refurbishment of 3-bed ex-council house - what first, what can be postponed

First of all, the house would have been built using lime-mortar and low-fired bricks. Pretty much all houses built in the 30s were. Both materials are porous and retain moisture, particularly if the house has been covered with waterproof paint. I'm afraid that the diagnosis of 'rising damp' may be somewhat misleading. Unless the wall is directly over a natural spring or burst pipe, the damp has come from above, not below. The Dutch (who know a thing or two about water) find it highly amusing that we insist on a DPM. Water does not flow uphill. In 99 out of 100 cases, the damp originates higher in the wall and renewing the DPM (although it will have to be done) will just provide it with a convenient place to stop. The best way to ensure that there is no damp in the wall, is to locate and repair the source of the water getting into the brickwork. This can be from all sorts of sources, including those already mentioned by others. If you are going to re-point, use the original material with which the house was built. Lime mortar, though more expensive than Portland cement, is porous and by nature, softer than the bricks. It therefore acts as a 'sacrificial layer'. Low-fired bricks, when re-pointed with Portland, which is harder than the bricks and not porous, themselves become the sacrificial element of the wall. If you google 'spalling' you will see lots of examples of this. When removing the old mortar, it's best not to use an angle-grinder unless you are very experienced, as the bricks are easily damaged. A spindle-shaped tungsten mortar rake is generally best, These fit most angle-grinders. Once the old mortar is cleared our, wet the work area and use NHL 3.5 lime for repointing, mixed 4:1 with sharp sand in a fairly dry mix, and pack it into the joints, finishing the joint flush with the wall - not recessed, as water needs to run off of the wall, not pool in the joints. Make sure you clean up the brickwork and surrounding areas before the lime mortar dries, as it will stick to anything - including glass! And most importantly, wear gloves and eye protection. Hope this helps.

hi make a plane on what you think you need to do then call a builder in to quote for works each job in righting and price per job then as a complete job but get at least three quots do not be afraid to ask any questions they should be able to answer them if you are not happy then go to the next builder and start again .when you find one you are happy with you will pay a deposit only if its a long job then you will pay intrim payments then when job is done last payment but only if your happy with the work this will give you some thing to bargin with never pay all the money befor the job is done. Example job cost £10.000 deposit £2.000 left 8000 so much work done pay 2000 ext job done last payment say 2000 ballance. work plane payment plan hope this helps tony

Hi Firstly, get your quotes from a builder/roofer to sort the roof, chimney, DPC and any other issues causing water to get into the property. Once you've made your house watertight, you can look at improvements to the inside. Biggest advise is get quotes and several! Don't be afraid to use different disciplines such as a builder, a plasterer, a joiner, a plumber etc etc. Some companies can offer all these services but it may be better in the long run to get individuals that specialize in a certain area, especially if you are spending lots of money.