DIY Damp Proofing?

Davesnave

markin wrote: »

I cant really see any drill hole pattern for cavity insulation. Should be easy to drill a hole on the inside and pull some out with some wire to see what it is, and if its dry.

I can't either.

Is there even a cavity? Someone better versed in brick bonds than me will surely know. CWI was a right scam when it first came in, with all sorts of dodgy types being involved. Just because there's a certificate, doesn't mean it was done!

PaulZero

markin wrote: »

The New air brick is under the floor boards isn't it? So the ground at the back of the house looks far too high.

Not sure, I'll have to do some measurements as to the position of the air bricks but you're right that the ground level is a bit high. When the house was built I believe the road was a dead end, with my house being the last in the row and just allotments beyond that so I'm sure a paved alleyway has increased the overall ground level.

Davesnave wrote: »

Is there even a cavity? Someone better versed in brick bonds than me will surely know. CWI was a right scam when it first came in, with all sorts of dodgy types being involved. Just because there's a certificate, doesn't mean it was done!

There's definitely a cavity, I've got the skirting board off upstairs and there's a hole through the inner wall into the cavity on the front of the house. I got my new endoscope yesterday and I can get in there for a peek but because it's right above the living room window I can't send it down to the bottom of the house; it just hits the expanding foam holding my window in place. Don't see any kind of insulation (unless we're using cobwebs these days) but I wonder if the expanding foam has blocked off a pocket above the window? I'll try and get into the cavity at the side of the house later on, no windows so ideally just a nice big cavity full of insulation.

stuart45

Davesnave wrote: »

I can't either.

Is there even a cavity? Someone better versed in brick bonds than me will surely know.

You can never be 100% sure from a brick bond, but my guess is that the cavity is broken by the back of the chimney which is often 9 inch solid brickwork with 9 or 13 inch jambs coming off it into the room. Now that fires are not usually used every day there is more chance of dampness showing in the plaster.
You also find that many properties of that period had the upper brickwork built in solid 9 inch brickwork and rendered or tile hung.

edgex

Do any of the nearby properties have blue brick (engineering brick) at the lowest level?

PaulZero

Okay so there's definitely cavity wall insulation, I've added a really dreadful photo of it to the OneDrive album linked above. It looks like some kind of loosely filled wool-like material though I believe this could be some of rockwool insulation which is hydrophobic?

No word yet on the DPC. I will go on the prowl for engineering bricks and slate later.