Land prices in London are the highest in the UK and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon; indeed, your home might just be the biggest single investment you ever make, and it makes sense to be proactive with building maintenance. Thanks to a wet climate, damp is a very real threat to London homes, especially if it goes unnoticed for any length of time.
Rising Damp
Wet ground causes damp to climb up exterior walls; every building should have a damp proof course, a thick membrane laid between courses of brocks at ground level. Depending on the age of the house, it would either have a bitumen strip or a heavy-duty plastic membrane, with the latter found in post-1970 structures and the former in older homes.
What Does Serious Damp Damage Look Like?
If heavy moisture penetrates the walls, you can expect to have to remove large areas of wall plaster, the substrate has to be treated, then water-resistant plaster applied. If damp has reached the roof timbers, joists and rafters may have to be replaced, which is a major project, while rotting timber window frames would mean installing double glazed windows, once the damp issue has been resolved.
Exterior Surfaces
The walls of your house have to endure a varied climate, frost, driving rain and gale force winds, all can lead to penetrating damp. It isn’t unusual for a property to need re-rendering, which is never going to be cheap. Repointing brickwork is another possibility; inferior mortar breaks down and this needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. A stitch in time saves nine, certainly hits home when it comes to damp; an unoccupied property could end up with a repair bill in the 1000s; should you notice any signs of damp or mould, contact London Damp Surveys and get an accurate assessment of damp from a certified damp surveyor.
Selling a property in London
It is a buyer’s market, or so the saying goes and selling your home is a lot easier if you have a damp-free survey to show. Many property owners decide to have the house assessed for damp before putting it on the market and that could be the difference between a sale and a pass. Some potential buyers commission a damp survey and when the results come through, they ask for a significant price drop, citing expensive damp repairs. If they produce the survey and a quote for remedial work, the seller would have no choice but to agree to deducting this from the asking price.
Whether you are planning to buy or sell in the near future, arranging for London Damp Surveys to inspect the property is a recommended action, get a definitive assessment of damp in your property.
