How much for new Damp Proof Course.

bouicca21

I had a mega damp wall in my last house. Tried all sorts of things before finding the real cause, which was a leaking mains pipe some ten feet away. The water was simply pooling right under the wall. Fixed the pipe. Wall dried out. Nothing to do with the dpc at all.

mared_2

I am very grateful to the experts who have posted here and hope you will comment further.

I note DPC 's appear controversial....but what about the DPM? I would like to either repair mine or replace it...which would be major so I am looking for money saving advice but not short cuts.

This house used to have dry and wet rot. The wooden floors were replaced and plastic overlapping sheeting was carefully laid throughout and cemented over. I have had perfectly dry floors and no further probs except once when water was spilled... this flowed against the skirting and dry rot resumed...but I treated it .

Plumbing works have disturbed and penetrated the DPM I expect this happens a lot but I'm devastated. My plan is to hack the floor back 12" either side of the central channel and to use a glue to try to re-seal the previously continuous DPM - a plastic sheet - (so simple yet so effective).

Can anyone suggest a glue that seals plastic to plastic please?
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bricks

mared wrote: »

I am very grateful to the experts who have posted here and hope you will comment further.

I note DPC 's appear controversial....but what about the DPM? I would like to either repair mine or replace it...which would be major so I am looking for money saving advice but not short cuts.

This house used to have dry and wet rot. The wooden floors were replaced and plastic overlapping sheeting was carefully laid throughout and cemented over. I have had perfectly dry floors and no further probs except once when water was spilled... this flowed against the skirting and dry rot resumed...but I treated it .

Plumbing works have disturbed and penetrated the DPM I expect this happens a lot but I'm devastated. My plan is to hack the floor back 12" either side of the central channel and to use a glue to try to re-seal the previously continuous DPM - a plastic sheet - (so simple yet so effective).

Can anyone suggest a glue that seals plastic to plastic please?
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not aware of a glue that would work in that situation. However you can get tape that is designed for joints and repairs to polythene (ie DPM).

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p50509?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_campaign=googleshopping&mkwid=cj7LR5Is&pcrid=26798926463&gclid=CKOUzMTSz70CFfDLtAodE0QAlA

How long it remains properly stuck to the DPM after you've concreted it over again I don't know.

I'd suggest that you get some new DPM that covers the interrupted section of the old DPM but that also overlaps it by a generous amount each side. Then tape the joints. Then, even if the tape fails, any moisture has to work its way quite a long distance horizontally between the two layers before it gets into your concrete floor.


By the way, when you say that "dry rot resumed" when some water spilt against the skirting...that seems quite surprising to me - where did it appear? It suggests that the humidity levels are rather high in your house if it appeared that easily.

Downsizing__for_sanity

Hi,

Thanks for reading this far first of all! I found this thread having googled 'rising damp' and as a longtime MSE member I thought I'd get good advice here. We've bought a house subject to survey (Scotland) and the structural survey has come back saying the front wall downstairs and the gabled ends of the attic rooms are 'damp'. We have just booked a 'damp and timber' specialist survey at our expense (approx £150). The vendors showed us these 'guarantees' they have which will run for the next 15 years should the damp and rot treatment they carried out need to be redone.

Surveyor has recommended that we either seek a price reduction or get the vendors to get the work done on their guarantee, which shouldn't cost them anything I guess. We don't care either way really - just want it done before we move in.

However - it seems luckily we chose to go for the full Structural Survey as offered by our lender, instead of basically what was a photocopy of the Home Report (which the lender wouldn't have charged us for). Quite possibly the best £700 we have ever spent, but I am concerned that the Home Report didn't show any Category 2 or 3 issues when they were fairly clear. The surveyor has said that he is 'surprised that these were missed, almost to the point where misrepresentation could be said to have occurred'. The property was built in 1850-something and the street level outside, with modern Tarmac-ing etc, has raised now from the original level which may be the cause of the damp. So would a new (2009) DPC have failed as early as now, or would there be another source for the damp?

The property is the original stone solid wall and slate roofed. It has the original flagstones (which might be laid on a dirt floor?) and is also listed (B) so possibly even more costly to fix. It also has original fireplaces in each room - but they haven't been lit since it was vacated a year ago.

The surveyor has said that whilst work needs done, it is a 'good house' and has 'good bones'. We think so too and intend to live there TFN.

The cost per sq m does worry me. Does anyone else have experience calling these guarantees in?

Many thanks.
DFS.

dominoman

Bluefusion wrote: »

Having looked in to this a little more, The whole house has the original slate DPC which is at the end of its life and needs replace as damp is coming through. Also we have been told the kitchen floor which is solid concrete is very damp and needs digging out and a DPC membrance laid and then recornceted over.

This Telegraph article may help: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertyadvice/3361401/Property-advice-On-the-level.html

"Slate is a very stable geological material which is millions of years old. Even when it is exposed to the worst of the elements, on a roof for example, slate can last for centuries"

Hoseman

What's the best way to source someone for some damp proof work who a) knows what they're doing and b) you can trust? I'd imagine there is an association of some sort but any tips/advice would be appreciated.

spannerzone

This site has some useful info
http://www.heritage-house.org/the-fraud-of-rising-damp.html

Good_Man_2

Hiya,

This thread was a quite interesting read so far.

I think what I can contribute with some good tips about rising damp treatment and how to find good tradesmen.

First of all you guys are right, most dampness in/on your walls are not rising damp. In certain cases however it is. The skill lies in being able tell the difference accurately and objectively.

If the damp proofer arrives to your house and takes a look at the wall and then tells what it is don't bother working with him. Same when someone arrives with a device that measures moisture on the surface only.

What we do (with 30 years of experience) is that we measure the moisture level inside the wall - 6-12 inches deep into the wall. Also measure the surface and compare the two. Then you can tell to what degree is it condensation or something else and to what degree is it rising damp. If it is damp inside it is rising damp. Needless to say that the whole house has to be inspected as the roof might be leaking or the gutter broken, missing chimney pot, etc. that can make the walls damp too.

If someone does less than that he can not tell accurately what needs to be treated and it leads to unnecessary actions and expenses for the property owner.

The other thing we have learned the hard way is that a damp masonry holds 100-300 litres of water per cubic metre. That amount of water will have to evaporate - which can take 1-4 years. And if the diagnosis was correct the evaporating water will damage the plaster.

So, if a company quotes rising damp treatment and a new plaster right after do not buy the plastering (I would also look for another company who knows their basics).

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Good Man

teneighty

Some interesting points but begs the questions...


How many vendors allow you to drill 6-12 inch deep holes around the house for deep wall probes? Many are very unhappy at the little pin probe holes.


How many purchasers are happy to live in a house with bare unplastered walls for 4 years whilst the walls dry out?

MadelinesMum

Hi all, I have a terraced house (built around 1890) with the kitchen, bathroom and dining room on the lower ground floor. The front of the house, where the kitchen and bathroom are, is practically underground, with a small concreted outside area. Anyway, as you can probably guess the kitchen and bathroom has damp walls. I spoke to my neighbours about this and both sides said they had exactly the same problem and had completely tiled their side of the walls which join to my house (on the lower ground floor).

I am now thinking this has done me no favours and could cause the damp to manifest out of my walls (please correct me if I am wrong).

I'm not sure now how to stop the damp problem as it has already been treated and has a 30 year certificate, which runs out in about 10 years. I could call the company back but feel they will make some excuse and not honour it.

I was also thinking of tiling the walls my side as well but fear that would cause even more problems

Thanks for reading