Does rising damp always leave a tide mark?

[ice]

Hi

Looking at buying a 1960's house. Survey is being done next week but when we veiwed it there was some marking on the outside walls. It looked like black/green stains on the wall to about a foot and a half. It was not like a tide mark....more in patchs here and there along the wall at the front.

I think there is also some marks on the back of the house and just below one of the windows.

Is this likely to be rising damp(a tough question I know based on such vague info).
Does rising damp always have a tide mark look to it or can it be in patches?
Couldn't see any evidence of damp inside the house but it may have been recently painted.
Any opinions?

If it is rising damp should this put us of buying ??

 

[Pink]

Re: Does rising damp always leave a tide mark??

I was watching that Property Ladder programme last week. And they found rising damp in a house, they showed what it looked like at it was a wavy line on the bottom of the wall. Like a tide mark.

I think how they saw it was that they had recently painted the wall and it was going all gooey (comming off when they rubbed their hand over it)

Not a very technical answer I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Simeon]

In short YES. The obviousness of the mark will be in direct proportion to the length of time and strength of the migration/efflorescence. But if the staining is on the outside don't be too concerned. The amount of waterproofer in the plaster/lack of same can produce damp patches. One of the big problems in rising damp are raised patios or plinths bridging the DPC.