Thank you. The bulk of it is below. It’s an old Granite property converted into apartments. The one we’re buying is ground floor. It has a massive granite inglenook fireplace (capped off) in the lounge which has its own advice about fitting a ventilation vent and cowls. The property has been empty and unheated throughout this very wet winter.
a) Raised moisture levels (50%) were recorded in the living room fireplace feature and
adjacent surfaces including the wall linings either side and the abutting partition wall of the
cylinder cupboard in the hall. This is mainly related to rising dampness in the substantial
wall and fireplace masonry due to lack of damp proof courses. At the present time it is,
however, primarily a cosmetic defect.
b) High moisture readings (50–100%) were recorded in the window sills of the west bedroom,
the reveals and soffits of the living room windows and the left hand reveal of the larger
window in the east bedroom. This is partly attributed to rising dampness but also likely to
be a result of penetrating dampness through the walls and a lack of appropriate damp
proof membranes behind the cills and wall linings in these areas. Externally the mortar
pointing was noted to be weathered and porous which may also aggravate the situation.
Timber components such as the cills show signs of blistering/deterioration. Further
investigation and repairs will therefore be required in the short term.
c) Raised moisture levels (25%) were recorded on the east wall of the west bedroom. This is
potentially caused by moisture escape through damaged grout in the tiled wall of the
adjacent bathroom. It is therefore recommended that the defective grout is renewed in the
first instance (see comments later in this report under the heading ‘sanitaryware’).
d) Raised moisture levels (25–40%) were recorded in a small area of the floor of the east
bedroom near the south west corner and also in the east (party) wall of the same bedroom.
The cause of the moisture could not be readily ascertained though may be connected with
penetrating damp through the retaining south wall and a lack of tanking membranes or
detailing where other structures abut. Further damaging investigations would be required to
ascertain the exact cause and suitable remedies.
e) The granite elevations showed weathered pointing and small voids along with vegetation
growth within the mortar joints. It is to be appreciated that with the solid masonry walls to
the elevations of the building, any defects or cracking will allow weather penetration with
consequential internal interference. We recommend that all mortar joints and any external
cracking is kept in a full and sound state of repair to maintain a weatherproof finish.
f) Minor cracking was observed at the end of the window lintel on the north elevation. This
crack is slight and not currently a cause for concern although it should be repaired to
prevent undue moisture penetration.
g) Slightly elevated moisture readings were detected on the walls generally throughout the
property which we attribute to natural condensation as a result of being unoccupied with a
lack of heating.