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Damp proofing & removal advice/DPC/recommendations MEGATHREAD

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Like the question says. Please recommend me a Damp proof specialist if you've had recent work done that you're happy with.

There are water on the wall because of damp which is quite old end terrace house built in 1895.

Need someone to give advice and quote about some damp in my walls.

So if anyone can recommend a good reliable specialist who do great work ON TIME and GOOD PRICE? I will be most appreciated! Thank you!!! please reply on here.

Anybody help. Thanks

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I'm a first time buyer of a property (standard terrace) in Sheffield and have a query about damp proofing. Specifically, one of the rooms of the property - living room looking out onto the street - was flagged up during the survey as having a damp problem. A 30-year damp proof certificate, issued in 1984, has been provided in the documentation, however it's by a company I can't locate "Damp-Proofing Specialists". Details on the certificate I have are:

 

Damp-Proofing Specialists, DPS, Agent for Sovereign Chemicals, Osmotic Electrical D.P.S. Systems (World Patented), Tel. Sheffield 341051, 338678,

 

Checked Companies House, Yellow Pages and general Google search to no avail. Does anyone know of this company and whether they've changed names or simply dissolved, and if the latter, any suggestions on what I should do regarding the damp?

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DPS used to be on Walkley Lane and I think Walkley road junction. I have not seen them for years so it looks like they well have gone out of business. Regarding the damp, have a survey done there are plenty of damp proof companies in Yellow Pages. Has the property been empty for a while? It may be just condensation. A bit of heating and ventilation will cure it.

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Retired is right, condensation is a big cause of high damp readings, doesn't mean there is damp.

Surveyors tend to 'cover their bums' when reporting on houses, If you want a second opinion and have access to the property, give me a call.

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I'd of expected the survey to give an indication as to what was causing the damp issue as the certificate is probably for the damp proof course . The damp reading could be caused by several other things, condensation, rotten window frames. bad pointinf to brickwork, leaking gutters to name but a few.

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we had the same type of certificate when we bought the house. it is for the damp proof course, you will see this on the outside bricks around 30cm above ground level as a series of metal pins in a row along the wall.

 

The damp problem could be anything, in living could be an issue with the cellar ventilation, condensation or a problem with the gutters allowing water to run down the house.

 

I'd give the person who did the survey a call and ask him some questions, when we bought our house I was on the phone to him for around half an hour going through the report and he gave us so much information and advice, they may know the cause and then you can decide whether you need to get a damp survey carried out.

 

Surveyors tend to 'cover their bums'
That's very true, they have to include things like this if there is a chance of a problem, you then need to take the initiative and find out the seriousness of any of the issues.

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Look into this carefully my cheapo survey did not pick up on this, the certificate I got for damp proofing turned out to be a mickey mouse one and meant nothing as the company did not exist anymore ( not the company you mentioned ) Result was all plaster took back in every room downstairs, titanium wire put in approx 1 foot high with electrodes to repel any damp and walls re plastered with anti damp solutions, cost a few thousand in all and mess is unbelievable but it has solved the problem 5 years on. The certificate I got I had insured for around £60 to cover even if company goes bust, personally if I knew then what I know now I would not have bought the house or at best researched the problem in great detail.

House looked fine for first year but then walls flaked and plaster falling off.

Hope that helps Jacko:)

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I'm a first time buyer of a property (standard terrace) in Sheffield and have a query about damp proofing. Specifically, one of the rooms of the property - living room looking out onto the street - was flagged up during the survey as having a damp problem. A 30-year damp proof certificate, issued in 1984, has been provided in the documentation, however it's by a company I can't locate "Damp-Proofing Specialists". Details on the certificate I have are:

 

Damp-Proofing Specialists, DPS, Agent for Sovereign Chemicals, Osmotic Electrical D.P.S. Systems (World Patented), Tel. Sheffield 341051, 338678,

 

Checked Companies House, Yellow Pages and general Google search to no avail. Does anyone know of this company and whether they've changed names or simply dissolved, and if the latter, any suggestions on what I should do regarding the damp?

 

In the 1st instance, I would contact Sovereign. They are a very reputable company and I believe have an arrangement where they honour guarantees issued by their approved contractors, even when the contractors are no longer trading. I'm not sure if it relates to ALL their products, but worth a try.

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Sovereign currently offer a 30 year guarantee on all their products and also, I believe, on the person who they have trained (?!) to use them. ie if the plasterer etc goes out of business or gets ill, his work should still be guaranteed through them. Or so we've been told.

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Hi,

 

The truth is damp proofing is a con, as they drill holes and inject either under pressure or a gel into the holes. The theory is great the reality is different.

 

One wants a complete barrier from rising damp, and the only one is an actual physical cut through the wall, and placing a membrane through it, this cutting off the damp completely. That is 100% guaranteed.

 

Injection is suppose to do this but the porosity of the bricks, crappy mortar and cracked bricks make it more hit and miss, as damp will be reduced but find its way round or through the new. Doing two rows helps more and three as you can guess gets expensive.

 

The fact is its not rocket science, first you drill a 10mm hole and with pressure injection into 2-3 inches in the brick and inject. IF it is gel then in a 9 inch wall about 8 inches, just tape the drill bit at the right length. The gel uses a gun, and you just squeeze the trigger. You can get the whole lot for a fraction of the price of the so called professionals, who are just after the money. A certificate is a worthless piece of paper, except is you want to sell, and then it means something till like you the next lot find the firm is no longer.

 

You can do a better job, and it’s done right, yourself, otherwise shell out hundreds for a bodge done in a few hours.

 

After it is injected the wall in theory dries out, the rate is one inch a month, so 9 months to see if it cures the problem, so the grab the cash and run brigade can then just fob you off.

 

Most builders are all mouth and no trousers like politicians; they are in it for the money.

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Can anyone recommend a good company to remove the damp patches in our house

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