Stoneclad house and damp proof - advice please

[zeeb]

I'm in the process of purchasing a mid-terrace house which has stonecladding to the front of the property.
I've had an independent survey carried out and the assessor noted using his protimeter mini that there were high readings of damp to the front room wall. I think it showed 50 (not sure what the units/measurements are). The banks own surveyor came out and also said there was high readings in the wall and the cellar below and suggested the stonecladding may be a culprit, acting as a bridge for the moisture.

The house has been empty for 2 years, with no heating.
Besides some wallpaper peeling off there are no water marks on the wall.
The cellar coal chute is just an iron grid, so could be the cause for the moisture.
The rear wall of the property has been injected in the past.

My question is, could the damp readings be remedied once a new heating system is installed?
Could a Damp proofing injection be applied to the front on to the stoneclad wall, or must a layer of the stonecladding be removed first?
Is it necessary to lift the floor boards and check the joists?


Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated thanks.

 

[endecotp]

Ignore the meter; turn on the heating and give it a few months, and see what happens.
Definitely ask for advice here before doing anything drastic.

Having said that, if you want to use this as a way of negotiating the price down then by all means get quotes from some dodgy damp companies....

 

[zeeb]

endecotp:
Thanks for the reply. I'll certainly turn to the forum for advice.
I was a little concerned as one of the surveyors mentioned the moisture could be in the joists and this can't be seen unless joists are removed.

 

[bobasd]

no need to get excited over a bit of damp and maybe timber rot in an old house. go in the cellar an probe the joist tails in the wall, later you can go under the floor maybe to see more.
if the wall in the photo is a solid wall id say that you have dammp init. previous work seems to have been done, the boards have been rough cut an a rip of ply fixed down.the paper is pulling off an the skirting is modern.
post photos of all the damp an the outside walls.

lifting a corner of the paper an takin a reading into the plaster is more accurate than going through dampish paper