone identify what this is on the walk in the attached picture? TIA x

Looks like damp which has blown the plaster.

Yep.

Right, thanks guys, should I be worried?

Yup definitely damp

if you like the house get a quote for repair and take it into account when making an offer.

It’s hard to tell from one photo. I think you’d be wise to get a full survey and have them do a close inspection of that particular area.

Damp. We have similar caused by a washing machine leaking. Dried out once the leak was fixed.

Damp. 100%

Ok so is it just replastering or more to it than that?

I’ve seen some black marks on the walls around the ceiling and windows too

Damp. Remedy depends on age of house, construction material, wall substrate, floor material, whether there’s a damp proof course (not always a good thing in an older house).

You need a surveyor experienced in older buildings who understands the need for breathability. Whatever you do, don’t ask a damp specialist as they will want to apply a damp remedy which may cause further problems.

If there is no dpc a mortgage company may require one, but that could also worsen the existing problem, so make sure you have advice from an appropriately qualified and experienced surveyor.

You may find the SPAB guidance on damp helpful

https://www.spab.org.uk/sites/default/files/ControlofDampness0.pdf

RICS guidance is quite technical but gives you an indication of what you should be looking for in a surveyor’s knowledge.

www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/standards/Investigation%20of%20moisture_JPS_2022.pdf

Thank you should I get a level 2 or 3 survey for this? House built circa 1900

Ask your surveyor. It depends how serious you are about the property and how many issues there are.

@Silviasilvertoes why is a DPC not always a good thing in an older house, if you don't mind me asking? How could it worsen the problem?

The sources I’ve referenced explain it better (and with diagrams!) but basically if a house wasn’t constructed with one and has a breathable (i.e. vapour permeable) solid floor as this one looks to have - or at least have had historically, covering with a non-breathable material will force any moisture to exit through the next available vapour permeable surface - and if that’s your wall, then it’s likely to increase the amount of damp travelling through the wall with associated problems. That’s a very potted explanation 😂

A house which was not built with one would rely on being able to 'breathe' to remove the humidity - in other words it needs good air flow to stop damp accumulating. A DPC is not a breathable surface, and can remove the house's ability to evacuate moisture through the walls and lead to damp on the inside.

It's always tricky when improving the insulation in older houses - you have to balance reducing heat loss and maintaining air flow. One solution is to use breathable insulations, such as wood fibre or cotton, and breathable plasters like lime. Another solution is often some sort of mechanical ventilation, there are some which recover the heat from the outgoing air to heat up the incoming one. Often you need to do both.

1900 is not that old though - a lot will depend on the building methods.

Technically is would be a damp proof membrane to the floor, the dpc would be to the walls, but a non breathable floor would have the same impact.

I’m guessing here, but that skirting board looks newish, certainly not original. The original may have rotted, or been replaced if that wall has previously been replastered.
Can you post a picture of the outside brickwork? It would not be a surprise if this house already has had an injection DPC.
Are the floors solid? Or they tiled over a wooden/suspended floor?

Unless the price takes this into account.

Where is the wall situated within the house? External or internal? If it is a terrace and a shared wall this could be tricky to sort as the source may not be within your control. Is the house in an area that has ever flooded? However the black marks around the window does indicate a possible ventilation issue. if it’s a kitchen it could be the result of drying washing or boiling water for pasta etc without using a lid on saucepans or an extractor fan . Is the house tenanted currently?

In terms of a survey, the more you spend, the more advice you’ll receive. For a 1900’s house with a visible issue such as this I’d have the best survey possible. You are better off spending money now (even if it is a sunk cost) to avoid an expensive issue. Or see if the vendor is prepared to rectify the issue before the sale?

As everyone mentions it’s damp, how much do you want this house?

I would personally walk away from a house with a damp issue unless it was my dream home.

My mate lives in a Victorian terrace with a cellar and it’s just been a pain due to damp, situated near a river.

The problem is my budget, it’s only those old terraces that I can afford, and they all have damp issues but some worse than others. There is a river in the area.

Hi the wall is internal in an extension which they have a washing machine and tumble dryer. Upstairs in bedrooms are a few black patches, I will try to upload photos.

Hey @OneForTheToad thanks, as you can see I’m looking at a new house, you gave me such great help last time. The wall in picture is in an extension I think, I’ll try to upload more photos.

@Silviasilvertoes thank you so much for the info and documents I am going to read my way through them, much appreciated.