Hastings Forum

I'm looking to buy a terrace flat in St Leonards, and I notice that (like other seaside towns), many flats I have viewed suffer with varying degrees of damp. Does anyone have any good cost effective suggestions on how to remedy damp issues? I know it depends on the type of damp and property, but it seems to be quite a common problem. Should I steer clear of flats with visible damp, or accept it as part of the deal of living in a period property by the sea? Thanks!

I would take a few damp specialists (or a friendly builder) to get an informed opinion first.
It may need 'tanking' (a relatively major operation) to solve the problem permanently or it may only be minor and caused by double-glazing and lack of adequate ventilation.

If it is more substantial and caused by water seeping in through the floor and/or walls it may also be affecting the fabric of the building.

Would the other residents then be partly responsible through the 'service charge' if you decide to go ahead regardless, with a chance to negotiate a lower price on the back of how much you may have been advised it may cost to have it fixed professionally.

Depends on how much you love the property and how serious it really is.

I would try to steer clear of any property with visible, or olfactory signs of damp. Generally, basement and attic flats are the worst affected, so you could perhaps focus on mid-floor flats, but then you might get problems with neighbour noise above and below. Richard mentioned tanking in his reply. It is very effective, but involves hacking-off all plaster back to bare brick, applying three coats of waterproof render and then re-plastering. It's expensive and you can't drive nails into the wall afterwards, or use ordinary screw fixings.

As a 'bottom line' draw the seller's attention to the fact that you are unhappy to proceed unless they agree to reduce the price by the amount you are quoted to fix the problem (plus inconvenience).
They may deny any problem except on account of possible poor air circulation alone.
They may say that it is only minor and would be covered by a 'service charge agreement' but that is not good enough, especially in the case of major problems, as residents can be extremely 'difficult' when it comes to forking out for someone elses issues and it could be difficult and time-consuming to enforce this by taking legal action anyway.

Some damp can be caused by drains leaking, owing to growth of tree roots, or minor subsidence, also a high water table.
Slope drainage can be another causes especially in those Victorian properties built to drain at a different level at the rear which becomes an issue for a variety of reasons.

The house insurance should cover such issues but can take months for the insurer to take measurements and agree to costs of remedial work, cutting roots back and putting cement walls or piles into the ground.

In the current weather conditions, subjecting the ground to seasonal drought and then to wet ground the earth expands and shrinks causing cracking in buildings and damage to drains.
You really need to to take a view on the likely severity of the problem but it happens in many properties and nothing to do with the sea either, unless it washes in !!

Does it look damp around the outside of the property and especially at the rear.
I know what damp means in a kitchen area - slugs crawling around at night, but if that is all and it is only minor damp I may be blowing this out of all proportion.

Good Luck !!

Thanks Richard and Derek for your advice. One of the flats I like has damp midway along the hallway wall that joins the next terrace. I'll take someone knowledgable along to have a look. I do Appreciate your quick responses.