Hello all,
About 18 months ago I got around to gutting my living room because it really needed it. I took the walls back to the brick and then dry lined it and skimmed it. A few months later I started to see damp patches along the base of one wall. This got worse over a period of a couple of months and some minor damp patches were beginning to show on a couple of other walls. I think I have managed to damage the DPM whilst removing the old plaster. The DPM was the original one and the house was built in 1951 so it's a good age.
My first attemp at correcting this has failed miserably. I used DryZone last May or June but, with the rain over the last month or two it's obvious that it hasn't worked. I am now planning on removing a course of brick and replacing the DPM. I have spoken to a builder that has done loads of work for my old man over the years and he has told me that it can be done but it takes time. He actually did this job for 3yrs at one time for Manchester council so he should know his stuff. He explained that it's done by removing 3 bricks and then leaving the 4th one in then removing the next 3 and so on. Then you can replace the 3 that have been removed on a bed of mortar along with the DPM. Once these have set you wedge above them with slate before replacing the brick that was left in and then pointing it all up. This all sounded great until I went away and thought about it and realised that this would mean overlapping the DPM. Is this possible, surely the fact that it's overlapped will mean that damp can get through. I can't speak to the fella that told me this cos he's working away in a sunny place for the next few months the stuffy bugger.
Hope this explains my problem clearly enough, if not let me know and I will try to explain in more detail
Thanks in advance of any replies
Peaee
About 18 months ago I got around to gutting my living room because it really needed it. I took the walls back to the brick and then dry lined it and skimmed it. A few months later I started to see damp patches along the base of one wall. This got worse over a period of a couple of months and some minor damp patches were beginning to show on a couple of other walls. I think I have managed to damage the DPM whilst removing the old plaster. The DPM was the original one and the house was built in 1951 so it's a good age.
My first attemp at correcting this has failed miserably. I used DryZone last May or June but, with the rain over the last month or two it's obvious that it hasn't worked. I am now planning on removing a course of brick and replacing the DPM. I have spoken to a builder that has done loads of work for my old man over the years and he has told me that it can be done but it takes time. He actually did this job for 3yrs at one time for Manchester council so he should know his stuff. He explained that it's done by removing 3 bricks and then leaving the 4th one in then removing the next 3 and so on. Then you can replace the 3 that have been removed on a bed of mortar along with the DPM. Once these have set you wedge above them with slate before replacing the brick that was left in and then pointing it all up. This all sounded great until I went away and thought about it and realised that this would mean overlapping the DPM. Is this possible, surely the fact that it's overlapped will mean that damp can get through. I can't speak to the fella that told me this cos he's working away in a sunny place for the next few months the stuffy bugger.
Hope this explains my problem clearly enough, if not let me know and I will try to explain in more detail
Thanks in advance of any replies
Peaee
