Malicious Attempt to Flood Back Garden and Potential Damage to Foundations Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[ishmeister]

We are currently renovating our house and temporarily not living there. I came on site this morning to find that someone had gained access to the back garden and opened the garden tap to full so that water was gushing out. The tap is on the back wall of the house and it may have been on like this for 8 hours or more.

The walls are solid brick (Victorian terrace) and by the time I arrived were wet externally to about waist height. They are concreted at the base but the concrete is cracked so that the water will have collected against the walls and then run out into the ground via the cracks. The floor inside the house is a solid floor and has a DPM under some concrete.

I'm worried that the large volume of water will have affected the house foundations (I can't imagine how much water this will have been). Although there doesn't appear to be much damage, is this something I should get checked out?

[diggerjones]

It will be fine. The house will have had plenty of rain, snow gales etc over the last 100 odd years without much trouble. I am no expert and haven't seen it, but don't worry and turn the water main off and electric while your not there.

[ishmeister]

It will be fine. The house will have had plenty of rain, snow gales etc over the last 100 odd years without much trouble. I am no expert and haven't seen it, but don't worry and turn the water main off and electric while your not there.

Thanks diggerjones.

I stopped worrying about it for a few days then today I went to open the TV cabinet and got a massive blast of stagnant damp air from inside (a basement smell). The walls are dry lined internally and the only hole in the plasterboard is in the TV cabinet (for the cable conduit). So it appears that the walls are damp internally and the only reason this is not visible is that it is hidden behind the dry lining.

I've asked a contractor to come and quote for digging up the concrete path outside. The problem might be that the original damp proof course is below the level of the concrete so the wall has sucked up the surface water. Maybe putting some coarse stones down (like slate chips) will help the ground dry out too.