H
homebuyer
Hi everyone - I am looking for some advice as a first time buyer.
I am currently mid-way through purchasing a bungalow built 1965. When i viewed the property I knew there was some damp in the bedroom and slight mould growth on the wall and the agent advised this was from condensation as the house had been empty 10 months. On receiving my survey, it was suggested that the damp was caused by ground levels under the house so I went for another visit yesterday.
When I lifted the carpet in one bedroom (which is something surveyor would not do) and it was damp and I could see that the microbore pipes running under the carpet were bright green and completely corroded. The radiator itself also shows signs of rust on the paintwork.
I am now uncertain if the damp/mould is in fact being caused by leaking pipes or, and is not a rising or penetrating damp problem. On the other hand, could structural damp have corroded the pipes? Is it usual for microbore pipes to corrode in this manner? So many questions!
I do not think the GCH is in working order since the boiler looks ancient and there are storage heaters installed in the house. If this is the case, wouldn't the system have been drained in which case the carpet would not still be damp? The agent has tried to mislead me into thinking the GCH is fine but on the sellers questions the vendor has indicated that it is "not known" if it is working and does not know the last time the boiler was serviced. If the pipes are corroded - the system is clearly not working - even I can see that!
Can anyone offer some insight into what might be happening here - I am totally confused!
Many thanks in advance
I am currently mid-way through purchasing a bungalow built 1965. When i viewed the property I knew there was some damp in the bedroom and slight mould growth on the wall and the agent advised this was from condensation as the house had been empty 10 months. On receiving my survey, it was suggested that the damp was caused by ground levels under the house so I went for another visit yesterday.
When I lifted the carpet in one bedroom (which is something surveyor would not do) and it was damp and I could see that the microbore pipes running under the carpet were bright green and completely corroded. The radiator itself also shows signs of rust on the paintwork.
I am now uncertain if the damp/mould is in fact being caused by leaking pipes or, and is not a rising or penetrating damp problem. On the other hand, could structural damp have corroded the pipes? Is it usual for microbore pipes to corrode in this manner? So many questions!
I do not think the GCH is in working order since the boiler looks ancient and there are storage heaters installed in the house. If this is the case, wouldn't the system have been drained in which case the carpet would not still be damp? The agent has tried to mislead me into thinking the GCH is fine but on the sellers questions the vendor has indicated that it is "not known" if it is working and does not know the last time the boiler was serviced. If the pipes are corroded - the system is clearly not working - even I can see that!
Can anyone offer some insight into what might be happening here - I am totally confused!
Many thanks in advance
