THIS is what damp proofing companies DON’T want you to know…

Spoiler Alert: This is going to be a controversial blog post!
Let’s start with what is probably the most misunderstood aspect of the industry – RISING
DAMP.

Is this a fiction invented by corporations for the purpose of increasing the sale of chemical
damp proof injection creams? While this might be an opinion shared by a small minority, the
truth is that Rising Damp does exist although it is less common than most damp proofing
companies would have you believe.

“Do I need a DPC?”

The existence of Rising Damp is dependent on geological factors and the absence of a damp
proof course does not automatically mean that Rising Damp will occur.
British Standard code of practice for the installation of chemical damp proof courses BS
6576:2005 stipulates that all other forms of dampness must be rectified prior to specifying a
damp proof course installation.

This means that attention must first be given to ruling out dampness caused by leaking
rainwater goods, defects to the external fabric of the building, condensation, plumbing leaks,
high ground levels, salt migration to name but a few. Once all of these factors have been
investigated and (if necessary) repaired, a sufficient drying out period prior must then be
observed. This can sometimes be up to and over a year! It is only at this point that a further
assessment can be made BEFORE recommending the installation of a retrofit damp proof
course.

Most damp proofers do not carry out the sort of remedial work required to ruling out all the
causes of dampness mentioned above. The reason being that there is no real money to be
made in doing this. It is far easier to convince an unknowing member of the public that their
moisture problem will be solved by a new damp proof course which comes with a
“guarantee”

Guarantees – Not worth the paper they’re printed on!

Ah, the DPC guarantee – never was there a more useless document. It really is unfortunate
that decades ago some of the larger damp proofing companies began the trend of offering
guarantees on the unnecessary DPC injections they were selling. Clearly this was done as a
sales tool which seemingly offered the consumer “piece of mind”.

In reality, it began the process of compromising the integrity of the whole industry as smaller companies also began
offering guarantees in a desperate bid to remain competitive against the larger corporations.
Shamefully, many of these smaller companies and tradespeople are now overlooked simply
because they do not or cannot offer a guarantee. Ironically, it is quite often the case that these
are the more genuine businesses who do in fact give the best aftercare or who are more likely
to honour a guarantee if one was issued in the first place. Why? Simply because they care
more about their reputation. Within a competitive industry the absence of the marketing
budget that the larger corporations have at their disposal means that reputation and customer
reviews are paramount.

Offering a guarantee on something that is dependent on so many variables is incredibly
convenient for the company. It is because of this that these guarantees are so difficult to claim
against. If you are being offered a guarantee, be sure to understand exactly what this
document covers. If there is mention of Rising Damp being covered then you must be certain
that the initial diagnosis was accurate – did your property really have Rising Damp in the
first place?

Houses built before or after 1875

Physical damp proof courses became a mandatory introduction into property building under
the Public Health Act of 1875.
Contrary to popular belief, physical damp proof courses rarely if at all fail unless the property
has for example, suffered significant movement which causes them to break and subsequently
become incomplete.

There is no known reason for a physical damp proof course to "fail", no “breaking down”, no
chemical attack, no oxidation, no weathering, and in the instance of houses with a slate DPC,
there is no mysterious undiscovered slate disease!

Properties built during the middle of the 20 th century often have a composite bitumen damp
proof course and these are incredibly durable and we have yet to find evidence of such
installations “failing”.

Remember: Wetness in walls may look like Rising Damp, but it is often due to other causes
such as plaster contaminated with salts, water seeping back under window sills or some of the
other “variable factors” mentioned earlier.

An injected DPC should really only ever be a last resort. If there is already an original damp
proof course in place, measures should be taken to ensure this feature is unimpeded so that it
continue to perform as originally designed.

Once again, the remedial work required to relieve an existing damp proof course is a more
labour intensive but less expensive contract that results in a permanent solution to what
could otherwise have been a recurring problem, if treated with a product that has a limited
performance. Given that the average guarantee (lifetime) for a chemically injected damp
proof course is 10 – 20 years, repeat business is the only thing that is guaranteed here!
At Avant Garde we do our very best to offer a balance between practical and economical long
term solutions, while observing the code of practice that all companies within our industry
should uphold.

We’re keen to set the record straight on a few of the fallacies surrounding dampness in
buildings and as such we are proud to be counted amongst the small number of businesses
who continue to operate with honesty and integrity.

If you liked this information, then let us know!