We are damp-proofing specialists. Below is every service we provide, and how each treatment works — starting with the basics of a damp-proof course.
Despite appearing hard and solid, a wall-brick is like a sponge, soaking up ground water through the porous fissures that permeate it. A wall absorbs water until natural evaporation equals the capillary forces — typically to a height of about 1.2m. This is rising damp.
To arrest the upward movement of water, an impervious material needs to be put in its way. Like a rubber sole on a shoe, a damp-proof course (DPC) simply stops water’s capacity to rise against gravity. A DPC can be bitumen-soaked hessian, high-grade plastic, slate, a chemically injected solution, or metal — the layer just has to be waterproof and durable.
The vast majority of buildings we deal with have a DPC that has been breached rather than failed — some interior or exterior works have allowed water to by-pass the membrane. When we survey, we find the problem, and we can usually fix any breaches relatively easily and cheaply.
Chemicals injected along the mortar joint make the brick impervious to water and prevent moisture rising. A cheaper alternative to physical DPC, finished with salt-retardant render. Carries our 20-year written guarantee to PCA standards.
A physical DPC far out-performs its chemical equivalent — the Building Research Establishment confirms it’s the only sure method to cure rising damp. We cut a groove, bed in a new course and repoint. Guaranteed 50 years; never once repaired in 60 years.
Turn a damp, cold cellar into a dry, habitable space. Four methods — cavity-drained membranes, cementitious coatings, liquid-applied membranes and multi-coat renders — matched correctly to your property.
Damp-proofing areas where water ingress is a problem: holding back water pressure, or channelling water away, combined with the right damp-proofing solution.
Rot decays timber in contact with damp. For dry rot we expose the area, identify and fix the moisture source and replace affected timber; wet rot is usually simpler, needing the moisture source removed and timbers replaced.
Infestation is common in damp buildings where timber is a food source for woodworm and boring beetles. We correctly identify the insect and apply the right treatment to control and prevent further attack.
Rising damp leaves soluble salts that stop ordinary plaster drying. Our own factory-tested DR5 salt-retardant render (to BS 1881) is applied to 1.2m, then finished — an essential part of a lasting cure.
A fully-qualified surveyor visits, diagnoses the real cause, and emails you a full written report and quotation. Just £70 + VAT — fully refunded if you go ahead.