It’s all very well specialist damp-proofing contractors making promises, to solve damp problems and eliminate timber infestations. The thing is though, on what facts are these promises based on? To find out, I spent a couple of days at Safeguard Europe’s UK headquarters in Horsham Sussex. I found the semi-industrial unit on a none descript […]
Doctor Eric’s paper – nails the coffin lid on the rising damp ‘myth’.
15 Jun 10 by
It’s refreshing to know that talented people are working on solving preservation problems. Dr Eric Rirsch’s new paper on the issue is a fascinating and detailed study, which should be at the top of anyones reading list. The most striking thing I found is the way mortar type effects how damp rises. As a surveyor […]
The Rising Damp myth is….a scandal; like yesterday’s MMR scare.
06 Jun 10 by
Rising damp is a myth, some say. Not many really think so; that would be stupid, but those who believe this nonsense seem to have the ear of the press and the ear of RIBA and RICS too. So instead of being drowned out by howls of derision from the those who really know about […]
Cheap and Easy Damp-proofing (which wont work).
15 May 10 by
A week or two ago I surveyed a house in York. My client is buying the place so of course he wants to know that the house is free of rot and damp. My standard damp and timber survey revealed some minor wet rot (Asterostroma species), some harmless timber infestation in the roof, (Ernobius mollis), […]
Ratio of Rising damp to condensation in rented and private housing.
05 May 10 by
Damp is a complex area and houses vary – so why are some dwellings more prone to damp of one type or another? To complicate the issue, it’s not just about housing design and construction, but also the way a house is lived in – yes, sometimes it’s down to the tenant or occupier, other […]