Do floods damage the damp course?

I have an injected chemical damp course in an old sandstone house.

During recent floods the house was submerged for an extended period to a depth of about 4 inches and we now have to strip out , dry and replaster

I was wondering what damage might have been caused to the damp course because water was seeping out through the stonework from above and beind the damp course.

As we have the plaster off I wonder if we should reinject the chemical DPC?

The damp course was put in about 20 years ago I think.

Leftie said:

I have an injected chemical damp course in an old sandstone house.

Click to expand...

Are they sandstone blocks? Are they rendered on the outside? What's the ground level relative to the DPC?

I was wondering what damage might have been caused to the damp course because water was seeping out through the stonework from above and beind the damp course.

Click to expand...

Behind? How does that work?

As we have the plaster off I wonder if we should reinject the chemical DPC?

Click to expand...

Personally I wouldn't bother. I'd get a qualified surveyor to inspect the property when it's dried out.

The damp course was put in about 20 years ago I think.

Click to expand...

In that case someone was ripped off 20 years ago. A chemical DPC is about as effective as a chocolate condom.

Softus said:

Leftie said:

I have an injected chemical damp course in an old sandstone house.

Click to expand...

I was wondering what damage might have been caused to the damp course because water was seeping out through the stonework from above and beind the damp course.

Click to expand...

As we have the plaster off I wonder if we should reinject the chemical DPC?

Click to expand...

The damp course was put in about 20 years ago I think.

Click to expand...

.

Click to expand...

Are they sandstone blocks? Are they rendered on the outside? What's the ground level relative to the DPC?

Sandstone blocks. I have just had one gable re-rendered but the rest are exposed and opinted coursed stone.

Behind? How does that work?

One wall is below ground by about 8 feet. I have duig out the old dampp profing spec and I think they have simply boarded it out. I had been afraid theat they had taked it and that the tanking had been breached by water from above and behind.

Personally I wouldn't bother. I'd get a qualified surveyor to inspect the property when it's dried out.

I think I wil get the original company out as most of it is under guarantee until 2032 and I/they will want to be assured that the insurance company don't do anything that infrineges the guarantee.

In that case someone was ripped off 20 years ago. A chemical DPC is about as effective as a chocolate condom.

The plans from 2002 suggest some walls had a injected DPC, as well as waterproof rendering up to 1 meter and some also had a grey slurry finish.

Sound like their surveyor will want to see this before some chap with a big hammer starts knocking render off.

I know everyone has their own tastes, but you have a quaint way of quoting, Leftie.

Leftie said:

Softus said:

Are they sandstone blocks? Are they rendered on the outside? What's the ground level relative to the DPC?

Click to expand...

Sandstone blocks. I have just had one gable re-rendered but the rest are exposed and opinted coursed stone.

Click to expand...

And the ground level?

Leftie said:

Softus said:

Behind? How does that work?

Click to expand...

One wall is below ground by about 8 feet.

Click to expand...

Does this mean that you have a cellar/basement?

Leftie said:

I have duig out the old dampp profing spec and I think they have simply boarded it out.

Click to expand...

Does this mean that there was boarding on the outside, keeping the soil away from the wall? If not, then please could you explain a bit more?

Leftie said:

I had been afraid theat they had taked it and that the tanking had been breached by water from above and behind.

Click to expand...

Ah OK - I get that part now. If the wall was tanked then I agree it wouldn't be good for water to get between the tanking and the wall.

Leftie said:

Softus said:

Personally I wouldn't bother. I'd get a qualified surveyor to inspect the property when it's dried out.

Click to expand...

I think I wil get the original company out as most of it is under guarantee until 2032 and I/they will want to be assured that the insurance company don't do anything that infrineges the guarantee.

Click to expand...

In that case I would just furnish the repairer with a copy of the guarantee, and ask them to accept liability for anything they do that acts to invalidate that guarantee.

Leftie said:

Softus said:

In that case someone was ripped off 20 years ago. A chemical DPC is about as effective as a chocolate condom.

Click to expand...

The plans from 2002 suggest some walls had a injected DPC, as well as waterproof rendering up to 1 meter and some also had a grey slurry finish.

Sound like their surveyor will want to see this before some chap with a big hammer starts knocking render off.

Click to expand...

Hm. I concur. Engage someone qualified to assess the problem and measure damp levels, then do the repairs then recommend, then measure again.

Softus said:

I know everyone has their own tastes, but you have a quaint way of quoting, Leftie.

Leftie said:

Softus said:

Are they sandstone blocks? Are they rendered on the outside? What's the ground level relative to the DPC?

Click to expand...

Sandstone blocks. I have just had one gable re-rendered but the rest are exposed and opinted coursed stone.

Click to expand...

And the ground level?

Leftie said:

Softus said:

Behind? How does that work?

Click to expand...

One wall is below ground by about 8 feet.

Click to expand...

Does this mean that you have a cellar/basement?

Leftie said:

I have duig out the old dampp profing spec and I think they have simply boarded it out.

Click to expand...

Does this mean that there was boarding on the outside, keeping the soil away from the wall? If not, then please could you explain a bit more?

Leftie said:

I had been afraid theat they had taked it and that the tanking had been breached by water from above and behind.

Click to expand...

Ah OK - I get that part now. If the wall was tanked then I agree it wouldn't be good for water to get between the tanking and the wall.

Leftie said:

Softus said:

Personally I wouldn't bother. I'd get a qualified surveyor to inspect the property when it's dried out.

Click to expand...

I think I wil get the original company out as most of it is under guarantee until 2032 and I/they will want to be assured that the insurance company don't do anything that infrineges the guarantee.

Click to expand...

In that case I would just furnish the repairer with a copy of the guarantee, and ask them to accept liability for anything they do that acts to invalidate that guarantee.

Leftie said:

Softus said:

In that case someone was ripped off 20 years ago. A chemical DPC is about as effective as a chocolate condom.

Click to expand...

The plans from 2002 suggest some walls had a injected DPC, as well as waterproof rendering up to 1 meter and some also had a grey slurry finish.

Sound like their surveyor will want to see this before some chap with a big hammer starts knocking render off.

Click to expand...

Hm. I concur. Engage someone qualified to assess the problem and measure damp levels, then do the repairs then recommend, then measure again.

Click to expand...

One elevation sits into the side of the hill so the back of the house has the neighbours drive behind it at about head height or higher in places. They have boarded it out with batton, board and skim but I think there must be something else between the stonework and the battons ( tanking or at least a waterproof layer of some sort).

We have damp after the flood up to about 450mm on that baorded out wall and I think the insurance company will want to cut the boards out and render or at least replace the boards. I am not sure what is outside below ground as it is the neighbours concrete and tarmac drive. I think it might just be compacted hard core, if we are lucky. If it is just soil with no tanking I am surpsried we have stayed dry until now!

The damp companty will I am sure want to see their work is in tact and remainjs so during the repairs.

I am hoping now that the fact most of the ground floor is water proof rendered in the main will mean it will dry with just the need for the skim to be dried/replaced.

According to the papers, the DPC was 'electro osmosis' against rising damp done in 2003 I think the injected damp course was an old one done is about 1988.

The good ndwws, I think is that the kitchen walls have the waterproof render, which I hope will mean we don't have to take the kitchen out (touch wood).

My damp company are saying the at the flood will invalidate my warranty, although they can't explain why!

They want to take all the waterproof render off and start from scratch but I recall the EO wires are jusually ust above the ground level and might not need much of the render taking off at all (they might simply be behind the high skirtng boards).

Are they working a flanker or will it al need re-doing?