lofty Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 I own a rental property and one room has a damp corner at floor level. Do we have any contacts who can look at this and treat/ remedy this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble banker Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Ventilation! The most likely cause of the damp is your tenants not opening the holes they have in the glass for fear of loosing precious heat they have "paid for". All my rentals have trickle vents on the windows to stop the ventilation issue. I am a heating engineer but am happy to come and have a mooch if you would like some advice. Graham. 07795643140 lofty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Thomas Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Lofty have you diagnosed the source of the damp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty Posted April 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Its in the bottom corner of the corner of the building. Flat roof extension. Rendered wall. Haven't had a look at the dpc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Probably not condensation as that normally starts in the coldest room at the top or in rooms with high humidity ie bathroom/kitchens. Condensation is caused by warm air carrying moisture, warm air rises and is attracted to colder surfaces, when the two meet condensation appears. Rarely is low level dampness condensation or rising damp more likely to be debris in the cavity bridging the cavity or air bricks not ducted through to under the floor so venting the cavity. Mal was in before me, he's your best bet by far lofty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Thomas Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 What are the ground levels like outside? Are there any blocked downpipes outside or overflowing gutters? Does the shape of the damp look like a pyramid on the inside? Does the skirting look affected by the Damp? Do you know the time line when it started ? There are many more questions to form a diagnosis, Martin is right about the potential cavity issues. Iam doing a survey this week so may be able to have a look if its local. lofty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty Posted April 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 07740456081 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 When you said floor level, is it ground floor level or 1st floor level? Rising or penetrating damp if ground floor, if 1st floor can't be rising damp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty Posted April 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Single room extension.Ground floor. 2 bricks up. Dpc. Then five brick . Then render. Then flat roof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 What's on the outside? If there are vegetation or soil these might have bridged the dampproof. try clearing them away from the wall. If it's just soil, dig down 2 course of bricks and fill with large gravels to aid drainage. Some tenents are just plain stupid. I have one woman who rent my 1st floor flat in a block, been in there since last spring, before x'mas she complained of damp in her bedroom, when I went to have a look, yes the windows and corner below the window is crawling with mould. She insisted there are damp, I tried to explain to her it ain't rising damp (if it was ground floor flat would be swimming in it), not penetrative damp (outside wall dry as bone and no evidence of leaky gutter). I explained to her it is basicly condensation because she doesn't open the windows and her bedroom has the largest outside wall which means it's coldest part of the flat, moist air condensed on cold walls, it hasn't help she dries her clothes on a rack inside the flat. I'd bought her a dehumidifier just to preserve the peace, but told her in no uncertainty terms she mustn't dry clothes indoor. Went back last month to check, guess what she still dries clothes on the rack indoor. Bramble banker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty Posted April 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 The exterior of the extension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble banker Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 As the photos show you can clearly see the dpm a decent two courses above ground level. The marking you can see on the white wall, is this consistent with the damp inside? A silly question or two; -You say it's an extension onto the old building, is it definitely a double skin of brick work with a cavity? -has this been a problem in the past or something new with this tenant? G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty Posted April 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I'm pretty sure its double skin and it has been damp for a while I beleive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 On the photos, where the wooden trelis(?) is fixed to the wall, there's look like staining, could that been from the over spilling of the gutter above? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Run the hoze down the drain that is taking the rain water that is on that Corner ..... Check this is flowing !!!! Otherwise there's your answer ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Run the hoze down the drain that is taking the rain water that is on that Corner ..... Check this is flowing !!!! Otherwise there's your answer ..... For at least 2 mins if it is flowing ....... Paul D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty Posted April 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Here's the front side. Pointing and the crack can't help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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