Damp Problems

Hi, I just thought I would post some information regarding the damp problems some people have been experiencing in their homes. I seem recently to have had more and more calls from people who have either “had somebody in” to fix their damp problem which has not worked or from people who have damp in their property who just want it sorted out. Most problems with damp in modern properties in Spain are not caused by water ingress or water penetration. In some cases, there have been issues with leaking pipework on central heating systems or badly sealed patios, doors or windows which I have successfully sorted out, but in the main the problems stem from condensation and lack of ventilation. The average person gives out 1.5 to 2.5 litres of moisture per 24 hour period via breathing and other bodily functions which are best left to the imagination. Add to that boiling kettles, cooking, washing etc. and you have a lot of water vapour released into a property in a day. All of that moisture has got to go somewhere and with windows shut and no natural ventilation it stays in the property and causes damp and consequently mould. The answer is really quite simple. Keep at least one window slightly open or alternatively fit natural draught ventilators. I have fitted so many over the 8 years I have been working in Spain that I have lost count. It is not an expensive fix but they do need to be done properly and you need the correct ones fitted. I am a HVAC engineer, not a builder who remedies the symptoms and does not cure the cause. If you need more detailed free advice I can be contacted via this forum or you can find my details on the Polaris world forum, just put in a search for air conditioning and I'm sure I will come up. My Name is Chris and my numbers are 968171542 and 634313332.

We had damp in the back bedroom ( the one without the patio doors)..on investigation we discovered the plasterboard had been nailed to the waste pipe and we had a very, very slow leak!!

We have damp by our front door and at the bottom of the stairs

We spoke to Millenium who said we had to contact Polaris World each time we try we are told its the wrong department and to go on their website and use another email address, each time we are told its not the right address ( seems like they cant pass the information on to the right departmnet )

6 months later we still havent got anywhere - has anyone else had any experiences like this or had their damp problems resolved if you have please let us know how you got it resolved

 

 

We had loads of probs for a few years after buying in 2008 polaris sorted stuff out at the start but then we got millennium on the case and got stuff sorted out thro our community insurance and hopefully all is ok now and we had damp mould half way up the. Lounge wall and all along the breakfast bar

 @leigh_bristol

I had a problem with the aircon pipes which had been fitted incorrectly (the water pipe was cracked & also installed so that it was running upwards) and was discovered when my air units were being fitted.  

It took months and months along with numerous phonecalls/emails to get Polaris to send an engineer out to assess the problem.  Then had to wait months for them to re-install the pipework correctly which they did in the end.  Only then was I able to get my air con installed.  If the problem hadn't been detected then I would've ended up with damp in both bedrooms.

Basically, needed to be very persistent.  I felt the PW customer services rep had been trained to fob people off and deflect blame elsewhere in the hope that i would give up.  

However, I guess the community insurance now covers this sort of thing which is pretty common.

I've seen that quite a few times when I've gone to fit air con with pre instalation. Sometimes it can be quite easy to repair but other times it can be a nightmare. Polaris have a habit oif trying to pass the buck, but if you do have this problem it is better to get Polaris to sort it out.  If the air con starts to leak after being used for a while this is normally easier to remedy

Hi all

Just looking for some advice but I have a 2 bed apartment in the Jardines which I have just bought. I have damp in my bathroom where the stairs are and also in my lounge in the alcove under the stairs. It would appear that the damp is coming in from the stairs do don't know if the stairs have not been sealed properly but it could be something else for all I know. I have asked millennium to look at it to see if I can claim the building insurance but they say I have to see if there us s building guarantee and if not pay fir repairs.

In light of Millenniums response I am now left wondering then what exactly does the community building insurance cover because obviously if it is a structural problem and was not repaired this could potentially affect not just my apartment but others also if you see my point.

Any thoughts advice would be appreciated.

Regards

If you don't have any joy give me a call or e mail me and I will come and have a look. No obligation but it may give you a better idea of what is going on. chrismary@rock.com

 Joss

A lot of upstairs units had to have the stair tiles taken off, and relaid after the underneath had been properly sealed, was quite a common theme on here a couple of years ago