Rising damp (?) - internal walls

lozza_76

I hope you can help! We have damp patches about 6-12" high at the base of 2 internal walls (one joining on to the kitchen, one to the hallway, which is damp on the other side too). We've had some very confusing quotes - some want to replaster, some don't - one wanted £550 just to replace the skirting boards as well as £600 odd for the DPC injection.
Is a DPC injection required? Is this something my boyfriend could tackle himself?
Another suggestion was that we remove the skirting boards and replaster without the DPC (leaving a gap between the plaster and the floor).
Any advice would be gratefully received - we are always short of money!
thanks

weekendwarrior

A few points-

The plaster should never touch the floor because it can suck up moisture.

The existing plaster only needs knocking off and replaing if it has perished, you can test it by tapping it with your knuckles, if it sounds hollow then the plaster has blown and it need replacing.

There are three types of remedial damp proof course-

Electro Osmosis This is my favorite!

Chemical DPC This can be messy

And the newer method is Cream injection, which I have never done or seen done.

Electro osmosis causes the least disturbance but it will work out expensive on just a couple of walls. The cream may be the best solution for you.

If you need the whole house doing then I would go for Electro osmosis.

Your boyfriend should be able to do this as long as he has some DIY knowledge.

lozza_76

Thanks, those are some really useful links. I think we're going to have a go at doing it ourselves. From what you said I 'm pretty sure that the wall doesn't need replastering

Paul_the_Painter

Make sure you actually have a problem with your DPC before you do anything serious. Is there something on the outside that is bridging the DPC? could be a new flower bed, some wood resting against the wall etc. If it is touching the wall above the DPC and the ground it could be acting as a bridge. Also check that water isn't spraying directly onto the wall above the DPC from gutters downpipes etc. this can only really be done properly when it is raining, so get out there in the wet and check.

Some companies are much more ineterested in selling you a new DPC than solving your problem - I've been involved in three houses that had damp problems, in all the DPC had been bridged and the only remidial work required was some digging or chipping off of cement- If they are offereing a free quote they make no money telling you to get rid of the raised flower bed do they?

davsidipp

Paul_the_Painter wrote:

Make sure you actually have a problem with your DPC before you do anything serious. Is there something on the outside that is bridging the DPC? could be a new flower bed, some wood resting against the wall etc. If it is touching the wall above the DPC and the ground it could be acting as a bridge. Also check that water isn't spraying directly onto the wall above the DPC from gutters downpipes etc. this can only really be done properly when it is raining, so get out there in the wet and check.

Some companies are much more ineterested in selling you a new DPC than solving your problem - I've been involved in three houses that had damp problems, in all the DPC had been bridged and the only remidial work required was some digging or chipping off of cement- If they are offereing a free quote they make no money telling you to get rid of the raised flower bed do they?

i agree with you there we had damp on walls in the backroom and frontroom of our detached house when we looked at it we called a specialist out who said we could have chemicals injected into walls and inside plaster hacked off and replastered got another specialist out who told us it was the neigbours paving which had been raised which was causing the damp who advised us to put a ftench drain in instead thus saving us loads of money and it also worked.

weekendwarrior

Paul_the_Painter wrote:

Make sure you actually have a problem with your DPC before you do anything serious. Is there something on the outside that is bridging the DPC? could be a new flower bed, some wood resting against the wall etc. If it is touching the wall above the DPC and the ground it could be acting as a bridge. Also check that water isn't spraying directly onto the wall above the DPC from gutters downpipes etc. this can only really be done properly when it is raining, so get out there in the wet and check.

Some companies are much more ineterested in selling you a new DPC than solving your problem - I've been involved in three houses that had damp problems, in all the DPC had been bridged and the only remidial work required was some digging or chipping off of cement- If they are offereing a free quote they make no money telling you to get rid of the raised flower bed do they?

That is a bit unlikely on an internal wall.

davsidipp

weekendwarrior wrote:

That is a bit unlikely on an internal wall.

why is it unlikely on an internal wall are you an expert.

lozza_76

The damp is not on any walls which back on to the outside of the house - internal both sides. I think the plaster has bridged the DPC - we're considering removing the skirting boards and drilling a gap in the plaster then putting higher skirting boards back on.

weekendwarrior

davsidipp wrote:

why is it unlikely on an internal wall are you an expert.

Lets just say I know the difference between an internal wall and an external wall.

Imagine a detached house it will have 4 external walls, normally cavity walls.

Then there will be numerous other "internal" walls that make the other rooms of the house so the likelyhood of a flower bed or gutter from causing the problem is unlikely, Unless you have a flowerbed or gutter in the adjoining room.

It's not exactly rocket science so why do I need to be an expert!

davsidipp

weekendwarrior wrote:

Lets just say I know the difference between an internal wall and an external wall.

Imagine a detached house it will have 4 external walls, normally cavity walls.

Then there will be numerous other "internal" walls that make the other rooms of the house so the likelyhood of a flower bed or gutter from causing the problem is unlikely, Unless you have a flowerbed or gutter in the adjoining room.

It's not exactly rocket science so why do I need to be an expert![/QUOTE our house was built before 1960 and has a solid wall not cavity wall so i guess you dont know what you are talking about. and for your info the proffesional who said we needed a french drain was a surveyor for our insurance company. bridging damp courses is a common problem with damp but damp companies are just out to sell there products to people who panic like we did with ours. our french drain has been done for 8years now and no damp has returned.

weekendwarrior

davsidipp wrote:

our house was built before 1960 and has a solid wall not cavity wall so i guess you dont know what you are talking about. and for your info the proffesional who said we needed a french drain was a surveyor for our insurance company. bridging damp courses is a common problem with damp but damp companies are just out to sell there products to people who panic like we did with ours. our french drain has been done for 8years now and no damp has returned.

Are you for real?

Read my post!

I said "normally", I never said all external walls did not have a cavity !

You do not seem to be able to comprehend the difference between an internal and external wall. Why don't you go and get a surveyor around then he can explain it to you?


When you understand the difference between an internal and external wall, then I suggest reading the original post on this thread, which is about INTERNAL walls, You might then understand then why a flowerbed or gutter is unlikely to cause damp problems on an internal wall.