We take immense pride in our homes. They’re our safe haven, a place that represents a lifetime investment, and our own little ‘corner of England’ as the saying goes.
So, it’s only natural that we want our property to be maintained to the same standard at which we bought it – not only to preserve our investment, but for our own peace of mind and comfort.
Damp is one of the most common issues to affect a property. In homes across the UK, we see signs of damp appearing in the structure of a property. And, if left unchecked with a damp survey, it can rapidly develop into a major problem.
When it occurs in their own property, most sensible homeowners will act rapidly and call out a specialist to tackle the damp.
But, what about if the damp is being caused by a fault in your neighbour’s property? If you share a wall, this can be equally disastrous to your own property. But what can you do about it?
Below, we’ve shared our simple, actionable and effective advice, so that you can deal with this tricky situation before the problem gets worse.
How could damp in a neighbour’s property affect mine?
By its very nature, damp is a problem that can quickly spread across a property. And the only way to stop this from happening is professional damp treatment.
If your neighbour does not treat the damp with damp proofing in their property, then it can rapidly spread to your home.
One of the most common causes of damp in properties is penetrating damp. This occurs when a building material has failed, and so causes moisture to build up on the property walls. A typical example is a leaky gutter, which overflows and allows water to consistently flow down a wall. In this case, the water will quickly penetrate through the wall, causing damp.
Another common damp issue in a property is rising damp. This occurs when water is drawn up through the walls, and allowed to settle there as damp.
In both of these circumstances, a very high level of moisture is locked within the walls. If your neighbour does not undertake damp proofing treatment, then this problem will not only remain, but it will get dramatically worse.
If you and your neighbour share an exterior wall, the damp will quickly spread from their property to yours. Then, you’ll see signs of damp – flaking plaster, a damp smell, or a water line on your walls – appearing within your home.
Start with a conversation
We understand that this must be an incredibly stressful experience for a property owner. The worst part is that it’s all being caused by someone else’s property, so it’s much more difficult to know what course of action to take.
So, what can you actually do about it? Well, the first step that we’d recommend taking is having a chat with your neighbour. It could be that they haven’t noticed the extent of the problem, or that they didn’t know how to recognise the issue as one caused by damp. For the sake of keeping on good terms, don’t start by going in all-guns-blazing.
What if your neighbour ignores a damp problem?
If the damp is arising on a party wall – a wall that you both share – then the first step is to determine if the issues is caused by rising damp or a fault from your neighbours side.
Enlist the assistance of a damp proofing specialist, and they will identify the root cause of the damp. If the surveyor suspects that it is indeed being caused by their property a further survey will be needed on the neighbours side to investigate and establish issues in their property. If your neighbour continues to deny their responsibility, then it is time for the homeowner to contact the local council.
Thankfully, legislation like the Party Wall Act is on hand to protect you and uphold your rights as a property owner.
Speak to the private housing department of your local council, and show them the results of your damp survey. They will then investigate the matter and outline what needs to be done to in a legislation manner and issue orders of what needs to be done to start rectifying the issue.
If you are currently facing this situation, and you want our help in achieving a speedy resolution, don’t hesitate to get in touch. The British Damp Proofing team is on hand to offer their support and expert advice.