What does 'Rising Damp' mean?
Rising Damp
This is a cause for concern on a modern property (less then 50 years old) as the technology existed to avoid this when they were built. However it is common in period houses and in ground or lower ground flats in period conversions.
The surveyor may bring it to your attention but it is actually not always a good idea to treat it.
See What a Property Survey Really Means for what to do if rising damp is found in the property you are thinking of buying.
Search Results for 'damp' in How to Really Buy a Property
"... surveyors should never estimate the cost of works;
When rising damp, penetrating damp, subsidence, cracking, sagging roofs, bulging walls and all the other frightening things in a surveyor's report might be serious, and when they are not;
Why asking the vendor to carry out work is not..."
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Chapter 8:
Buying to Let / For an Investment
"... a house where the mortgage payments will be £1,000 but the rental will be £1,700 and assume it will be tenanted for 11 months out of 12 every year. The profit is £8,400 per year. Now in year three the roof needs to be replaced at a cost of £25,000. This has instantly wiped out all the profit since the purchase. Period properties also need periodic work on the bricks, windows and possibly the damp proofing so it is extremely easy to start loosing money instead of making..."
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Chapter 17:
The Property Buying Process in Theory
"... homebuyers survey is the usual choice for those buying a flat. It looks at any defects on the property such as the windows, flooring, plumbing, damp and, if there is access, the roof. A structural survey is usually chosen by those purchasing a house as it includes everything in the homebuyers report as well as an inspection of the..."
"... chaff you may decide you want to have further inspections. The most common are:
damp - a damp proofing company to see if the damp found by the surveyor is significant enough to warrant tampering with the walls.
Electrics - an electrician to see if there is anything unusual or "unsafe" in the..."
"... still want to have the same piece of mind.
Guarantees - these are the actual guarantees that have been specified in the Seller's Questionnaire. Common items that may be covered by guarantees are the roof, damp proofing, structural work, etc.
Planning Consents - these are only required if..."
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Chapter 18:
The Balance of Power
"... survey did not reveal any great surprises but he did believe he might be able to save a little more by renegotiating on some points regarding damp and timber. The time spent going backwards and forwards gave the vendor plenty of time to think and they concluded that actually they were underselling their own property for no good reason. Furthermore they believed the buyer was now being unreasonable in his demands and so they withdrew from the..."
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Chapter 20:
What a Property Survey Really Means
"... surveyors should never estimate the cost of potential works;
Why retentions don't suggest the cost of repairs;
The difference between rising damp and penetrating damp;
How to check more than a structural survey covers and pay less;
Why a sagging roof may not be a real issue;
How to..."
"... is crucial as if the surveyor does not agree with your offer price the bank won't lend. It is also the most valuable type of survey and probably all you need for almost any purchase. Most people are not aware that the valuation survey will also report on anything crucial that should be investigated. If they believe there is a serious problem with, for example, damp they will hold back all or part of the mortgage until it is investigated (see below). It is much easier to read a two page report that is very specific about major issues that will affect value than a fifty page report telling you that the aerial may need re-fixing and one of the windows in the back bedroom needs to be repainted in the next twelve..."
"... the surveyor, carrying out any of the above surveys, believes the property is worth the price you have agreed to pay for it all is fine. If, however, he sees a major problem such as damp around the windows he will suggest that the bank holds back a certain amount on the mortgage until it has been satisfactorily..."
"... to pick up on something. The choice below is almost a check list of where the surveyor will choose one or two items for further investigation:
damp
The Roof
The Electrics
The Plumbing
The Structure
Remember a good surveyor will simply say "there is damp which requires further..."
"... a good surveyor will simply say "there is damp which requires further investigation". A bad surveyor will say "there is probably around £5,000 worth of damp that needs to be repaired". The latter is a ridiculous statement. Does this surveyor own a damp company? In other words remember..."
"... is a ridiculous statement. Does this surveyor own a damp company? In other words remember this
The surveyor is not a damp proof specialist and will not carry out the work so should not quote.
The surveyor is not a roofer and will not be carrying out the work so should not quote.
The..."
"... so should not quote.
The surveyor is not a structural engineer and will not be carrying out the work so should not quote.
True Story - damp at Packington Street
Sarah and Nicki had successfully offered on a two bedroom lower ground floor garden flat just off Islington Green in London...."
"... and Nicki had successfully offered on a two bedroom lower ground floor garden flat just off Islington Green in London. They had seen no end of properties and although this one was above their original budget they stretched to afford it. They then cut costs by going with a lender that had the lowest fees. The surveyor that looked at the property was a self employed individual who agreed that the property was worth £240,000 (their offer) but said £5,000 should be held back as a retention because of damp in the..."
"... back as a retention because of damp in the property.
A damp proof company was instructed to give a quote on how much work they believed was in the flat. They found £346 plus VAT! The surveyor had evidently picked a figure out of the air.
Sarah and Nicki doubted the difference in the two..."
"... and Nicki doubted the difference in the two figures and instructed a second damp proof company who quoted £379 plus VAT. The vendor felt that the buyers were obviously desperate to reduce the price and if it wasn't this they would find something else in the legal paperwork so, having lost confidence in them, withdrew the..."
"... the surveyor is simply someone who is trained to see tell tale signs that then require you to get a further specialist in. If you want to be thorough and save time then get a valuation survey and at the same time pay for a roofer, plumber, electrician and damp specialist to inspect the property (for freehold properties pay a structural engineer as well). You will short-cut the long survey report and you will know the absolute worst case scenario as each specialist going in will be hunting for work. Then you can take a proper quantified..."
"... if someone else will do it cheaper.
Here is how it works in reality:
Mr X offers and gets a survey carried out
Mr X is very worried about damp and so gets damp specialist in
Damp specialist says £3,000 of work required
Mr X tries to negotiate price, the vendor says , "The damp has never..."
"... in reality:
Mr X offers and gets a survey carried out
Mr X is very worried about damp and so gets damp specialist in
damp specialist says £3,000 of work required
Mr X tries to negotiate price, the vendor says , "The damp has never been a problem to me, when I moved in I took a view on..."
"... damp and so gets damp specialist in
Damp specialist says £3,000 of work required
Mr X tries to negotiate price, the vendor says , "The damp has never been a problem to me, when I moved in I took a view on it"
Mr X eventually successfully gets £1,000 off price and goes through with..."
"... £1,000 off price and goes through with deal
Three years later Mr X sells his property
Mr X gets an offer which he accepts
Mr Xs buyer has a survey which shows up damp
Mr Xs buyer gets a damp specialist in who says £3,000 of work is required
Mr Xs buyer tries to negotiate the price, but Mr..."
"... Mr X sells his property
Mr X gets an offer which he accepts
Mr Xs buyer has a survey which shows up damp
Mr Xs buyer gets a damp specialist in who says £3,000 of work is required
Mr Xs buyer tries to negotiate the price, but Mr X is furious
Mr X tells his agent, "The damp has never been..."
"... says £3,000 of work is required
Mr Xs buyer tries to negotiate the price, but Mr X is furious
Mr X tells his agent, "The damp has never been a problem to me, when I moved in I took a view on it"
Mr X eventually agrees to take £1,000 off as a token of good will to the buyer
In this..."
"... For this reason a specialist could visit the same property three of four times over a ten year period and never see a penny of work from it.
- damp -
There are two types of damp:
Rising Damp - damp coming up from the ground
Penetrating Damp - damp coming through the wall
Types of Damp..."
"... could visit the same property three of four times over a ten year period and never see a penny of work from it.
- Damp -
There are two types of damp:
Rising Damp - damp coming up from the ground
Penetrating Damp - damp coming through the wall
Types of Damp - Rising and..."
"... of four times over a ten year period and never see a penny of work from it.
- Damp -
There are two types of damp:
Rising damp - damp coming up from the ground
Penetrating Damp - damp coming through the wall
Types of Damp - Rising and Penetrating
Rising..."
"... see a penny of work from it.
- Damp -
There are two types of damp:
Rising Damp - damp coming up from the ground
Penetrating damp - damp coming through the wall
Types of Damp - Rising and Penetrating
Rising dampDamp coming through at ground level. There..."
"... are two types of damp:
Rising Damp - damp coming up from the ground
Penetrating Damp - damp coming through the wall
Types of damp - Rising and Penetrating
Rising dampDamp coming through at ground level. There are modern treatments available to resolve..."
"... coming through the wall
Types of Damp - Rising and Penetrating
Rising dampdamp coming through at ground level. There are modern treatments available to resolve this
Penetrating DampThis may come directly through the wall where the wall is below ground level..."
"... level. There are modern treatments available to resolve this
Penetrating dampThis may come directly through the wall where the wall is below ground level or it could occur on upper floors from faults such as cracked window sills
Expect rising damp on all period properties (Victorian,..."
"... rising damp on all period properties (Victorian, Georgian, Edwardian, etc.) where you are buying a property that is or includes the basement, lower ground or ground floors. These buildings were never constructed with damp proof courses, they didn't exist at the time. The question is, how much damp?..."
"... normal sequence of events is that the surveyor says there is damp and, if there is no current guarantee for damp proof work, a damp proof company goes in to quote for how much damp there actually is. Most damp proof companies will try to find any damp because they are looking for work. On the surface this all seems to be fairly sensible but actually it could cause you a whole load of..."
"... there is damp try and ascertain what level there is. damp proofers measure the level of damp and unofficially anything less than a reading of 20 is not important. Anything over 35 is serious and anything over 50 should be visibly obvious. From a layman's point of view you should consider if the work is actually necessary, which you can do by asking a couple of questions to..."
"... necessary, which you can do by asking a couple of questions to yourself.
If there has never been a damp proof course, the property has not recently been decorated and there are no visible signs of damp why mess with it?
In other words there is probably a natural balance in the property and..."
"... other words there is probably a natural balance in the property and if there is no damage being caused it means the damp is simply evaporating into the air. To put a damp proof coursing in could upset this natural balance. damp proof courses are normally a metre to a metre and a half high. With the damp unable to come through and evaporate it could rise further to the top of the damp proof coursing and result in a very concentrated visible damp issue just above the coursing. This would mean, in the long term, even more work and cost for..."
"... visible damp issue just above the coursing. This would mean, in the long term, even more work and cost for you.
- If there is damp could there be another cause? -
If the damp proof company is simply looking for work and the surveyor is trying to cover themselves they may both get a..."
"... the damp proof company is simply looking for work and the surveyor is trying to cover themselves they may both get a damp reading but is it actually penetrating or rising damp? Classic cases of this are damp identified in bathrooms and kitchen areas. The use of showers, baths, frequent cooking (especially boiling) and washing up all cause damp in the air. This is exacerbated in winter months by a lack of ventilation. If the damp is identified in these areas again consider if you saw any visible signs yourself. If not, leave..."
"... If not, leave it.
With these two questions out the way damp can be a thorny issue. Before trying to renegotiate the agreed price on something that the vendor has lived with for years, and has had no issues with, read and consider the chapter The Balance of Power.
- The Roof -
A..."
"... Story - Dangerous Electrics at Lofting RoadAndrea and John were a perfectly nice couple who had fallen in love with a town house near Highbury. They understood that structural surveys were not that useful and so went directly to instructing a plumber, electrician, roofer and damp proof company to give the house a once over...."
"... only expected to last 20 years
all timber windows should be repainted and repaired every five years
damp proof courses rarely really last the twenty or thirty years they are guaranteed for.
This means that even when the survey says for example, that the windows will need attention in the..."
"... it can be too time consuming to check some of the most common work. Let's take an example of penetrating damp found underneath a window which is coming from a crack between the outside brickwork and the window frame. The work to fill in the crack might cost £200 so you would feel confident in asking the vendor to put it right. But he hires a cheap builder who uses low quality materials and provides a receipt confirming the work is done. It may have been done to such a standard that you will have to undo and redo the work yourself at some stage in the near..."
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Chapter 22:
Why Vendors are Poorly Prepared
"... fixtures and fittings list
Any planning consents (if applicable)
Any building regulation certificates (if applicable)
Any guarantees (damp, roof, etc.)
The building insurance details
The local search (If the HIP is still valid)
If the property is leasehold
The last three..."
"... helpful.
By making the approach direct you will be able to find out if the company in question is still in business. If not you can immediately organise quotes to ensure something you relied on in your offer, say the damp proofing, is not going to become an unaffordable expense.
- Service..."
Search Results for 'damp' in Property FAQ
Search Results for 'damp' in Property Terminology