Damp Problems and Cracked Walls in 100 Year Old House

Bluefish

Hi.
I am currently considering buying an old derelict traditional farmhouse in the south east of Ireland.

The farmhouse has full planning permission for renovation and extension including the demolition and rebuilding of the front facade of the existing farmhouse. Planning permission has been granted on the basis that all other existing walls would be kept and renovated. My concerns are twofold:

i) the existing stone walls (with lime wash) are badly damaged with damp internally. The walls are all green mould to about one and a half metres up from the ground and look like they are damp right through.

ii) one side of the exterior of the house has a large crack in the side wall from front to back and in need of repair, and the wall on the other side has a hair line crack appearing.

Is it possible to renovate and restore the existing walls both internally and externally without having to pull these walls down and rebuild from scratch? And would any potential solution be astronomically expensive?

We have been reliably informed that if we were to apply for changes to the planning on this building that it will be refused. I am assuming that we cannot demolish an existing wall and build exactly as it was without planning permission?

Any help and guidance would be greatly appreciated!!!

Carlow52

Bluefish wrote: »

Hi.
I am currently considering buying an old derelict traditional farmhouse in the south east of Ireland.

The farmhouse has full planning permission for renovation and extension including the demolition and rebuilding of the front facade of the existing farmhouse. Planning permission has been granted on the basis that all other existing walls would be kept and renovated. My concerns are twofold:

i) the existing stone walls (with lime wash) are badly damaged with damp internally. The walls are all green mould to about one and a half metres up from the ground and look like they are damp right through.

ii) one side of the exterior of the house has a large crack in the side wall from front to back and in need of repair, and the wall on the other side has a hair line crack appearing.

Is it possible to renovate and restore the existing walls both internally and externally without having to pull these walls down and rebuild from scratch? And would any potential solution be astronomically expensive?

We have been reliably informed that if we were to apply for changes to the planning on this building that it will be refused. I am assuming that we cannot demolish an existing wall and build exactly as it was without planning permission?

Any help and guidance would be greatly appreciated!!!

some questions:
what is used to bind the stones together?

what sort of renovation to the walls do you envisage the planning allows for?

will you be required to 'chisel' out the existing binding and re-point or can you plaster over to make it water resistant?

Poor Uncle Tom

Replacing like for like, old for new, is acceptable to incorporate radon barrier, DPC's, lintels, etc., provided the building is not a listed building or within the curtilage of a listed structure and that the works are considered necessary by the supervising Architect/AT/Engineer.

Bluefish

Hi.
I am not sure what was used to bind the stones together. I have attached two photos of the inside walls and one photo of the external finish as it currently stands. This might help answer your first question.

In answer to the second question the planning allows for part reconstruction of the inner leaf of the existing house using timber frame (front south facade and part of the east wall) with north and west existing walls being retained. It allows for the entire outer leaf of the existing house to be rebuilt/clad in natural stone.

It is proposed to build the inner leaf of the extended part using timber frame with an outer leaf of block concrete and plaster.

There is no specific reference or condition in the planning permission to having to 'chisel' out any stone at all.

Bluefish

Hi. Thank you for your advice Uncle Tom. Does this mean that I can knock the walls that are badly affected by damp and rebuild exactly as it was without planning permission?

Please excuse the basic questions as I am new to all this but what is a radon barrier, what are lintels and what does DPCs mean?

The building is not a listed building nor is it within the curtilage of a listed structure.

Poor Uncle Tom

If your supervising Architect/AT/Engineer advises or requests the walls you describe to be replaced then, yes this can be done without the need for a seperate planning permission.

RADON BARRIER
The South East of Ireland has the highest concentration of Radon Gas in the country. Radon gas is a radioactive gas emmited by rock and is carsinogenic. http://www.epa.gov/radon/healthrisks.html Where possible a barrier should be incorporated in the ground floors and walls to keep this radon gas out of a dwelling house.

DPC'S
Damp Proof Courses, a course of a minimum of 1000 gauge polythene sandwiched within the construction of the walls at a uniform level throughout a building a minimum of 150mm above the outside finished ground level, which stops rising damp.

LINTELS
Reinforced concrete or steel beams across the heads of doors and windows which deflects and distributes wall and point loads to the outer piers/walls away from the opening it/they is/are spanning.

(When I said listed building in the last post I meant protected structure - I think you figured that - listed building for England, Wales...protected building for Ireland)

Bluefish

Thanks for explaining those terms.

Would you definitely recommend knocking and rebuilding the walls rather than trying to repair and recondition the existing walls that are there to put them right?

Im not sure I would get a positive reaction from the neighbours if we opted to knock and rebuild as one of the walls of the house sits on the boundary of their property.

Poor Uncle Tom

I am only offering my opinion here. Your on site Architect/AT/Engineer will answer whether you need to replace all walls or not.

The fact a wall is on the property boundry could be an issue, but you previously said ..

Bluefish wrote: »

In answer to the second question the planning allows for part reconstruction of the inner leaf of the existing house using timber frame (front south facade and part of the east wall) with north and west existing walls being retained. It allows for the entire outer leaf of the existing house to be rebuilt/clad in natural stone.

so I guess you are removing the boundry wall anyway.?

Bluefish

Many thanks for the advice. Do you by any chance know what my rights are in terms of working along a boundary. The house wall is within our boundary but the land at the foot of the wall is the neighbours property.

Poor Uncle Tom

cills, fascias, soffits, gutters or downpipes should not overhang neighbouring property. If, as you say, you are just replacing wall for wall, etc, you shouldnt have a problem. And, remember foundations should not trespass either. good luck with your build.

Kricket

Hi Uncle Tom,
Dont understand one thing why should the foundation not infringe on boundry as it will be covered and never seen again apart from getting permission to infringe for the dig

Kricket

is it poor uncle tom or old uncle tom are u not allowed on line after 12 under the thumb or what ha ha
best regards,
Kricket.

Poor Uncle Tom

Kricket wrote: »

Hi Uncle Tom,
Dont understand one thing why should the foundation not infringe on boundry as it will be covered and never seen again apart from getting permission to infringe for the dig

You would be allowed to put your foundation and building right up to, but not over your boundry. Your neighbour also has this right. If your foundations or building are in your neighbours property then you are preventing your neighbour from their entitlements. This is all well and good if you have their permission, but if you don't..........

BTW, it's Poor Uncle Tom, so candles out at midnight..:D