Dampmarkings on walls

[MdB]

Conversely, Conserver, the addition of a concrete floor + DPM into an old house can cause damp in the walls as the DPM is unlikely to have been fitted through the walls. The DPM stops moisture from evaporating from the floor which gives you a nice dry floor but increases the water content under the floor and hence under the walls as well. This is what had happened in my house and led to failed plaster on the bottom 200mm of all the internal and external walls. Often removal of the concrete floor + DPM and replacement with limecrete so the floor can breath is a better solution.

Having said that, we have just fitted a new concrete floor + DPM in the house as we have also replaced the walls so could fit the DPM underneath both the floor and the walls. We have also left a large gap next to the old walls which will be filled with limecrete so as to hopefully leave a large area for evaporation.

 

[Penners]

But it's worth mentioning that installing a DPM in a period property is not always an advisable solution. Installed inappropriately, a DPM can force ground moisture to migrate sideways and exacerbate damp problems in walls.

 

[conserver]

That is the problem with giving short answers to often complex problems on forums! You are correct, the moisture can be moved beneath the slab towards the walls, dependent on the subsoil will depend on the severity of the effects. My point was the potential of plaster bridging/wicking. One would hope that the remedial company would guarded against this.

 

[Schoolmarm]

It sounds like the damp proofing company have c#cked up.

They have sprayed and painted a load of rubbish on the walls after using a completely inappropriate method.
They want a good slap and especially having the cheek to show you that the wall is dry under the plaster. Of course it is, it was probably dry before they started faffing about with your house.

Lets hope that the next few years see the complete demise of the damp proofing industry.

 

[Penners]

Lets hope that the next few years see the complete demise of the damp proofing industry.

W-e-l-l... babies and bathwater. Ethical and knowledgeable damp treatment companies have their place. It's the cowboys who need roundin' up and hog-tyin'.

 

[northgate house]

Thanks for all of your reply's.

I forget to mention that the company came back and applied a bitumen type/based product to the walls during the last 2 years.

I am sorry for my ignorance but I am getting slightly lost/confused to what to do next other than it is totally clear in my mind to take the company to court but I believe this will be a costly exercise and will probably result in Clint's & John's brother worming his way out of this and flitting ranch elderado.

Many thanks

 

[MdB]

I think you are at the stage of getting an expert in to look at the problems and to advise what to do. What you want is an expert in old houses that doesn't get a back hander from the damp proofing companies. SPAB should be able to help you out with finding someone suitable.

 

[Schoolmarm]

I think you are at the stage of getting an expert in to look at the problems and to advise what to do. What you want is an expert in old houses that doesn't get a back hander from the damp proofing companies. SPAB should be able to help you out with finding someone suitable.

Agree. And don't let the baddies back in your house for ANY reason. 8)

 

[Penners]

Northgate House -whereabouts in the country are you? Someone on this forum may be able to suggest a reputable expert.

 

[Moo]

whereabouts in the country are you? Someone on this forum may be able to suggest a reputable expert.

This is a question that has to be asked so often.
Is there any reason why, when joining the forum, it shouldn't be mandatory to give some idea of location? It needn't be all that specific - just the county or region.

 

[Nemesis]

Some people may prefer some anonymity.

For most questions, it's not really relevant.

 

[Flyfisher]

County information is pretty anonymous yet could often help when people ask for supplier recommendations or local expert help.

 

[Moo]

Or even regional. Something like Nickname + Southwest would be pretty anonymous, surely.

 

[Penners]

Is there any reason why, when joining the forum, it shouldn't be mandatory to give some idea of location? It needn't be all that specific - just the county or region.

I do so agree. I've posted on this before, to no good effect. But that's OK. I'm used to being ignored - I get a lot of training at home.

If all posters just included a rough indication of their location, it would help tremendously in getting more "finely tuned" answers to their questions, from those in the know.

A great deal of period property detail can vary tremendously from region to region.

 

[northgate house]

Sorry for delay in getting back.

I am in East Yorkshire.

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

[northgate house]

Someone suggested if I could leave the walls until next summer, unfortunatley I need to act faster than that.

I have studied the advice from the forum (of which I thank you all).

I am thinking of now to either:

hack off the walls and have them plastered with lime

or

hack off the walls and apply render (cement)

My thoughts with cement is that I beleive the damp proof is probably sound?? and to apply cement will stop water marks coming through.

I am now arranging for a quote for the lime plaster.

If anyone can suggest an alternative or a competent person to do this please could you let me know.

Many thanks

 

[MdB]

Why the rush?

(I assume you are talking about the inside walls)

Cement will trap the moisture, increase the water content in the walls and will likely crack producing a damp patch.

Lime will be more expensive in both time and money. If you go the lime route, make sure it is lime only with no cement in it at all.

Both solutions maybe unnecessary. What is on the walls at the moment?

 

[conserver]

Dependant on what type of tanking was applied, bitumen or cement/resin based, etc, will dictate the suitability to the material you can use once the existing plaster is removed. For instance, problems will be encountered when trying to get lime to adhere to any of the two systems that I mentioned.
Furthermore, I witnessed a project where a cement/resin based tanking system had been applied and failed due to the system not being compatible with the lime mortar. The tanking simply came away from the mortar beds and joints but adhered to the stone. The defect presented itself as a myriad of tiny patches where it had failed.
To conclude, despite questioning the wisdom of tanking the walls in the first place, if the taking is not defective, what is the point of re-rendering with a cement based render. I would advise that the defects need investigating by some competent person before you spend anymore money.
Good Luck.
Lee.

 

[northgate house]

No real rush, but the walls are really getting to us now.

Everytime you look at them it really gets you down.

I just really need to put closure on this whole bad episode for both my and my family's sanity.

The product used was alledgedly from a company called biokil crown.

The walls currently have plaster on them.

Thanks

 

[Gareth Hughes]

No real rush, but the walls are really getting to us now.

Everytime you look at them it really gets you down.

I just really need to put closure on this whole bad episode for both my and my family's sanity.

The product used was alledgedly from a company called biokil crown.

The walls currently have plaster on them.

Thanks

Tough love warning you may not wish to read further:

That would be these people, then: http://www.biokilcrown.com/

They supply it (almost all of it completely unsuitable for a house built c.1800), but they don't apply it (sensible chaps, it lets them blame the applicators when it goes wrong). Whoever did apply it is a charlatan and they've taken your money. Sorry, but that's how the "damp-proofing" industry works. Next time you hear something about how the conservationist lobby all suck their hollow teeth and tell you it won't be easy, and then go for "airy fairy" solutions, just bear in mind that very little in life is easy.

I doubt you'll ever now get the problem solved to your satisfaction, but I hope at least that you'll warn the neighbours not to fall for the same half-truths.

I do feel very sorry for you, but, not only are you not alone, there's another one born every minute.