how can you tell if a house has been flooded?

Question

I've seen a property i really like and my offer has been accepted. however, the external walls have a line of holes drilled all around near the bottom of the house. also, the skirting board has started to come away from the wall on one side of one room. is this likely to be from damp or flooding? how do you tell? i intend to have a home buyers report done, but would like to find out about it myself also.

Answer 1

Get a full survey done.

Answer 2

Those holes are a new damp proof course and when that is done you usually find that the plaster inside the rooms needs also to be replaced as this will soft and fall away from the wall .A surveyor will check for any further damp and a full inspection should reveal if the house has water damage .is the house in a valley or low ground near any streams lakes or rivers all these are indications good luck

Answer 3

You really should have a full surbey done. It'll cost several hundred pounds but is worth it when you're spending over a hundred thousand.

Ask especially for a damp-meter check around the areas you suspect. Any residual dampness in the walls will show up on the meter even if you can't feel it.

If it's caused by flooding or a faulty damp-proof course or some other reason, damp behind the skirting board is a serious business.

Answer 4

You'll see watermarks and stains. Also be on the alert for molds and mildew...that's a bad sign of dampness and poor insolations.

Bring a screw driver and push it against the wall or suspect area. If its rotten or termite infested, it would push through readily. Look around your surrounding, is it by a creek, a river, flash flood?

When you get your report, make sure it has guarantees. So you have an option of going after the seller, the inspector, or both.

I am a cautious risk taker, so I always buy brand new home or have one built. But sometimes it could not be helped, like when buying a mountain retreat. Anyways, price is not the sole consideration. In addition to checking the house, you should check the neighborhood. Drive around and observe. Friendly people? Manicured lawns? Streets clean? If you like what you saw then buy the house.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Holes round the bottom usually mean that a damp course has been installed by injecting silicone and the problem inside will be rising damp, especially in older housed built when the damp course was only slate. To check for flooding ask someone from else where in the town if any of the town has ever been flooded. also being on low ground near a stream or river is usually cause for concern.

Answer 6

Is the property on a designated flood plain ( area considered to be liable to natural flooding) ? Internal flooding due to internal pipework, cold mains, central heating etc, no problem, plumber required. If house has suffered flooding from ie; river, there will be a same colour film/layer of silt below floorboards, if you have conventional wooden flooring, lift some boards and look for tell-tale layer of grime . If walls have been re-plastered from skirting upwards ( usually a metre(yard) high, this would indicate flooding, and subsequent repairs. Check plastering a `join`a yard high is suspicious. The series of holes drilled around the house, are indicative of damp proofing treatment,(liquid is injected into the lower courses of brickwork )which forms a damp-proof barrier, this is common with rising damp, and is a common practise, but suggests damp related problems.

Answer 7

The holes that you speak of are also probably plugged, this is possibly where the house has been insulated!
If this is not the case then the property,(I presume it is brick built) Has been treated for damp to a height of one metre.
If the proeprty has been recently treated for damp and it has been carried out by a reputable company, the current owners will have a 10 year damp proof certificate. If they do not have this and the property has recently been treated then question the quality of work that has been carried out.

I do suspect it is only liquid foam based insulation pumped into the wall cavity and then plugged (probably brown).
If in any doubt get at least a homebuyers report carried out before proceeding further.

Good luck with your purchase.

Answer 8

You dont say what type of flood - flood from a bathroom or something more serious ?? The holes sound like its had a damp proof course. You dont say whether the property is in a flood risk area. You can check this for free on the Environment Agency website, just enter the postcode in and this will tell you the chance the property has of flooding. But beware this website tells me my house has a chance of flooding as I have a stream that runs at the bottom of my garden but this has not flooded in the last 100 years! Your solicitor will also be able to carry out a search from the environment agency rivers authority etc who will give a more detailed report of your property. Also ask the Vendor, they are not supposed to lie as they will have to fill out questions on the property. Also ask the neighbours. Good luck

Answer 9

To check for previous flood damage, such as river -rose -over- the- bank type flood, check the top of the sill plates and foundation walls. There will probably be a thin layer of mud there. Regarding the holes - these might have been put in by a pest exterminator. Check with your local exterminator company, and ask if they drill that type of hole, and for what type of pest. I am not sure what you mean by skirting board. I assume you mean the cove base on the bottom of the wall, inside the house. This is usually knocked away from the wall by people kicking it, or being hit with furniture. If it is due to dampness, the wall behind it will show stains and other types of water damage.

Answer 10

sounds like a problem with damp
the holes in the walls are probably where they have pressure treated the walls with a damp proof chemical
If you can see other holes at higher levels it would suggest cavity wall insulation but just at the bottom about 3 bricks up is for damp protection. usually comes with a 10 years guarantee
as for flooding i would ask the estate agent and the seller of the property and try ask other people that live in the same street

Answer 11

if your feet are wet and you hear a sloshing sound when you walk around there's a fair chance the property is flooded.

now to the real answer, the external holes are almost certainly where damp proofing has been injected. this would indicate damp rather than flooding.

a home buyer's report isn't sufficient for ANY property purchase, you need a full structural survey.