Becoming a damp proofer!!

[gregers]

i used to use the gravity feed system with a (big)preservation firm i used to work for,personally i didnt think it ever worked,but ive used a lot of methods over the years i personally thought the best method was using a spirit based dpc fluid at high pressure,and watching the moisture being forced out and a dark line of bricks being left behind,
we used to have a large number of skeptics on a few refurbs ive worked on sounding off about it not working,i just used to get a brick drill a hole and inject it in front of them,they soon changed there minds when they could actually see the fluid spreeding through the brick,
ive just recently done a part refurb on a flat where i work and that had a dpc installed years ago(yep it didnt work)because they didnt do it properly just drilled through the bricks into the cavity and yep youve guessed it the cavities were well and truley full up,i could never understand why some firms insist on injecting BOTH sides of a cavity without even checking if it was full,when the best way is clearing the crud and injecting the inside skin.
there will always be discussions about this line of work,with a lot of peeps saying that rising damp does not exist but if thats so!why do we install dpm/dpc whenever a floor or wall is installed?

 

[joe-90]

I too have seen the brick turn a darker red and the beads of water forming on the brick in little droplets. Hopefully, the doubters will now believe us.

 

[JerryM]

joe-90 there are some and i include u and me who live and work in the real world.

there are many who like to advise. when the time comes for them to put their neck "wallet" on the block u won't see them for dust.

leave them to use words to their hearts content - they are simply failed lawyers.

i've no time or inclination to get sucked or gravity fed into this argument when in all arguments both parties are right to some degree and even when the true position is apparent the advisers can still not see the wood for the trees. only my own opinion - must go and dig out this gravity pump - i bet that'll brighten up my next customer’s day.

In terms of andy’s initial request as I said before and will put my wallet on it (thin i might add) - sovereign is a good option to investigate - ask to speak to Ivy.

 

[JerryM]

Andy,

just thinking about this a bit more - plastering inc rendering is a big part of the job - u really need to be able to do this yourself otherwise paying somebody else is not ideal particularly trying to get job timing aligned to when it's needed.

get some plastering experience 1st before deciding further - plastering is quite a hard job and it would give you an idea as to whether you’re suited to this type of work.

ideally u need to go to college or if any friends of friends etc know of a plaster that u could labour for (a lot is in the mix and just watching).

also it's useful to be able to bricky (an example on my current job - knocked plaster off chimney and the whole lot near as dam it collapsed)

if u ever to get their let me know as i'm happy to share my experiences - the ones from putting other peoples damp work right (i don't take any pleasure in it by the way only the valuable learning "experience").

 

[Joe Malone]

Oh for heavens sake - I've SEEN it. Gravity systems don't replace water out of a saturated brick - go try it.

I'm not saying you haven't seen it Joe, but so what. Lots of people have seen it but I find it amusing that you somehow think it's significant. I could pump custard into the wall under high pressure and it would force moisture out of damp brickwork.

Does that mean the custard will damp proof the wall. The point I've always made is that it's not relevant to how these systems work but people like you seem to take comfort from the fact that they can see moisture oozing from the bricks and then make the tenuous link that the system must be working.

 

[joe-90]

Try dipping a piece of chalk in wd 40 and see what happens. Tell me it's not waterproof afterwards.

 

[Joe Malone]

Try dipping a piece of chalk in wd 40 and see what happens. Tell me it's not waterproof afterwards.

I don't think anyone on here could have ever found it so difficult to follow the thread of someones reasoning. What has this point got to do with pressure injected systems or have you now dropped the original point and are just saying that it works because it's waterproof? Following the thread of your original argument you should have said try pressure injecting WD40 into a piece of chalk. There's lot's of reasons the industry is moving away from pressure injected systems and using aqueous creams like Dryzone. Your argument is littered with unexplained misinformation and your approval of high pressure injection is about fifteen years behind current technology.

 

[joe-90]

No it's not.

 

[JerryM]

Andy,

one last thought. supply and demand is vital for me. on damp proofing the supply is drying up - they just don't make em like they used to - that dam plastic sheet between the bricks is a right evil.

really - all of my work is in old houses - those built before dpc and dpc works a treat. i don't see demand being that strong going forward a few years.

i raise this as i've just had cavity wall insulation - looks a breeze of a job and plenty of demand. the guys recon solar panels will take off soon (i think more later than sooner they were very blue sky on this) - i could see the notes in their eyes - loving it. They had a massive van – far bigger than my mean machine.

just check it all out before jumping in err I mean gravitate in - i've not looked back but the work suits me and i have plastering to fall back on.

 

[ginger100]

I am one of those so called experts that customers click their fingers at and then expect me to use some sort of invisible force to gain a total and accurate resolution to all their problems,

first of all the use of the word expert doesn't mean a thing thats just a declaimer used by the customer to say you take all the responsibility stick your neck out go ahead and make every possible test there is to make ( but we don't want to pay for your expertise at all then if you diagnose anything but a perfect resolution we will sue the life out of you and see you in the poor house) no hint of cynicism there then, and when I come across failed dpc work bad survey reports and downright cowboyism it makes my blood boil because its these people that are responsible for not being responsible and us conscientious workers being tarred with the same brush.

Being an "expert" does not exist" if you try and do your best you'll get the sack like all the rest but if you laze and mess about you'll get to see the job right out" these words ring so true sometimes,I spend on average 1 days worth of time surveying and reporting and general helpful advice to customers trying to do the right thing and not trying to rip anybody off and at the end of the day I may aswell blow into the wind because the vast majority of customers just care about the bottom line and will they have to take some wall paper off or can you do it without doing anything on the inside!!!,

I tell you my job I take seriously although i've only been an " expert" for 3-4 years I try and pride myself on doing a belt and braces job so there is no chance of a comeback, so after all said and done lifes a bitch then you die so death to the fly by nights and the rottern apples that do gives the dpc world a bad name on purpose and lets try to remember that as a "trade" we must first of all be totally honest and with good proceedure and good intensions give a top quality job and ask a fair price for that job, and by the way I am a sovereign contractoe with 25 years of bricklaying behind me and my father had 50 years worth of bricklaying behind him but that doesnt make anybody the expert,

if you dont live and lern then dont bother, no body knows it all and when you think you do then its time to give up! ( sorry for this out burst but i just had to, and my guarantees are worth the paper they are written on cos I belive in a man using his name as a bond and sovereign belive the same!

 

[mointainwalker]

@Ginger

Tried reading your post, but found it too difficult.

Can you try using pararaphs with a spacing line ? It really makes it a lot easier.

Thanks.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Blah blah blah

 

[hotrod]

Behave Freddy, you're getting worse

 

[ginger100]

ok freddy Point taken

I,m new to this chatting

I just wanted to agree with Jerry M

and say not all of us in the damp proofing world are cowboys

cheers anyway.

 

[lostinfens]

I have to Say Ging that my considered opinion of Damp proofers ( nrly 40 yrs Bricklaying experience) is that they are generally a bunch of ne'r do wells that prey on fear & ignorance perpetuated by the greater ignorance of building soc "surveyors".
I don't mean that you are in any way not sincere or honest, just that your industry is basically worse than a waste of time. I would not let a "damp proofer" through the door . I see also that you live in Lincs, as I do,where the cavalier misuse of chemicals is a way of life