Damp. Non motorhome related

andromeda

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Pretty please can anyone reccomend a damp proofing company near Stratford on Avon. Unfortunately it's still an open door (me), rub hands (them), 'Oh look grey haired female..this will be easy!', world!
 
Sorry can't resist so ill apologise first, for the old grey haired female try Tenna discrete. Other than that I'm stuck.😂
 
Buyer beware with damp companies.

We have damp and got in a expert who had no ties with any damp curing outfits as he couldn't honestly recommend any he knew of.

Still cost us £350.
 
If walls they drill and pump in silicon, floors must be lifted and a membrane put down before the insulation blocks and conrete top.
 
If stone walls use the correct plaster up to at least 500mm
 
andromeda said:
Pretty please can anyone reccomend a damp proofing company near Stratford on Avon. Unfortunately it's still an open door (me), rub hands (them), 'Oh look grey haired female..this will be easy!', world!
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'Damp' could cover a multitude of sins/problems. Is it a chemical damp proof course in the [ancient?] stone walls that were built before the modern damp proof membrane was invented? Is it a black mould infestation or similar on an internal wall [often where the outside of the wall is in an exposed position and the cold/moisture can seep through older walls]? Are the gutters/drainpipes sound/secure, or is water leaking into the property, causing fungus growth, a precursor to Dry Rot? Is the property floor at least 15cm higher than the outside soil/paving, otherwise rain water can bounce back up and cause damp, especially if there is no original damp proof course in the walls

The best option [so not the cheapest] is to get a Damp Check Survey from a national contractor e.g. Peter Cox that will identify the likely cause of the problem, and the quote will include a 20 year guarantee [might still be possible to get a 30 year guarantee but that will be more expensive] and will be a comprehensive service, laying dust sheets, plastic protectors, moving furniture etc [so that's Day 1 of the contract price spent] and a daily hoovering up of debris before leaving site. Then ask around/look at CheckaTrade etc locally for a local specialist Damp Proof Contractor and get references on the work. If you can live with a less pretty service [i.e. hoover up the dust and debris at the end of each day, and shift as much of your furniture as possible etc], so that you are paying for the specialist work of hacking off plaster, replastering after chemical treatment of any Rot and installation of new pre-treated timbers], you may well be able to save a lot of money.

Our Peter Cox quote was £18,000 in 2017; the 'do your own cleaning up' alternative, covering the same area of work, and same treatment, with nationally recognised chemical treatment, was £13,500. and the contractor has been back twice without charge to look at what turned out to be dead dry rot within about 18 inches of where the original treatment stopped! [the Peter Cox quote carried a warning that if further damp problems occurred outside the treated area, even by a few inches, the extra work would be chargeable. This is acceptable, because the rot is cut back until sound timber is found and then new half joists are spliced onto the original joists and old/new timbers chemically sprayed. The only viable alternative is to demloish the property, rip out every piece of timber and rebuild with brand new full joists etc, and the bill will be well into 6 figures!

Lastly, dry rot/damp is not covered by house insurance; insurers take the view that the problem arises from lack of maintenance ...

Steve
 
andromeda said:
Pretty please can anyone reccomend a damp proofing company near Stratford on Avon. Unfortunately it's still an open door (me), rub hands (them), 'Oh look grey haired female..this will be easy!', world!
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No harm in putting job up on mybuilder.
Will , at least , give you an idea of price range
 
andromeda said:
Oh do you need some? Will bring some to a meet for you; they often have new pkts of inco pants at the upcycling shop.
Sorry couldn't resist
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I don't worry about bulky pads. After struggling with a dehumidifier in my Y fronts, a bulky pad would be a luxury ... :rolleyes:

Steve
 
Okta said:
How old is your home and where is the damp causing a problem?
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Probably 130 years old. Damp is on a small internal wall between kitchen and a lobby with washing machine in. It's at the bottom. The external wall of the lobby I think is probably down to needed pointing. Dehumidifier yesterday produced a little water so I'm now hoping that it's trapped moisture rather than significant. Last time I was flooded the damp proofing was somewhat overridden.
 
andromeda said:
Probably 130 years old. Damp is on a small internal wall between kitchen and a lobby with washing machine in. It's at the bottom. The external wall of the lobby I think is probably down to needed pointing. Dehumidifier yesterday produced a little water so I'm now hoping that it's trapped moisture rather than significant. Last time I was flooded the damp proofing was somewhat overridden.
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I had what sounds like a very similar problem to about 25 years ago. The damp was due to the washing machine pump developing a small leak and water leached up from the concrete floor onto the internal partition wall.
 
Try to have some air movement within the area concerned, along with dehumidifier use.
 
andromeda said:
Oh do you need some? Will bring some to a meet for you; they often have new pkts of inco pants at the upcycling shop.
Sorry couldn't resist
Click to expand...
Yes saw the advert on TV, I just whang it off the side of the pan! Thank you for the offer though.😂
 
We have a 100 year old stone bungalow built onto the earth, and no DPC at all, last owner had the whole house pointed with a modern cement mortar they did a lovely job but totally the wrong material, they also had it gypsum plastered again the wrong stuff, we had it all re-plastered but the pointing will have to stay as it is really well done, and when we tried to remove it to see if it was viable it is a really tough mix and they raked the gaps too deep.

The walls are over two feet thick and no cavity to insulate.
 
The pointing in the external wall should be pretty cheap to do ( and could do it yourself if able). A bricky could do it if not.
Good luck!
 
Pudsey Bear said:
We have a 100 year old stone bungalow built onto the earth, and no DPC at all, last owner had the whole house pointed with a modern cement mortar they did a lovely job but totally the wrong material, they also had it gypsum plastered again the wrong stuff, we had it all re-plastered but the pointing will have to stay as it is really well done, and when we tried to remove it to see if it was viable it is a really tough mix and they raked the gaps too deep.

The walls are over two feet thick and no cavity to insulate.
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I had my first country home like that, injected with liq silicon from inside before the rough coat and plaster finish.
 
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