Cracking The Damp Treatment Code ~ £10k Saving!
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- čas přidán 26. 05. 2023
- In the first of our West Country series, Roger visits Rosalind to see if he can solve her damp problems.
In this enlightening video, we're diving deep into damp issues in homes, revealing the importance of thorough diagnoses before jumping to expensive solutions.
Did you know you could be throwing away up to £10,000 on unnecessary damp treatments? It's a shocking truth many homeowners are unaware of, leaving them out of pocket and still battling damp issues.
We'll guide you through the complexities of identifying and addressing damp problems, equipping you with the knowledge to protect your home without draining your wallet.
You'll learn about various causes of dampness, how they can be mistaken for one another, and why fully exploring all possibilities is crucial to save money and effectively tackling the issue.
Every home is unique, and damp problems are no exception. Before investing in high-cost treatments, join us in uncovering the secrets of savvy damp diagnosis.
Let's keep your home healthy and your savings intact. Tune in to uncover how you can save up to £10,000 on damp treatments by understanding the importance of a comprehensive diagnosis. Don't let damp drain your funds; it's time to reclaim control over your home's health.
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#home #house #homeimprovement
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As a builder of 8 years i can really appreciate these videos - Problem solving is a real skill that requires a ton of experience and common sense, thanks roge!
I was at a house doing some minor plumbing when the damp proofing company came in with their meter and very quickly told the householder there was a lot of damp so needed tanking, replastering etc. I was there on my own when it rained and I saw a cascade of water coming off the roof because of a damaged gutter so water was going down the wall. The dampproof man never looked at the outside of the house.
This sort of useless guesswork is not untypical, particularly by sales based damp-proofers. Ironically moisture meters are only reliable for use with untreated timber. Here is a quote from the manufacturer (Protimeter) “Contrary to popular belief, a moisture meter is not a diagnosis tool. Rather, it helps an inspector make an informed call about moisture’s presence within a space or material. If your meter is giving you a high reading, that merits further investigation -- dampness may not be the reason for the measurement; metals and salts cause false-positive readings.” What is needed is a thorough investigation of the whole house to track down the actual sources/s of excess moisture, rather than concentrate on its symptoms (damp patch).
As a fully qualified plasterer who's done 100s of damp proofing jobs, there's a couple things I noticed with this property, the render has gone to the ground which is causing bridging problems also the plaster on the inside is also down to the ground which is also soaking up moisture causing problems, check render/pointing for any cracks which will allow moisture to pass through, also check window and doors are correctly sealed. if using a renovating plaster make sure you use breathable paint as well or will get problems, allow for plenty ventilation in the property, another thing to note plastering materials don't last for ever and will have to renew plastering work at times, just make sure you diagnose the problem first properly as there's different type of damp.
Gotta say, Roger, this might be one of your best videos.
I love all I watch from SkillBuilder, and I can't get chance to watch them all.
This one is real and any of us, I'm sure, can relate to so much of it.
Love your knowledge!
Great video. Reminds me of the "damp issue" in the living room when I bought my current house 30 years ago. As required by the mortgage provider we paid for one entire wall to be subject to damp proofing. About 18 months later we discovered what the real problem was - there was a leak in the bath drain which was directly above the living room. Simple to correct and should have been spotted by the mortgage provider surveyor.
Times move on but damp proofing scams remain constant.
Scam is the most appropriate word, that's exactly what they are.
Coincidentally, we had a similar story - our bath emptied straight into a 'coal house' that was adjacent to our kitchen wall. The surveyor missed it - but reported signs of damp in the kitchen. Of course, the damp-proof expert recommended a full treatment of the kitchen wall - neither spotted the real problem. I fixed the 'real' problem with the usual plastic fittings for a few pounds.
Before I even watched this video I could diagnose all the problems. Solid stone walls - check. Vinyl paint - check. Cement render - check. Gypsum plaster - check, bad drainage - check. Basically the full set there all the ingredients needed to make your house damp.
Roger pretty much nails them here so kudos to him - most builders are completely ignorant of old techniques and requirements, understandably - and he's absolutely right about damp proofing salesmen - selling crap with a meaningless guarantee.
Old property needs to to be breathable - if that sounds nuts it did to me too, but its beyond doubt - anyone with similar issues should grab a copy of a book 'The Warm Dry Home' > it absolutely explains all the causes of damp and solutions and might be the best £30 you ever spend if your older house is given you angst!
Your a good man Roger, the world definitely needs more men like you. Good advice
Good to see a knowledgeable honest tradesmen. They are bloody rare nowadays.
Great video Roger. We got a survey on our house that cost us hundreds and was rubbish. They didn’t look in the loft or lift drain covers and said we might need a new roof. In the end I got a local builder round and for £50 he did the lot. He said it was a great house, roof was completely sound. We have been happily living here for 15 years. Would never get a home buyers report again!
On the three properties we have bought I , as a builder, did my own surveys. Have seen too many surveyors talk bollox about house problems and half arsed checking. I was a builder btw.
Most surveyors are scammers, especially mortgage surveyors, if you don’t have to have one don’t.
@@WSMITHify Mortgage surveyors work for the lender, not you. The lender needs to know they will recoup their money if they have to sell the house.
Jeeeeeeeeze, thats an extreme example.
A good builder knows more than 95 percent of these surveyors. Real experience and expertise comes from hands on experience. I have two degrees one in construction management and one in building surveying, but I have worked most of my life as a builder.
Most of my knowledge was gained from being a builder and getting my hands dirty
Fantastic series, really good info Roger - wonder if you can do a 6-8 month follow up on Rosalind's house? looking forward to the rest in the series,
16:43 Natural ventilation at the time of building was aided by coal fires in fireplaces radiating dry heat in the living spaces from fires in excess of 800C, and creating total changes of air several times per day when the fires were burning. Today our CH systems or heat exchangers operate at 50C or less at the radiators to be safe to touch, and do not offer air changes or complete circulation in the rooms.
Great job Roger. Sort the drainage issues and vents is sound advice.
Spot on Roger. Always look outside at gutters, down pipes, drains and surface water. We had an issue where a surface drain and down pipe where running down the outside of the drain i.e. into the ground. £250 in materials and a weekends work, problem solved.
As an retired architect, I 100% agree. Most problems are leaking drains and blocked gutters.
The very reason so many old 16th and 17th timber framed buildings still exist is because they were drafty and no fancy moisture treatments applied to either the infill brickwork or wattle and daubing.They breathed very well.Ok they were buggars to heat but no condensation issues.Also they sat their timbers typically on hard stone peg points and "bund" masonary which was impervious to water.Much like we use class A engineered bricks today as the footings spring.
Use lime plaster on inside and outside (render)
Grateful for Rogers knowledge ❤️
Great video Roger and no doubt you’ve given the lady a lot of reassurances, what a nice guy you are ❤
Nice to hear that damp can be solved with these little tricks! What an honest, helpful guy!
Great service Roger. Would love to see some video updates of this project; including drains/damp remedy, utility room, kitchen, boiler, etc.
An awesome attitude! Thanks for sharing the content, Roger and SB team!
Good to see you giving real sound advice .
You are old school roger, an honest, quality tradesman .
There's not many of us left 🙂 when will you be posting the Cornwall barn conversion , cheers
Such a helpful video Roger, thank you so much.
We are having similar problems with our cob cottage and it’s more modern kitchen extension.
I love these videos too. I’m not a builder, but I love problem solving in my own home and it’s great watching someone be really methodical.
Hi Roger,good piece of advice to this lady,saved her from been ripped off .
Great Video Roger. Finally realised the damp problems in my daughters property now. Caused by some ‘builder’ installing a patio which breached her DPC and also closing off all the air bricks.
Great advice. Very straight talking and incredibly knowledgeable. Keep up the great work 👍
Cant believe this. Just about to start solving the same thing and this video pops up. Perfect timing.
Nice one Roger straight talking honest advice and opinions looking forward to updates and more of the same !!
A very worthy day of filming these videos. A great resource for anyone who needs some guidance in grading problems with damp.
Excellent advice given - get the water flowing away from the house. Point you made about using lime render was a point a plasterer once gave me when i looked at my ex's stone mill house conversion. Whomever had bodged it earlier on used cement based plaster or troweled on tube mastic that didn't let the house breathe.
One of the best videos you made! Great advice. You are a Mensch!
Great job Roger and only to pleased you managed to help Rosalind, going to make sure all my air bricks are unblocked.
This is an absolutely fantastic video! Very relatable issues for owners of old victorian houses :)
Good detective work Rodger. Very informative thank you
So many houses are ruined by work that isn’t necessary 😠😡🧱👍🏽
Not just any house but some absolutely beautiful period properties .. altogether detracting from our heritage and culture that’s half eroded anyway
Too many money grabbers out there but this video Is a great example of assessing the whole property for different water ingress rather than just labelling it " raising damp"
Well done Roger, really enjoyed this one. Keep up the good work.
Tim from Australia.
Commenting to support the channel. You are a true gent sir
Living in a Victorian house I really appreciate these videos. Air-flow is so important, as well as good gutters and drainage.
Brings back memories of work on previous homes. I am pleased I learnt a lot from good tradesmen ready for the next time. Sure helps when looking around houses before buying as my son found to his benefit!
This is such a fantastic video series Rodger. Very pragmatic advice
Very interesting content. So interesting how if these originally designed features are repaired so they can carry out their original tasks, the problems tend to go away.
Great Upload, and great Advice, i remember someone talking about ," Air Changes" in an old Edwardian Property, after Double Glazing was installed the people thought of a simple centralised unit pushing fresh air down from the loft , to flush out and dilute the warm damp air, but achieving that throughout a property would be a bigger job without duct work, a lad said just make sure as you said that the all Vent bricks are doing their Job and even put in a few more at a higher level then do go a head and install that unit , BUT Scalp a Half Inch off all the internal Doors to the rooms thus allowing the property to get air flows going and to breath ...
Enjoyable watch very informative Rodge
Brilliant, Roger. Please follow up on some of these so that we can see how your advice was used.
Nice one Roger.... there's a slight difference between rising damp and condensation...and sage advice regarding responsibility for restitution of the drainage issue for joint properties sewer.
There’s a total difference between the two
Great advice Roger, as usual you saved
the Lady a lot of money, keep up the good work. All the best.
This might go down as one of the most useful videos I’ve ever watched on YT.
Just brilliant 👍👍👍
Very sensible, superb advice. This sort of advice make people start thinking from a whole new angle! I would assume that this probably has saved thousands of £ of other many people (viewers of Skill Builder channel) as well.
well said roger great advice and guidance.
Loving this series Rog
As always, absolutely amazing content in these videos. A public service if ever I saw one.
Great video to get in the mindset of a builder inspecting a property. Useful stuff for the house I'm off to view with a big damp wall.
Wow, I really wish I'd watched your video earlier. I hired a damp proof company to treat for the damp issue in my house which came with a 10yr warranty. Just 6months later damp problem reappeared and the damp proofer did exactly like in the video - saying the damp is a different type and not under the warranty they provide. Thank you ror these great videos, I've learnt a lot from them.
Dear Roger and team, thanks for all the great content. First home renovation under way and you guys have been incredibly useful. Wondering what the board was that you mentioned for lining the utility? Thanks again!
I always find most damp is caused by broken gully pots or bad cracked connection to drains . Pot gully pots are heavy and settle over time and often cause collars connection to break . I did a front gully a few week ago again it had been chopped badly to fit onto the drainage pipe originally in the 1800s . It was replaced with plastic gully and rubber adaptor connector No more damp. . it's always a good idea to look in the pouring rain to see if the downpipe are filling up and the gully's are taking all the water off the roof . Make sure the water actually going into the gully not backing up or spilling over . Look in the manhole to see if it's flowing correctly .
Another one I did was a house build around 1800 again the drain went off at 45° from the pot gully which had a 90° outlet to make it fit the smashed off the bottom of the gully outlet pipe and the bottom of the drain collar and butted them together .
All the rain for 124 years had been seeping out the bottom of the drain and back under the suspend floor . A drain CCTV inspection only shows the inside of the pipe and the connect looked good but the external pot chipped off the connection caused the issue . The front door stone surround had dropped slightly near the drain and the damp around the subfloor increase during rain which pointed to the pot gully . The customer and the drainage company were skeptical about my diagnosis so it was exposed all the soil removed and first rain it became obvious it was the cause of the damp .
The house also had a damp kitchen in the rear extension floor outside wall had a cast iron soil stack to the bathroom above
to a pot slow radius bend below the concrete flags again just remove the flags exposed the pot bend and left it open it was obvious what the cause was the cast iron pipe had been cemented into to pot bend collar sewer pipe , the cast pipe had rusted causing the iron pipe to expand in the pot collar which cracked the pipe out of sight in the back side of the bend in the soil . So every time the toilet was flush the water would trickel out and under the kitchen concrete floor .
A plastic slow bend radius pipe was fitted and rubber straight adaptor collar was chopped off and new plastic soil pipe to the toilet with a access point on the bottom of the stack . No more leaking soil stack and the floor dried out within a month and all the damp went away.
Roger spot on with all he said often damp is a combination of lots of little things a few additional air bricks under the floor marking sure it cleans unobstructed airflow is possible also Louvred vents deflect water from getting in rather thank the open square type . New concrete damp courses in old houses don't work that well and it often takes months to dry out especially over winter . Damp is caused by excessive water in the area remove the majority of water and the damp goes away .
It's cause by leaking drain leaking gutters .blocked drains and gully pots clean them out by hand with a thick rubber Gloves ever six months
Make sure they are flowing freely sometime damp is causing by leaking water mains in the area if water is ponding utilities can sample test water and tell the difference between tap water sewer water or rain water . If it leaking water main utilities companies have listening devices which can pin point the leak often this service is free under leak lines the repair my not be unless it a shared communal Water main . Often the majority of this water leaks into the drainage system so if drainage is flowing permanently during in a manhole it's leaking water mains this is very common .
If you can dig and exposure gullies and clean out gullies lift manhole covers and crawl under floor do the detective work it . Often damp proofing not required it simple masks the problem it doesn't cure it . And sometimes damp is caused by ground water which can't be stopped it can only be managed and diverted .
I have similar problem and I’m looking for someone to help me diagnose the damp problem.Thank you, that was so informative
Would love to see you go back, or get some footage of some of the work discussed having been completed and an idea of how much better the place is. I installed Aco drainage myself, had the old lime mortar reinstated and used wet room plasterboard on the internal wall. Its worked wonders!
Very interesting and good advice 💯
Once you have dealt with gutters, drains, external levels, underfloor vents, The cement based external render is a big part of the issue as it doesn’t breath very well. Ideally a soft lime based render. Internally, the best product is one of the studded vertical DPC.
Refreshing to hear someone addressing the problems rather than trying to sell services
Very interesting Rodger damp in this country is very common 👍
Excellent practical advice.
Had a similar problem in my house when I bought it 35 years ago. I was told a damp course had been installed but there was clear evidence of rising damp. 4 damp eradication companies all suggested the same expensive remedial work. I discovered that there was a damp proof course one brick up from floor level and the house had then been rendered and plastered to the floor. The damp was being drawn up in the render and plaster. Removed skirting boards and tanked up to damp course inside and out, cut the render off to just above damp course and added a bell mouth and the problem which had been there for 25 years before we bought disappeared over night.
Top notch video
Good honest no bullshit advice Roger 👍
Such a helpful video, thank you 👍🏾
I'd clear all that foliage away from the house and get the ground levels down and acco drainage.
Sound advice from you as always, Roger.
Brilliant video. I've learnt a lot.
Love to know if she had all the work done you talked about and how the dump problem is now . Got to say Roger, great advice bet she was so relieved.
David
We will do an update
A combination of rising damp, condensation and salts. I reckon installing some decent underfloor vents and getting that soil off the exterior walls would help.
Helifix Patch Pins for the render. Pin the drummy render back with stainless steel pins which are then bonded to the render with resin. Only a drill hole to patch after installation. Save you knocking off the the old render and reapplying new render. 👍
It is indeed common for it to be condensation. I think a lot of people do their cooking with boiling water steam that hits the walls and turns to water again. Then people do a ton of washing and constant drying of clothes. But dont open windows. Not easy in winter i know, but they will dry faster with less condensation.
Excellent video.
Roger I think you are right to rescue this lady from the damp-proofers who had quoted 10K for rising damp treatment. Initially, all other potential sources of dampness (including: leaking drains, poor ground/paving drainage, faulty rainwater goods, rain penetration/splash-back, high ground levels, compromised DPC, faulty & poor detailing/finishes, inadequate sub-floor ventilation, service leakage, impermeable external finishes, etc, and in particular condensation) should first be considered, & where necessary addressed before rising damp treatment is further investigated. Where addressed, time must be allowed for subsequent drying out - roughly 25mm per month according to BRE.
Great video. Did she do the work and did it solve her problems?
Well done Roger, finally looking into the root cause :) If the building has been there since 1911, the key fact surely it has a physical damp proof course that has been bridged by the external render. Multiple layers of modern masonry paint, and modern render to the floor will not help matters and will need to be addressed, by cutting back and forming a bell mouth.
There is no dpc. It is sandstone so there is no uniform course to lay a dpc. That is why the DryRods could not be used.
I also don't like bell mouths because they catch the moisture. I think this building would be better off without the render but it is a semi and most of them are rendered with that rough cast.
@@SkillBuilder Hi Roger, surely if it's built in 1911 it would have a physical dpc? If it doesn't the building must be older. I agree with you it probably would look better off, but if the render is staying put, it needs at least 150mm removing at low level to allow evaporation, as the walls will stay damp. A bell mouth is the correct solution in this situation. Not sure what you mean by the bell mouth will catch moisture?
Very good advice.
The house I'm living in had the walls on one side injected and tanked because of damp by the previous owners.
But mould kept on coming and the plaster blistered behind the radiators.
That was because the cause was never taken away.
That was a soil level above damp course, with no water proofing and open air bricks under the soil level.
The wall cavity was filled up with rubble and the tanking mortar ended up on top of this rubble and dirt.
So moisture could keep on travelling from the soil into the outer wall and trough the open air vents into the cavity, soaking the dirt in there, and as a result the inner leaf got wet.
I took on the causes of the problem by removing the soil below DPC and opening up the walls in the worst spots to remove dirt and the tanking alike, which was very difficult as this mortar is hard as granite.
Also a leaking drain was taken care of and the difference in ground level is now taken up by a retaining wall with drainage behind 4 foot from the house walls.
This all resulted finally in dry walls.
Thank you very useful information. I hope your home is damp free now.
U must be well pleased.
Roger thank you so much for this video, I’am currently experiencing a similar situation in my new property that I bought a month ago. I have had different people quoting a lot of money even before visiting my property. Would you mind helping diagnose the root cause of my property damping problem if I send you the pictures of my property? Your video has given me hope!
Would be nice to do a follow up Roger on the house when it's done 👍
i remember David Bellamy , he got cancelled when he came out and said Climate change is codswallop
Great video!
Totally agree with you on this job roger👍 that company has tried to pull a fast one on this lady. Shameful 🤦🏻♂️
Unbelievable, a builder not taking deep breaths and scaremongering... Fair play to him.
Roger look into a cork render and I think you will be impressed for similar scenarios. I will get you some links to investigate further. Cheers 👍
French homes have had whole house powered fan ventilation since the 1970s oil shocks. Why? They are cheap, remove moisture without needing to open windows, dry air takes far less energy to keep warm than moist air (heating savings), less mould and condensation. It's comfortable, economic, cheap and healthy
Brilliant 👏
In the USA, a survey is not, what I think you mean to say, an inspection
Could we have a link to the suggested lime based render used to patch the external walls?
Topman Roger 👏🏾💯
You can also angle grind a level line all around in the external render and that stops water vapor accumulating up the outside and blowing the render from surface water
I’d be taking the render off altogether to expose that lovely sandstone. A bit of pointing and a clear waterproof spray would make it look beautiful.
I did think of that as an option. Who know what it looks like under that render but it is worth a try. Maybe do the back first and see.
All the wall vents in my house were either wallpapered over or the air bricks covered up, im guessing cus theyre quite draughty in the winter..
I am amazed that qualified surveyors still recommend these specialist damp companies.
So many obvious causes of dampness in that property. Did I see bamboo growing around the possible cracked drain?
Alright Roger, I have been gone in to Fit a Kitchen, outside Soil was up a gainsted the outside walls so I moved the soil from outside
Sound assessment (imo). Plenty to easily see & fix.
Damp needs to go out or down & away from the house. The customer needn't worry too much about her investment. £5,000 fix & carry on with the plans for the refurbishment.
Neglect seems the only issue.
Roger, help! Can’t see a video about this so here goes …. My daughter has just bought an old 1920s house and her survey report has indicated a high damp reading under the terrazzo floor in the hall. The surveyor has suggested this may lead to a sulphate attack on the concrete underneath. Is this something she should be worried about and, if so, what should she do about it? Thanks a lot for any advice. Phil
Similar thing happened to my ex-mother in law. Supposed impartial surveyor turned out to be affiliated to a tanking company. Difficult to find an honest adviser that isn't out to make money. You should start an inspection company Roger.
First, I always look outside, often the garden is higher than the interior floor , drains blocked.
To many plants blocking air flow out side .
I completely agree with you that it's a mis-diagnosed rising damp problem. Tanking is the worst solution as you just trap the moisture and for that I reason I would be recommending to Rosalind that she has all the render removed. There are numerous houses around where the stonework is all visible. Ventilation and humidistat are are a good idea in rooms. Waste of time in sub floor if you can sort out the air bricks as you said. I sent you an email about the hipped roof videos you've done with Dan - did you get it? We could also do a general video about damp.
Hi John
Yrs thanks we got the email and will be in touch soon. We are struggling to get our content out at the moment, there is so much waiting to be edited.
@Skill Builder as ever, here there and everywhere!! We also talked about disputes, expert witness work and I'm now a structural expert on Jacuzzis!!
Isn't a detailed home condition report and a report showing the condition of all electrical installations and an energy improvement report required by law in the UK when selling a home? It is in Scandinavia.
Is a humidistat an expensive dehumidifier ?
It sounds to me like a drainage issue coupled with a lack of ventilation solved very easily with a large dehumidifier inside.
That solved my problem. My issue is I don't open windows and have little permanent ventilation. Since the fireplaces were closed down of course morning condensation caused mould etc. the dehumidifier stopped that and reversed it nearly overnight.
Dig the garden over, resettle the ground making sure it finds a drain and bobs your uncle...
To test for Rising Damp do a salts test. This tells you the degree of hygroscopic salts in the evaporation line which indicates that ground salts have travelled with the ground water up to the point where pure water evaporated away, leaving salts behind. If there are high salt readings this is indicative of rising damp problem due to lack of or broken down damp proof course. All salt contaminated plaster should be removed as hygroscopic salts will even attract atmospheric moisture causing condensation issues.
Signed
An expert.
P.s. also that front render issue was due to that downpipe discharging into the ground .