Damp problems - unsure of which advice to take
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 6:02 pm
I would appreciate some advice please. I live in an end terrace ground floor tenement flat (granite walls, slate roof). My bedroom and bathroom run along the gable wall and I have always had problems with damp in these rooms. Rotwise attended last year and replaced a half wall damp proof membrane in my bedroom. The damp has however reappeared; Rotwise say that the damp must be from above the membrane and has breached over the top of it. Over Christmas, due to heavy rain, water started coming through and running down my bathroom wall; the plasterboard has now become distorted and will have to be replaced. I have been given two diagnoses for these problems from two different companies, so I am not sure what to do for the best. One company (a builder and roofing firm) advised that I have the entire gable wall pointing picked out and replaced with lime mortar to allow the wall to dry out and breathe. The cost for this is over £7000. The second company advised that repointing the whole gable wall is ‘over the top’ and the problems only stem from damage done to a chimney by a tree growing from it allowing water to enter the flues and my property, and some missing pointing just beneath the guttering at the front of the building. They advise that, inside, both my affected bedroom and bathroom walls should be taken down, fitted with a whole wall membrane, treated for any fungus/mould damage and new plasterboard fitted. This work comes to £5500. This latter company I discovered only attend to inside work, so I am now wondering whether this is the reason for their findings. I’m not sure what to do for the best – do I concentrate on the outside work or tackle the problems inside and just get the two smaller jobs outside done. I cannot afford to tackle both jobs at the combined cost of over £12k. Thank you for any advice and apologies for the long post.