Not entirely sure where to put this so I hope this is the right place.
Im trying to solve the damp issue in my flat, but it seems everywhere I look there is an alternative method of fixing the issue, and so many rogue (and expensive ways) of just covering it up for it to still be an issue down the line.
My flat is a lower ground flat in a victorian town house built in the 1860s. In the 1987 the wooden floor was taken out and replaced with a concrete slab. I have no idea if the concrete slab has an effective DPM, but both the concrete slab and the outside floor levels are higher than the bottom of the air brick, so presumably bridging the original DPM.
An independent survey recommended that I tank the walls with a cement solution but I have decided that it is absolutely not the way that I would like to go due to the long drying time and the impervious nature of the render. From what I have read it seems to create more issues.
Some companies have recommended putting in a damp proof membrane on the walls which have an air gap behind instead of tanking. This reduces the drying and decorating time which is great, but does it still let the walls 'breath' as they need to in older properties? Will it help solve the damp issue or is it another way of just covering it up?
I'm aware that I need to find the source of the damp, checking for leaking drains or water mains etc, but if I were to do that and lower the ground outside the flat, would I need to remove/replace the concrete floor inside the flat as it's bridging the DMP or would this not be an issue?
I'm banging my head against the wall here as there is so much out there and I only have one shot to do this (currently renovating from scratch)
Im trying to solve the damp issue in my flat, but it seems everywhere I look there is an alternative method of fixing the issue, and so many rogue (and expensive ways) of just covering it up for it to still be an issue down the line.
My flat is a lower ground flat in a victorian town house built in the 1860s. In the 1987 the wooden floor was taken out and replaced with a concrete slab. I have no idea if the concrete slab has an effective DPM, but both the concrete slab and the outside floor levels are higher than the bottom of the air brick, so presumably bridging the original DPM.
An independent survey recommended that I tank the walls with a cement solution but I have decided that it is absolutely not the way that I would like to go due to the long drying time and the impervious nature of the render. From what I have read it seems to create more issues.
Some companies have recommended putting in a damp proof membrane on the walls which have an air gap behind instead of tanking. This reduces the drying and decorating time which is great, but does it still let the walls 'breath' as they need to in older properties? Will it help solve the damp issue or is it another way of just covering it up?
I'm aware that I need to find the source of the damp, checking for leaking drains or water mains etc, but if I were to do that and lower the ground outside the flat, would I need to remove/replace the concrete floor inside the flat as it's bridging the DMP or would this not be an issue?
I'm banging my head against the wall here as there is so much out there and I only have one shot to do this (currently renovating from scratch)