Although many damp proofing contractors would have people believe otherwise, it is a fact that failure of an existing
damp proof course is rare.
Only 10% of all damp problems are to do with so called "rising" dampness and these include ancient houses
never built with a damp proof course.
This means 90% of unwanted dampness is nothing to do
with an alledged failure of the damp proof course and this
should be the last thing to be considered.
Dampness cannot be proven by electrical meters alone.
Such meters are a useful tool only in helping identify areas
requiring further investigation.
Anyone specifying damp repairs based only on the readings of an electrical damp meter should be shown
the door!
Contractors who state otherwise are misleading their client.
When investigating damp problems within a property a competent surveyor has many tools
at
his disposal but should never rely upon just one for an accurate diagnosis.
It is worrying how many surveys are undertaken using an electric damp meter alone, an instrument designed
to
measure the moisture content in timber and not masonry.
There are many other elements other than damp that can cause a meter to display high
readings, certain types of concrete block, metal foil backed plaster board, wall
paper paste and hydroscopic salts to name a few.
To undertake remedial repairs
without profiling a wall to include taking and testing
core samples from within the wall
itself is considered ill-advised.
A chemically injected DPC may
very well give the impression of having resolved a damp issue but it is most likely
the true cause of the problem is
allowing damp to slowly work its way to the surface again.
It is highly likely that a
Chartered Surveyor would soon identify an ill-advised attempt at remedial worse should
you look to sell your property in
the future.
We have seen countless damp and
timber reports that advise a chemical injected damp proof course be installed
whilst at the same time
recommending external ground levels should be lowered or guttering fixed,
these after thoughts are normally
the true cause of the damp and are far cheaper to address.
We have at our disposal carbide
meters, moisture meters, relative humidity readers, salt analysis test kits,
thermal imagery, aerial and drone
photography and off-site laboratory testing of core and surface samples of masonry.
Although many damp proofing
contractors would have people believe otherwise, it is a fact that failure
of an existing damp proof
course is extremely rare.
Only 10% of all damp problems are
to do with alleged rising dampness and these include
ancient houses never built with a damp proof course.
This means 90% of unwanted dampness is nothing to do with failure of the damp proof
course
and this should be the last thing to be considered.
Rising dampness cannot be proven
by electrical meters alone and anyone specifying works based only in this type of
analysis should be shown the
door!.
Such meters are a useful tool
only in helping identify areas requiring further investigation.
Contractors who state otherwise are misleading their client.
Condensation is the most common
cause of dampness in UK properties yet it is often mistaken for rising damp.
It is alarming how many
properties have been chemically injected with a new damp proofing
system when condensation was the
problem all along.
Black mould will often form on
cold spots such as the lower corners of walls and bay windows, giving the
impression of something coming
from below ground.
Correct analysis would determine
the existence of condensation
and allow a proper remedy
to be employed
To prove "rising" dampness would require
laboratory analysis of wall samples.
Every year thousands and thousands of pounds are
wasted or either unnecessary or inappropriate repairs to properties in the UK with supposed rising damp.
But please, don't take our word for
it.....
THE
SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS
"According to Douglas Kent, Technical
Secretary of SPAB, the inappropriate installation of damp-proof courses to combat rising damp accounts for much unnecessary work on old buildings.
True rising damp is rarer than commonly
perceived
but is regularly misdiagnosed.
In the SPAB's experience, mortgage lenders
can
demand unnecessary damp-proofing work during house purchases.
Although chartered surveyors have a duty
to follow a trail of suspicion, some simply pass all responsibility onto remedial treatment contractors with a vested commercial interest encouraging over-specification.
It is worth challenging
any recommendation you believe is questionable and, if necessary, seeking a second
opinion in writing from an independent chartered surveyor or consultant (note, not contractor). "
ITV
HOUSE OF HORRORS
"Damp is a fertile area for rip-off traders
as
the very word can set alarm bells ringing and panic householders into paying anything to have the problem dealt with.
In reality, many older properties
in Britain have some form of damp within the structure, but often this does not need serious remedial work to treat.
As you can’t see what is really going
on with damp you do rely on the damp-proofing company to be honest."