Damp proofing & removal advice/DPC/recommendations MEGATHREAD

[geared 302]

Alot of older houses were built to have some kind of constant ventilation, most people have issues when double glazing is fitted and trickle vents are not installed of left shut.

 

There are some more modern systems operating heat exchangers that let you ventilate the house without suffering a cold draft.

[dave1814 10]

thanks for the replies!

 

I guess if the DPC is being bridged it does need sorting though?

[geared 302]

thanks for the replies!

 

I guess if the DPC is being bridged it does need sorting though?

 

Only if it's actually causing damp.

They use a detector on various walls to get readings, noting down if any are higher than 'usual', but having higher readings from some machine and actually having a problem with damp are two totally different things.

 

If the house has been un-occupied for a spell or doesn't have good ventilation you could get higher readings.

 

Personally I'd leave it for abit and see if you notice anything, especially as winter is coming - you'll notice issues fairly quickly.

Chances are there's no problems and you'll just be chucking money away replacing the DPC.

[dave1814 10]

Also, i think the guttering and some of the roof tiles need sorting so that might be a good place for me to start!

[ttparsons 10]

Yes, start with any obvious cause of damp such as the ground being higher than the DPC, gutters and drainpipes, holes in the pointing, capped off chimneys with no ventilation etc. A long long time ago I was ripped off by a "specialist" company that injected the bricks and then had to get a builder to solve the actual problem.

 

You can get a moisture meter for about £15 but it does not differentiate between condensation and penetrating damp. Also a few % is quite normal and not necessarily a problem.

[rose06 10]

It's worth talking to your surveyor as they have to recommend everything that needs looking at in a formal report but can often give you more insight into the urgency or otherwise in a more informal chat.

[Dan_Ashcroft 10]

thanks for the replies!

 

I guess if the DPC is being bridged it does need sorting though?

 

Sorting the bridging is the key thing to do. Most other things will then sort themselves.

 

Expensive DPC injection and all that nonsense is a con. The slate or bitumen that your DPC is made of will easily be good for another 90 years. Just make sure you've got 2 bricks clear beneath the DPC.

 

That's obviously for damp low down on ground level. Anything higher up will be a leaking gutter or something

[dave1814 10]

So the simplest thing to do is excavate around the affected area?

 

thanks

[Dan_Ashcroft 10]

Yes - just look for the black line in the brickwork like this: http://www.preservationexpert.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Bitumen-DPC.jpg

 

And make sure there are two clear bricks beneath it before the ground level starts. Hopefully you will just have paving or soil to dig out, rather than concrete

[deelightful3 10]

as anyone recently had an older type terraced house damp proofed,if so how much was it and was there a lot of mess inside the house ?

[howard81 10]

Hi, I am one property landlord and have just lost my first tenants due to a condensation/ damp issue in the front room and the bedroom. Now the house is an old terrace but the walls are dark in patches. I had some solid wall insulation put inside the house and their are marks of darker patches where the wooden frame will be behind the wall and their are huge dark horizontal patches near the ceiling. It has got so bad that my previous tenant complained that their expensive sofa was wet from being pushed against the wall. Next door has an adjoining bathroom so it could be leak from their or could it be a gutter issue or just a change in air pressure so it is damper? The house has had the same in the kitchen but their is no issue with damp/condesation in their. The house has a new roof but the guttering I imagine has not been dealt with in a while. I want to get this sorted but am looking for general advice then a specialist in this area. Thanks.

[geared 302]

Yes definitely sort the guttering out if you think it needs attention.

 

Do the windows in the rooms have trickle vents in them??

Older houses need good ventilation to prevent damp.

 

Older places can have solid walls which can cause issues, if the damp isn't centred around certain areas like top of the outside wall, by chimney breast, around window frames or by the floor it does suggest poor ventilation is causing the damp issues and not water leaking in from outside.

 

There are various full house ventilation systems should you need it, but many issues can be solved by sorting out simple stuff.