Do You Need Damp Proofing?

Many damp proofing companies will try and make you believe that “Rising Damp” is a genuine issue within your property, and that you need a new chemical DPC and vertical membrane to stop it.

The truth is that you do not need damaging chemicals applied to your valuable property.

The previous CEO of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors confirmed to their 40,000 members, that “rising damp” does not exist. This statement is easy to find on Google (search The Rising Damp Myth).

Before reading what you should and shouldn’t do below, please take a moment to look at the two photos of these bridge structures.

These structures along with thousands of others in the UK are submerged in water, and have thousands of gallons of water passing them, and penetrating into them on a daily basis.

If “Rising Damp” really exists, why are these structures dry above the water line?, why have they not collapsed?, and why do they not have useless and damaging chemical DPC’s inserted?

The answer is evident, Rising Damp does not exist, and therefore please do not accept that it does from somebody trying to sell you their useless product.

 

Before wasting a considerable amount of money on incorrect and useless materials, you may want to read the following information.

Chemical Injection DPC (Damp Proof Course)

Unfortunately there is a very large and lucrative industry built off the back of incorrectly diagnosed damp problems.

Everybody has heard the phrase “Rising Damp”. Well you maybe very surprised to hear that it is extremely rare that moisture will rise up from the ground on its own accord.

The vast majority of properties have been built with a DPC. This is designed to stop moisture from penetrating up past that point. Initially materials such as slate were used, which as we all know has been in existence for thousands of years.

Water will not penetrate slate, nor will it penetrate later materials used for a DPC.

Therefore why would you need a new injection chemical DPC?. The truth is that it is highly unlikely that you do, and the damp cause has been incorrectly diagnosed, probably in order to sell the company’s product.

Alpine Damp undertake literally hundreds of independent damp surveys every year, and we NEVER recommend a new chemical damp proof course to be injected.

Vertical Damp Proof Membranes (Damp Proof Membrane)

The standard practice for many damp-proofing companies is to inject a new DPC, and then to remove the plaster on the bottom section of the internal wall up to a height of 1m. Thereafter the wall is coated with a non-breathable waterproof membrane, and thereafter coated with a non-breathable Gypsum type plaster.

The reason for this type of damp proofing, is to stop it from showing, therefore leaving the customer believing that the issue has been resolved. In fact all that has been done, is blocked the moisture in the bottom section of the wall, and it has not resolved the issue at all.

Trapped moisture will cause an accelerated rate of deterioration to the pointing and brickwork, which in time will need constructive rectification.

All solid wall properties need to “Breathe” internally and externally, and therefore to cover the wall with a non-breathable vertical DPM is only ever going to be damaging to the property.

Alpine Damp never recommend to install a vertical DPM, accept in certain circumstances within a basement, where a retaining wall may need protection, however this is a last resort after moisture extraction techniques have been exhausted.

Alpine Damp undertake totally independent surveys, and are not connected or associated to any remedial rectification companies.

Therefore you are assured of a service that will provide the true cause of the damp, which in many circumstances requires relatively inexpensive repairs, that will cure the problem.