listed building consent

[Stacker]

Damp Proof Course what have been your experiences with applying for planning and listed building consent for a modern damp proof course where there is not one already and the groundfloor flat is damp?

[bluebonnie]

There are lots of reasons why the ground floor flat might be damp... leaking pipes, floor below ground level, blocked gutters or drains, garden soil up against the outside wall, ....
A modern DPC will be of no use in such cases. What makes you think that this is what is needed?

A structural engineer's report might help your case.

[Stacker]

Thank you bluebonnie so far we are trying to find the cause, so far we are aware that the building is old and never had a DPC installed, ground is higher on external wall compared to inner wall which is stone and a DPC can not be injected in to stone, bricks only apparently. External ground not owned by freeholder so cant dig a trench unfortunately. Cement render on external wall so could be trapping water when it rains, a rotten window cill near area which may not be helping. Brick repointing needs doing in one place. Damp basement with no tanking and place feels damp, clothes starting to smell and mole appearing on lower part of walls and salts.

[leaseholder64]

Is the lower part of the wall at least 150mm above ground level? If not a DPC is not really an option. (I'm not quite clear about the ground is higher sentence, but it sounds like it means that the damp wall is below ground level.)

In any case, my feeling would be that, on an old building, a lack of DPC is caveat emptor, but blown render would be a freeholder responsibility.

[Stacker]

Yes agree with you leaseholder 64 however the leaseholder was told by his surveyor that a DPC would do the trick so to speak however this advice can not be followed as listed building consent is required which would not be given as a modern DPC for a listed building would be a BIG no no and seen as criminal damage to a listed building.

[125yearlease]

You may have already resolved the problem but if not you could have a look at this link - its a great website providing advice for listed building owners about general upkeep of a historic building:

https://www.buildingconservation.com...mp_cellars.htm

The cement will be trapping moisture, and will be part of the problem, and there may be other reasons too, leaking guttering, drains. Is a french drain an option? Using gravity to remove the excess water. If the basement flat is suffering from damp, surley this has an impact on the rest of the house, undermining its structural integrity and should be part of the responsibility of the freeholder - at least it might mean that they have a duty to pay for the works to the outside and floor of the building?

[Stacker]

Thank you 125..I will take a look at the link, I have also found the listed property club very helpful LPOC...issue still ongoing, they wont listen and I am now between a rock and a hard place with this..

[Stacker]

leaseholder64,

I agree but when you have paid for a surveyor to help you and they tell me in their report that a DPC will fix the problem and then find out that the building never would have had a DPC and further the Council wont allow one, yet surveyor tells me in report that this is the solution so now have a negligence case..just what I dont need and a property which should not have been sold as not fit for habitation..

[midlandslandlord]

Slightly baffled here as to why DPCs are a complete no-no. The damp will be doing the walls themselves no favours.

It sounds as if there is some that could be done to help alleviate it - eg repoint with a lime mortar etc/

Suspect you will have to tick all the bueauocrat-boxes before you would be able to do the DPC.

If you cannot dig a trench perhaps a French-drain with gravel on top. Would they allow that?

ML

[Stacker]

Hi ML , thanks for the input..basically its a very old building and listed so years ago they never had DPC courses put in with these types of traditional materials, its only modern houses that do. So this incompetent surveyor said put a DPC in - a modern chemical one in to address the damp and now I find out that firstly Council wont allow it and second it wont fix the issues as the walls are stone, you cant inject stone, or inject if the walls are below ground level, which one wall is. Yes thanks about your thoughts about a french drain but we dont own the land on that side and yes lime mortar repoint is the right idea but on one wall they have gone and stuck on cement render so thats trapping moisture in as well..its a nightmare..