OT Damp Proofing

[Broadback]

Has anyone any views on or experience of Schrijverdampproof control ? TIA

[meow2222]

Clay tubes are available very cheaply as wine coolers or old fashioned fiel= d drains. Better to tackle the cause of the damp though, or at worst use a = more controllable method of drying that doesn't cuse heat loss when not nee= ded. I presume they're selling their pipes at daft prices.

NT

[Andy Champ]

I have had no contact with it at all, and the following article does not necessarily reflect my views.

Andy

"Damp-proofing

"I am having renovation works done on my 1870 house with help from the council. I'm considering having the damp-proof course done by Schrijver Systeem UK Ltd, and I wonder whether you would recommend it. The local authority is giving me some grant aid, and has sanctioned this approach to damp-proofing, but at my expense. PE, Southampton

"Jeff replies The Schrijver Systeem is the latest version of the discredited "Knapen tube", or "atmospheric syphon" system. At first sight, it may appear that drilling big holes in the walls and lining them with various ceramic or plastic gadgets is a reasonable way of allowing damp walls to dry out. But the principle is based on pseudo-science, and was disproved in the 1960s. There is no independent scientific evidence to show that these devices have any effect. I wonder what makes you think your house needs damp-proofing anyway? Unless you have had a proper moisture analysis using the method described in Building Research Establishment Digest 245 (020 7505 6622 to order a copy), then any form of damp-proofing is likely to be a waste of money."

[mike]

at the gallery of cack-handed botches on their website, it seems the buggers can't use a spirit level let alone match mortar or do a reasonable job of re-pointing, so you can only imagine that curing dampness might be something of a stretch for them.

[Dave Liquorice]

Not to mention that most of those places are fairly modern so would have a proper DP course in the walls anyway. A lot are installed very high as well, so if if they did work the bottom 18" of the wall in the room would still be damp. Did I say high, what is it with the ones at first floor level?

[mike]

It's a Dutch outfit so presumably it's OK to be "high".

As their website ambiguously says, "What lies behind our success?"

[Percy]

On Sun, 23 Sep 2012, "Dave Liquorice" writ:

A bit off topic but I had a knock on the door the other day from a chap selling subsidised cavity wall insulation. I like a challenge so I asked him why he chose my house to call at and he replied that he had been canvassing the whole estate all morning and either no one was at home or they all just said "No thanks"..

I politely pointed out that our estate had been built with cavity wall insulation already installed by the builders and his response was "Bloody hell!" as he stomped off.

[Tim Watts]

You think he could have guaged that from the approximate age of the estate?

[Percy]

On Mon, 24 Sep 2012, "Tim Watts" writ:

Maybe not. There are two estates back to back, built within two years of each other and one has insulation installed by the builder and the other does not. Circa 1982 - 84.