Hi,

We live in an end of terrace house. Its in the middle of the street,
but on one side there is an alley way between us and the neighbour
(hence end of terrace). The alley way provides access to the back of a
number of properties on our street but there is no other access. It
has a concrete floor that goes all the way to the back to the property.

When I purchased the house the surveyor told me there there seemed like
damp present in the house, but only along the one wall on the alleyway
side. Damp proofing has been done as I can see the plastic round caps
all along entire the bottom of the house. I also have a certificate
from the previous owner stating that fact, with a 25yr warranty

The surveyor said the floor level in the alley way was bridging the
damp proof course (DPC), adding that the floor level should be 2 brick
lines below the damp proof course but in fact it is the same level as
the DPC. He said that this was the reason for the damp. Inside the
house no plaster is loose or coming away on that wall, but since the
DPC and remedial work was done 5yrs years ago, I can only assume the
previous owner did not know about the alleyway floor level (or did not
do the work)

There are air brick into my house along my wall in the alleyway,
however as they are lower than the alleyway floor there are cut outs to
allow air in. They were blocked with rubbish/stones but I have cleared
them now.

The surveyor has offered 2 solutions.

1) lower the floor of the alley way so that it is 2 brick lines below
the DPC. This would be alot of work, covering an area 1m wide x 10m
approx. Or
2) Dig out a channel along my wall in the alleyway (he did not say how
wide but I am guessing 6 inches or so?). Dig it out so that is is 2
brick lines lower that the DPC. Clean it out and then fill it will
gravel.

What I need to know is, is the surveyor correct in identifiying the
cause of the damp, and will his solutions work.

PS I know there is an issue of permission required to do the work in
the alley. It is owned collectivley by the houses it provides access
to. I would need permission from them all before I carry out any work.
I am looking into this

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to get as much info over as
possible

Thanks

Bhupesh

OK, Thanks for the reply.

I can smell damp inn the house (and so could he). Also the walls are
painted plaster (no paper). There is one small corner where it has
gone black. Is this mould. No plaster is crumbling but there is white
patches in a few places. Are these the signs I should be looking for.

Could the smell simply be the blocked air brick (which I have cleared
now).

Thanks

Bhupesh

I can smell damp inn the house (and so could he). Also the walls are
painted plaster (no paper). There is one small corner where it has
gone black. Is this mould. No plaster is crumbling but there is white
patches in a few places. Are these the signs I should be looking for.

Probably.

Could the smell simply be the blocked air brick (which I have cleared
now).

This could be the case. It could also be that the channels to the air bricks
act as drains, so you get a layer of smelly stagnant water under your house.
If this is the case, you should really be looking at either the original
solution of dropping the entire path level (by far the best solution), or
alternatively, preventing water entering the airbricks.

You could, for example, provide a sort of snorkel from the air brick to
above ground level and then fill in the channels, so water drains away by
another method. This solution will only work if the path is very well
drained, as it won't prevent penetrating damp from any standing water on the
path. It could also be combined with the French drain solution that you were
offered to solve the standing water problem. However, this could only work
if the French drain itself led to a soakaway or rainwater drainage system.
Otherwise, the gravel pit will just fill up and solve nothing.

Christian.

bp wrote:
OK, Thanks for the reply.

PLEASE SORT OUT YOUR QUOTING!!!!


I can smell damp inn the house (and so could he). Also the walls are
painted plaster (no paper). There is one small corner where it has
gone black. Is this mould.

Very likely. It is likely to have been caused by condensation, though.


No plaster is crumbling but there is white
patches in a few places. Are these the signs I should be looking for.

That could indicate that there's been damp in the past.. is the plaster
pink?


Could the smell simply be the blocked air brick (which I have cleared
now).

How long ago did you clear the air-bricks?

Hi,

I only cleared the bricks yesterday.


I shouldhave mentioned that I have just recently got the house.

The plaster wall has been painted over in red.The white patches look
powdery more than anything else (i.e. pink).

The message . com
from "bp" contains these words:

What I need to know is, is the surveyor correct in identifiying the
cause of the damp, and will his solutions work.

It sounds very likely. Both solutions would work, as far as I know, but
the gravel solution would have to have somewhere for the water to go to,
otherwise it'll just be gravel swimming in water.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

bp wrote:
Hi,

We live in an end of terrace house. Its in the middle of the street,
but on one side there is an alley way between us and the neighbour
(hence end of terrace). The alley way provides access to the back of a
number of properties on our street but there is no other access. It
has a concrete floor that goes all the way to the back to the property.

When I purchased the house the surveyor told me there there seemed like
damp present in the house, but only along the one wall on the alleyway
side. Damp proofing has been done as I can see the plastic round caps
all along entire the bottom of the house. I also have a certificate
from the previous owner stating that fact, with a 25yr warranty

The surveyor said the floor level in the alley way was bridging the
damp proof course (DPC), adding that the floor level should be 2 brick
lines below the damp proof course but in fact it is the same level as
the DPC. He said that this was the reason for the damp. Inside the
house no plaster is loose or coming away on that wall, but since the
DPC and remedial work was done 5yrs years ago, I can only assume the
previous owner did not know about the alleyway floor level (or did not
do the work)

There are air brick into my house along my wall in the alleyway,
however as they are lower than the alleyway floor there are cut outs to
allow air in. They were blocked with rubbish/stones but I have cleared
them now.

The surveyor has offered 2 solutions.

1) lower the floor of the alley way so that it is 2 brick lines below
the DPC. This would be alot of work, covering an area 1m wide x 10m
approx. Or
2) Dig out a channel along my wall in the alleyway (he did not say how
wide but I am guessing 6 inches or so?). Dig it out so that is is 2
brick lines lower that the DPC. Clean it out and then fill it will
gravel.

What I need to know is, is the surveyor correct in identifiying the
cause of the damp, and will his solutions work.

PS I know there is an issue of permission required to do the work in
the alley. It is owned collectivley by the houses it provides access
to. I would need permission from them all before I carry out any work.
I am looking into this

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to get as much info over as
possible

Thanks

Bhupesh


Substantially I think he is spot on.

And so are his solutions.

Actually ripping up a slab of concrete like that is no big deal, if you
get a skip to put it in, and hire a kanga or similar. And a concrete saw
to rip through it to pull out a channel is no big deal either.

..

Christian McArdle wrote:
What I need to know is, is the surveyor correct in identifiying the
cause of the damp, and will his solutions work.

Both solutions should work. The only issue is whether there is a problem at
all. With good drainage of the path, so there is no standing water, and
protection from the elements due to the nearby house, you may find that
there isn't actually a damp problem.


Not so. Rain splashing on the hard path will and does splash up the
wall..in cases like this.

I got a patch of spalling simply because MY gravel had a bit of slate
left lying on it over the winter.

That part of the wall lost its pain. Nowehre else did.


Personally, I would wait until an actual damp problem presented itself (i.e.
crumbling plaster, mould, peeling paint/wallpaper) until doing expensive
remedial work that might only be theoretically required.

For sure heat and ventilation will do the trick, as will a waterproof
shield a few inches up the wall.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:
I can smell damp inn the house (and so could he). Also the walls are
painted plaster (no paper). There is one small corner where it has
gone black. Is this mould. No plaster is crumbling but there is white
patches in a few places. Are these the signs I should be looking for.

Probably.

Could the smell simply be the blocked air brick (which I have cleared
now).

This could be the case. It could also be that the channels to the air bricks
act as drains, so you get a layer of smelly stagnant water under your house.

Been there, drained that swamp.

Thats why the very best solution is to lower the ground level outside by
ripping up the alleyway

If this is the case, you should really be looking at either the original
solution of dropping the entire path level (by far the best solution), or
alternatively, preventing water entering the airbricks.

Or as in my mates house, installing a sump, a pump, and a float
valve...if it rains you her this chugging and a stream of **** colored
water spouts out of a pipe into a gutter, I keep thinking he should
disguise it with one of those little statues of little boys that teh
Krauts are so addicted to..

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

For sure heat and ventilation will do the trick, as will a waterproof
shield a few inches up the wall.

Hi,

Please can you explains whats involved in putting a water proof shield.


Thanks

OK a bit of an update.

I inspected the walls a bit more closely last night and a fair bit of
the paint is flaking (about 1ft up the wall from the floor). I guess
since it has been decorated recently it is hard to see.

The plaster is pinking a bit in places where it is flaking. Tapping it
sounds loose.

Based on the replies I have a few questions.

If I choose to dig out a channel I need to create a soak away - please
explain what is involved. I guess the channel needs to be at an angle
to drain the water away - do I just need to get the water away from the
house.

If Ilower the floor I will still need to create an incline for the
water - can this be done by laying concrete or should I go for paving
slabs

I a now going to ask some builder for quotes etc.

Thanks for the replies.

Bhupesh