Cracking The Damp Treatment Code ~ £10k Saving!

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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[samueldean]

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!

[richardlewis]

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.

[robd]

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!

[EdithWeston]

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,

[justinstephenson]

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.

[ConorMakes]

Your a good man Roger, the world definitely needs more men like you. Good advice

[celynjones]

Great job Roger. Sort the drainage issues and vents is sound advice.

[rumtumbugger]

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!

[tikaanipippin]

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.

[crazykittenvideos]

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!

[glennpowell]

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.

[mikeg]

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.

[ymiteii]

Nice to hear that damp can be solved with these little tricks! What an honest, helpful guy!

[alec]

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

[maxw-h]

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.

[s.wilson]

Great service Roger. Would love to see some video updates of this project; including drains/damp remedy, utility room, kitchen, boiler, etc.

[justmeEnglandUK]

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 .

[CEO]

Great video Roger and no doubt you’ve given the lady a lot of reassurances, what a nice guy you are ❤

[garywood]

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.

[markthomasson]

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.