Surveyor's

[stuart noble]

I suppose wallpaper is out of the question then?

[G&M]

"stuart noble"

[John Rouse]

In article , G&M writes

No, its still relevant. They haven't found a single case yet. Indeed one group built brick pillars in a swimming pool in an attempt to investigate rising damp, and could find no trace of it. If your water table is so high that your footings are standing in water, then dampness is the least of your problems - getting to your car is going to need wellies at the least.

Most moisture in such situations comes from condensation on the cooler stone.

[John Rouse]

In article , G&M writes

French drains are pretty outdated technology these days. There are good geotextiles that will stop silt getting into a drainage trench, there are some good drawings of this on Cormaics site.

John

[John Rouse]

In article , OldScrawn writes

No, as it undoubtedly isn't, unless your house is built in a river. Even in my house, where there is a spring under the floor, the only dampness is where the outside soil is against the cellar walls.

John

[G&M]

Well I can show you water coming out of a floor up a brick internal wall quite happily.

True. If you live in a field you expect it.

Sorry but that's not true. Condensation would rise from the inside and work outwards (and up) whereas damp tends to start on the outside and work in (and up).

Only solution now permitted by clued up conservation officers in listed buildings.

[G&M]

Agreed. Am using one. But it's still a French drain, isn't it ?

[jjavanda]

Thanks for all the advice,

Having taken stock and surveyed the above issues in full, it is clear that some of the guttering requires attention (as there are a few minor drips here and there in rainy conditions). However, this does not explain the severity of the damp problem in the kitchen, the damp patch is visible even when it is not raining - (patch is from floor upwards).

As explained earlier there is no evidence of any dpc in the kitchen, would it be a complete waste of time (and money) to get one of these dpc companies in or who would be a better alternative?

Thanks

[Jerry Built]

You'll have to do a little investigation and DIY!

Where the damp course is bridged (rendered over, paths built up, plants, flower beds etc.), remove the bridging. Reduce the level of the outside to below DPC (two brick courses ideal, one is likely to suffice, though).

Note that it is possible that the DPC is bridged inside the house - you may have to lift a few boards if so and remove debris.

It has been known that people remove suspended floors and replace without putting down a damp proof membrane. If so, hopefully they've shovelled in a load of gravel, and not concrete!

J.B.

[RichardS]

this is entirely possible. When replacing the downstairs flooring recently I removed about 20 rubble-sacks worth of debris and building waste. Some of this certainly bridged the slate DPC. It also blocked the air bricks - looks as if it was simply pushed in by whichever conciencious workman installed the air bricks in the first place...

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

[Ed Sirett]

Is it at all possible that there is any sort of water supply pipe buried in the floor?

[jjavanda]

It is a solid concrete floor that has water pipes embedded into it. Another worrying thing is that the walls are covered in a variety of cements, pink, grey and white??? The floor is very cold to the touch, as I explained the dampness seems to be confined to a very small part of the kitchen. Is there any way of identifying wether the pipes are leaking without ripping the floor up?

Another possibility I am seriously considering is taking all the plasterwork off, right back down to the brickwork and then hopefully i should be able to see evidence of any sort of dpc (non is visible from outside).

Thanks Jaz

[Rick Dipper]

I guess you have a terraced house and your kitchen is a single story extensions. Often these were bodged on, and are single skin brickwork with no damp proof couce. Not the sort of post-purchase discovery you really want.

Don't worry, even if you had paid the extra for a full survey, and they guy did not find it, you would be in the same situation, but 1000 pounds less in your wallet for the survayors fees.

Rick