Damp Proofing

[kaufman]

Never have I have felt more of an adult asking this but,

Can anyone recommend a damp proof company to talk to some work on a house?
Think it's going to be a chemical injection type deal that's needed but would love to chat to someone in the know.

Any recommendations would be great

[Talk Talk]

I thought that this was going to be about Tena Men.

Thankfully not, as Reg would have no doubt gone to great explanatory lengths on that one...

[kaufman]

Having just looked up what Tena Men was, I suddenly don't feel as old. Thanks

[Exiled Bob]

Are you sure you've got damp? Have a read of this.....

http://www.heritage-house.org/

[horlock07]

Couple of questions....

What is the house built of...

Where us the damp materialising?

Also recommend if it is rising  damp (often isn't) get an independent opinion.... Don't just ask one of the companies as they are trying to sell you something.

[kaufman]

Had survey done for a house. It's an old Tom Turner Old Town type.
Survey suggest damp proof maybe breaking down as some high level readings.
No visable signs though.

Difficult to get a rough cost at the moment as I think companies need to do their own surveys.
I just want to know if it's going to be closer to £500 or £5k but loathed to pay them for a survey and then get charged a huge amount.

Been recommended Damp Cure and Remtec so far but no idea what kind of price they charge

[Talk Talk]

Difficult to get a rough cost at the moment as I think companies need to do their own surveys.
I just want to know if it's going to be closer to £500 or £5k

My first house in Swindon was an old stone cottage in Stratton, had no damp proofing at all and I had a retention on the mortgage. I had to pay £5k yonks ago. Rentokil was the firm I seem to remember and it was a fucking mess as they had to take all of the plaster off the walls to do it. Probably better methods available now but there you have it.

[4D]

I had to pay nearly a grand about 20 years ago for a 3 metre stretch. I'll guess it'll be closer to the top end of your estimate.

[horlock07]

Had survey done for a house. It's an old Tom Turner Old Town type.
Survey suggest damp proof maybe breaking down as some high level readings.
No visable signs though.

Difficult to get a rough cost at the moment as I think companies need to do their own surveys.
I just want to know if it's going to be closer to £500 or £5k but loathed to pay them for a survey and then get charged a huge amount.

Been recommended Damp Cure and Remtec so far but no idea what kind of price they charge

Damp meters are only designed to give accurate readings in timber they are next to useless on plaster?

Is the house brick or stone and is it coursed?

High level readings? Where are they in wall and what is adjacent/outside?

Sorry too many questions.    I am a former council Conservation Officer and seen too many houses with entirety pointless DPC work.

[Exiled Bob]

Most "damp" problems are caused by poor ventilation - leading to condensation on the walls rather than rising damp.
As Horlock states, a lot of pointless DPC work is carried out. And it's not usually cheap either. I know from bad experience, having bought an old house in France 10 years ago - we had "damp", got some "specialists" in and paid about 10k€ on a DPC.....guess what? We've still got "damp" in the house. Since then I've done a bit of research and have come to the conclusion that we don't have, as originally diagnosed, rising damp - just a condensation problem caused by poor air circulation and not helped by various layers of shit that's been used over the years to cover up the walls (cement rendering, plasterboards stuck on the walls rather than leaving an air gap.....).

As it's a second home it's not a big problem because we only go there a few times a year and can put up with it. If I lived in it permanently I'd probably look at putting in a double flux VMC which I'm pretty sure would solve the problem.

[kaufman]

Damp meters are only designed to give accurate readings in timber they are next to useless on plaster?

Is the house brick or stone and is it coursed?

High level readings? Where are they in wall and what is adjacent/outside?

Forgive me as I'm not an expert, hence the question in the first place
Internal walls are a mixture of brick and blockwork and some stud partitioning.

They just mention high level readings on the ground floor walls which are not partition. It's a mid terrace. Thanks for the advice so far.
So is there a business/person locally that will give an honest assessment rather than just try to take me for a fool (which I am in this case)



Sorry too many questions.    I am a former council Conservation Officer and seen too many houses with entirety pointless DPC work.

[kaufman]

Most "damp" problems are caused by poor ventilation - leading to condensation on the walls rather than rising damp.
As Horlock states, a lot of pointless DPC work is carried out. And it's not usually cheap either. I know from bad experience, having bought an old house in France 10 years ago - we had "damp", got some "specialists" in and paid about 10k€ on a DPC.....guess what? We've still got "damp" in the house. Since then I've done a bit of research and have come to the conclusion that we don't have, as originally diagnosed, rising damp - just a condensation problem caused by poor air circulation and not helped by various layers of shit that's been used over the years to cover up the walls (cement rendering, plasterboards stuck on the walls rather than leaving an air gap.....).

As it's a second home it's not a big problem because we only go there a few times a year and can put up with it. If I lived in it permanently I'd probably look at putting in a double flux VMC which I'm pretty sure would solve the problem.

I'm hearing more and more stories about this and very aware I don't want to fall into that trap.
The fact nobody has lived in it for a few years apart from the heating being occasionally on must be having an impact also.

[donkey]

I'm hearing more and more stories about this and very aware I don't want to fall into that trap.
The fact nobody has lived in it for a few years apart from the heating being occasionally on must be having an impact also.

We had a company tell us we had damp, got another one in to check who said we didn't. Second bloke put the 'damp reader' thing on his hand and it shot up to the top. All it shows is moisture. We took the wallpaper off and left the bare plaster to dry. That was at least 15 years ago. No moisture at all now. And certainly no rising damp in a 115 year old house.

[Red Frog]

Most "damp" problems are caused by poor ventilation - leading to condensation on the walls rather than rising damp.
As Horlock states, a lot of pointless DPC work is carried out. And it's not usually cheap either. I know from bad experience, having bought an old house in France 10 years ago - we had "damp", got some "specialists" in and paid about 10k€ on a DPC.....guess what? We've still got "damp" in the house. Since then I've done a bit of research and have come to the conclusion that we don't have, as originally diagnosed, rising damp - just a condensation problem caused by poor air circulation and not helped by various layers of shit that's been used over the years to cover up the walls (cement rendering, plasterboards stuck on the walls rather than leaving an air gap.....).

As it's a second home it's not a big problem because we only go there a few times a year and can put up with it. If I lived in it permanently I'd probably look at putting in a double flux VMC which I'm pretty sure would solve the problem.

If the first home's in ?Saumur, where's the second one?

[Exiled Bob]

First one's near Angers (Ecouflant to be precise)....second one's in Ste Gemme la Plaine (La Vendée).