General Chat

[PompeyVillan]

Anyone got experience of any companies that would do a reliable damp survey?

My previous posts in here about the bricks on my house have made me think I may have a rising damp problem.

I don't think it's serious, but it's probably enough to make me want to get it sorted out. Found some more crumbly brick next to my front door so think I should sort it.

What I'm worried about is someone doing a "survey" and deciding that I need to have some massive job done and ripping me off. From what I've read, a lot of damp work isn't too expensive and not massive jobs.

Anyone got any experience or advice?

There is some pretty compelling evidence that rising damp doesn't exist, and that the damage is caused by salts. Indeed in some European countries they don't build a damp proof course.

I would speak to an experienced and trustworthy builder rather than a damp proof course company. There are horror stories out there of these companies making 'damp' issues worse.

[Stevo985]

Just now, PompeyVillan said:

There is some pretty compelling evidence that rising damp doesn't exist, and that the damage is caused by salts. Indeed in some European countries they don't build a damp proof course.

I would speak to an experienced and trustworthy builder rather than a damp proof course company. There are horror stories out there of these companies making 'damp' issues worse.

Well I was going to get a decent builder (again recommendations welcome) to come and have a look anyway because I'd like someone to repair the damage there already, so I could just ask him I suppose.

I've read the stuff about rising damp not existing. But I must have some sort of damp problem as there is some minor paintwork damage inside as well. Again nothing to suggest there's a major problem, but enough to make me think there is definitely some damp getting in there somewhere.

[chrisp65]

Where is the damp? Is it rising from the floor at ground floor level? Or is it a random patch half way up a wall somewhere?

What you might want to consider, is buying a builders' / DIY endoscope! No, really. You can get them for about £40, drill a hole in your wall and have a look inside with an endoscope or borescope to see if there's an obvious problem in the cavity. A pile of shite somewhere, a dead rat, or a fallen nest. Something creating a bridge from the wet outer wall to the dry inner wall. You never know.

[Stevo985]

It's at the bottom of the front wall of the house. A bit around the front bay window (the pictures I put up before plus a bit of paint peeling/bubbling inside, although again not a huge amount and the paint has been there for 4 years or so), and a bit around the front door.

The front door is where I've found some crumbly bricks and again a small amount of paint peeling inside.

[Genie]

2 hours ago, PompeyVillan said:

Call them and cancel and they are likely to offer you 40%-60% discount, according to money saving expert. Towards the higher end if you actually cancel and they contact you afterwards.

The large majority of people will accept the rise, so those that don't can get some tasty discounts.

I'm going to give it a go, but I shafted myself a while back by accepting a large discount on fiber and locking myself in for an 18 month contract. All the competitors best deals involve switching TV and broadband, so I can't play the "BT are offering this..." line.

I call sky without fail every year. You don't even need to call now, you can do it on their live chat.

Go into 'mysky', there are some links on the left.

[Genie]

11 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

It's at the bottom of the front wall of the house. A bit around the front bay window (the pictures I put up before plus a bit of paint peeling/bubbling inside, although again not a huge amount and the paint has been there for 4 years or so), and a bit around the front door.

The front door is where I've found some crumbly bricks and again a small amount of paint peeling inside.

Is all of your guttering intact? (ooo er)

I had a bit of paint damage on the inside wall of my conservatory, I squeezed up the side of the conservatory and noticed the guttering had come apart and was trickling water down the external wall. I fixed the guttering, repainted the wall and all is well after 3 years.

Also, if you had a major problem with thousands of pounds of work could you claim in insurance?

[Demitri_C]

2 hours ago, Genie said:

Do what I did, sky for basic tv and sky+. BT for broadband and phone. You should be able to add BT sport to your sky package for £3. Make sure you go via quidco for the cashback. 

 

Balls i am in a contract until July FFS

[Stevo985]

9 minutes ago, Genie said:

Is all of your guttering intact? (ooo er)

I had a bit of paint damage on the inside wall of my conservatory, I squeezed up the side of the conservatory and noticed the guttering had come apart and was trickling water down the external wall. I fixed the guttering, repainted the wall and all is well after 3 years.

Also, if you had a major problem with thousands of pounds of work could you claim in insurance?

Could be guttering. I did have an issue with it last year. Was told it would need replacing soon but was hoping I'd get away without doing it.

Would that affect the bottom of the walls then?

 

(you can tell I'm a DIY noob)

[chrisp65]

If you remember, somebody, maybe Genie? Suggested that air brick was going to give you problems.

If it is a relatively new relatively minor problem, it could be that the air brick being at ground level is letting crap and dirt blow in to your cavity that couldn't when the air brick was higher up.

You've then got an external ground level allowing rainwater to get in that airbrick.

So it could (possibly) be coming back to that pavers job again. Grit gets blown in, piles up making a bridge across your inner dpc (if you even have one). Then it rains and soaks up water. The warm dry inner bricks then suck it up. In theory, if that's what's happened then you could take a brick or that air brick out and give a stick a good waggle around in that cavity to knock the pile of dirt back down below the dpc.

Taking that first band of brick pavers back out could solve a few of your problems. Maybe.

 

[Genie]

10 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Could be guttering. I did have an issue with it last year. Was told it would need replacing soon but was hoping I'd get away without doing it.

Would that affect the bottom of the walls then?

 

(you can tell I'm a DIY noob)

I'm no expert, I only saw the problem with mine at the bottom of the wall but the water was running the full height. Maybe it runs inside and settles at the bottom?

Now is a good time to get it fixed as we head into the summer and the brickwork will get a good chance to dry out.

[Stevo985]

I doubt the problem is the drive (although not saying that's not adding to it).

It's brand new. I've only had the drive for 5 months and definitely the spalling and internal paintwork was noticeable before the drive was there.

 

Think I'm just going to get a decent builder in and get him to look at it.

[AVFC_Hitz]

There is some pretty compelling evidence that rising damp doesn't exist,

What the **** was he doing all those years then?

[AVFC_Hitz]

.

[Rugeley Villa]

44 minutes ago, AVFC_Hitz said:

 

 

 

 

Quote

What the **** was he doing all those years then?

probably my favourite of all time sitcom.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Rugeley Villa

[Xann]

ITV's only classic sitcom.

[mjmooney]

I should just ask my bank this, but VT knows everything, so... 

If you have a 4 year cash ISA, you can't take your money out without penalty until the 4 years are up. OK. 

But say you put in a thousand quid each year. When you get to the end of the 4 years, can you take out ALL of the four grand, or only the first thousand, as that's the only bit that's been there for 4 years? 

[blandy]

24 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

I should just ask my bank this, but VT knows everything, so... 

If you have a 4 year cash ISA, you can't take your money out without penalty until the 4 years are up. OK. 

But say you put in a thousand quid each year. When you get to the end of the 4 years, can you take out ALL of the four grand, or only the first thousand, as that's the only bit that's been there for 4 years? 

All of it (subject to there not being some weird condition attached). However, often a fixed term account won't let you add more in each year. You have to open another one the next year.

One thing that was the case a while ago, was that there would be an interest penalty of (say) 120 days interest if you took your money out early on a fixed term ISA< but because the rates were better than the variable term ISAs, it was still a better deal, even with early closure. I opened 2 of them because of that. The rates are still better, and I have managed not to take any money out yet.

[PompeyVillan]

ISAs have become somewhat redundant since the personal savings allowance. The best rates at the moment are in current accounts.

[mjmooney]

7 minutes ago, blandy said:

All of it (subject to there not being some weird condition attached). However, often a fixed term account won't let you add more in each year. You have to open another one the next year.

Nope. I can (and do) top it up every year. 

As for 'with interest' current accounts, you only get the higher rates if you pay in a large-ish amount each month. My pension is not enough. 

Oh how I now yearn for the 15% interest rates of the mid 80s (when of course I was paying it on my mortgage).

[blandy]

1 minute ago, mjmooney said:

how I now yearn for the 15% interest rates of the mid 80s

Bloody Thatcherite!