Rising Damp

Ive just recieved an verbal building and pest inspection report where i have been told that their is Rising damp. It is an older house (in marrickville). I presume most older homes have this issue? Is this issue something that would stop most investors from buying the home? I was told that if i wanted to do something about it, i should look into getting new drainage which would cost me approx 20k.

Knowing this if i was to put in an offer to this property (has to be unconditional as it is an pre auction offer), would you attach a copy or the building report stating their is rising damp followed by a quote from a plumber setting out the costs of a new drainge then offer x amount (20k) off what the vendors are asking for?

Nika
 
Virtually all old (as in, really old) buildings have it. It can get quite expensive to treat, I don't think many people actually bother unless it is very bad.

I'd only be offering less if its really obvious, like large amounts of paint/plaster are popping off the internal walls. The stuff is really hard to fix once it gets a hold.
 
Paint is poping off the walls, only down the bottom though, would have to paint the house approx every 5 years from what came out of the report. Don't know whats causing the damp though. Will go for a 2nd inspection on the weekend..
 
I wouldn't let it stop me buying.
If the location is good and the numbers stack up and the drainage isn't causing structural issues, then the report provides a good negotiating lever.
You won't find too many older houses that don't have same or similar problems.
 
Thanks Rob, Yes the location is good and numbers do stack up. My thoughts were the same in relation to it being a good negociating lever. My old mans a plumber so in the end it really wont cost me anything!! He He :D Am just worried about what it will do the building in 10/15 years time...
 
The damp in our house is caused by a leak in the roof above one of the internal walls, and a gutter that runs back to the house that has rusted through - this one has also eroded into the stone on the outside. Go around looking for damaged gutters if the damp is external walls and it is very localised.

Otherwise, if it is minor and not really localised, the best you can do is make sure the slope of the ground outside the house runs away from the house and the ground near the house is not permeable. But then if it dries out under the house you get cracks ...

I love old houses :D
 
The damp in our house is caused by a leak in the roof above one of the internal walls, and a gutter that runs back to the house that has rusted through - this one has also eroded into the stone on the outside. Go around looking for damaged gutters if the damp is external walls and it is very localised.

Otherwise, if it is minor and not really localised, the best you can do is make sure the slope of the ground outside the house runs away from the house and the ground near the house is not permeable. But then if it dries out under the house you get cracks ...

I love old houses :D

The property is flat level, the backyard is all concrete with massive cracks in it - Am guessing thats also due to the rising damp that's causing it to uplift...
 
Hah - its probably not level at all (I'll bet anything there are puddles in the low spots when it rains), and it pools on all that cement and oozes into the cracks. And then can't evaporate away.

Nothing insurmountable. Sounds a bit ugly though!
 
Hah - its probably not level at all (I'll bet anything there are puddles in the low spots when it rains), and it pools on all that cement and oozes into the cracks. And then can't evaporate away.

Nothing insurmountable. Sounds a bit ugly though!

Perhaps, Will see after my 2nd inspection on saturday! Thanks for the feedback!
 
The property is flat level, the backyard is all concrete with massive cracks in it - Am guessing thats also due to the rising damp that's causing it to uplift...

By the sounds of this, if it's clay soil it may well be cured by agi drains outside the house which would allow things to dry out by lowering the water table, as long as you have somewhere downhill to run them to.:)
 
Thanks Rob, Yes the location is good and numbers do stack up. My thoughts were the same in relation to it being a good negociating lever. My old mans a plumber so in the end it really wont cost me anything!! He He :D Am just worried about what it will do the building in 10/15 years time...
Maybe take your father to have a look with you, if he is a plumber then he can have a look from that side ,that way you have some numbers to throw back at the agent in $$$$ terms, Rising damp is not a big problem
as long as it's not into the frame,and the white ants move in ..willair..
 
most older places in marrickville arent bv, they are double brick, and its quite poss that a new dampcourse will need to be installed........usually not cheap

ta
rolf
 
Or check out info and treatments like this one - one of many companies set up specifically to attend to damp issues.

http://www.antidamp.com.au/frame_rd.html

I'd get it checked carefully by your building inspector as damage can vary widely - you really do need to be aware of what you're up for and also consider possible tenancy issues (eg asthma, health issues caused by mould etc) too. Best of luck
 
Had a look at a house of a very similar age and construction to ours today - the entire house was full of dado panels. If that isn't an indication of rising damp, nothing is (we installed one here too for the same reason). But virtually all of the 120 year old houses around here have it, so I generally ignore it unless it is spectacularly bad. Old houses just have no dampcoursing whatsoever.
 
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