How treatable are the typical types of damp and are there any that can never be completely prevented or eradicated, e.g. in basements of old period properties? Rochester Building and Damp: All damp can be eradicated; never believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Damp encompasses a myriad of perceived issues within a property. It is … Read more
Rochester Building and Damp have recently featured as one of the UK’s leading damp proofing experts on a Q&A for www.sellingup.com Expert Q&A: Damp proofing – how far do you need to go to save your sale? Questions on damp proofing: What are the most common types of damp and what are the tell-tale signs … Read more
Damp proofing companies install a product. The individuals who perform such tasks have been trained in that particular task and nothing else. To conduct an accurate survey from which a report proposing works to rectify the causation requires the ability to draw a correlation between factors that can only be obtained from hands-on … Read more
Please explain the following terminology and it’s relevance to damp properties in Medway: 9″ imperial stocks, pointing, flank-walls, parapets, chimney-stacks and wicking Porosity and exposure; two fundamental elements in explaining the relevance of that particular terminology. 9″ Imperial stock bricks: 9″ is the length. Imperial refers to the measurement, i.e. imperial or metric. Stocks are … Read more
The impermeable chalk barrier, bridging of DPC, possibility of leakage from gully. What else is common amongst damp Medway properties? Location. Specifically the undulating landscape that encompasses all of Medway. Whilst not a problem in itself, properties are divided by being either on a hill, on top of the hill or at the bottom. This may sound simplistic in … Read more
“I think i’m right in saying, rising damp must be caused by rain-water or surface-water going into the wall at ground-level?” Wrong, but it is a reasonable assumption. It is the moisture content held below ground level that’s sandwiched between the chalk and concrete. You see, the amount of rainwater that’s in direct contact with … Read more
I thought chalk was good for drainage? Well, you’re right in some cases. If it’s broken up first, or it’s bored through with an auger to access a strata more suitable for drainage (preferably not clay) . It’s like concrete is great for drainage, if you break it up into hardcore first. Below: The … Read more
Is rain the cause of the all damp? Surprisingly, no. The South East remains comparatively dry in comparison to the rest of the country. Regardless of this, rain shouldn’t be problematic unless an underlying complication already exists in your property. Take Wales for example, it rains to some degree on an almost daily daily basis … Read more
Most properties in Medway appear to be afflicted with some form of damp. If you rule out an obvious cause of direct ingress, which may include: a missing roof tile, a leaking pipe; or there is a build up of black mould and lack of ventilation appears the most reasonable option then, what is it … Read more