The nearest Met Office station to Preston, at Myerscough about seven miles away, records an average of 1,058 mm of rain a year. That is well over a metre, and noticeably more than the readings behind our profiles of Wolverhampton, Worcester or Stoke-on-Trent. For a city where 29.2% of homes are terraced, many of them Victorian mill-town streets, rainfall is the starting point for the damp conversation.
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Get free quotesPreston in numbers
- Private rented households: 22.4% (England 20.5%); social rented: 18.4% (England 17.1%)
- Terraced homes: 29.2% (England 23.0%); flats: 16.7% (England 21.4%)
- Homes with no central heating: 1.7% (England 1.5%)
- Overcrowded households: 4.0% (England 4.4%)
- River or sea flood risk: 2.0% (England 1.9%); surface-water risk: 6.1% (England 5.9%)
- Rainfall: about 1,058 mm a year at Myerscough, roughly seven miles away
Rain on solid walls: where the water gets in
Preston's flood and heating figures sit close to the national averages, which makes rainfall the standout. In a wet climate, an older terrace with solid brick walls is tested constantly by driven rain. A landlord's annual checklist should cover:
- Gutters, downpipes and hopper heads, cleared and sealed at the joints
- Pointing and brickwork on the gable and rear elevations that take the weather
- Chimney stacks, flashings and roof valleys
- Window and door reveals where water tracks into the wall
Post-war housing is not exempt
Away from the centre, Preston has a lot of post-war housing. Cavity walls cope better with rain, but poor insulation, cold bridging at lintels and corners, and weak extraction can still produce condensation. Telling the two kinds of problem apart is what a survey is for: rain penetration shows up as damp patches that follow the weather, condensation as mould on cold surfaces that follows the heating.
What landlords must do
Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, a rented home must be free from serious damp, and the council can assess hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Rain penetration through a neglected roof or wall is the landlord's responsibility to repair.
Awaab's Law currently applies to social housing, with private landlords expected to follow. Our guide to Awaab's Law and the private rented sector covers the current position.
To find a specialist, see our Preston damp and mould page.