Damp Proof Failed in less than 1 Month? advice please

[Giblets46]

Hi,
I've a basement in a Victorian Building, and have had some damp issues in the past, and have recently had the damp proof course repaired under the 30 year warranty, the work was done literally last month (September), and I've just gone to look at the work, an entire wall looks to have failed already!!!!!

About 12" above the floor (and 6" above the skirting board), there is a line of salt efflorescence on top of the plaster, and the plaster is wet to touch below the salt line.

The work done was:
Coat walls with 10mm of 3:1 sharp sand sulphate resisting cement
Replastering using thistle dri coat.

The only thing I can think of this that the plaster is possibly bridging the gap, the other side of the internal wall looks to be fine (removing the skirting board reveals a gap to the floor of 1-2").

I'm obviously calling the guys round tomorrow to view the work, any advice on what I should be asking for (beyond the work being redone FOC)?
thanks

 

[noseall]

I'm sorry, but if you have been led to believe a coat of render is a cure for damp in a basement then you are mistaken.

When constructing a habitable subterranean basement the specification and cost of such a structure is both complex and costly and requires a lot of damp proofing fabric and components etc, that are all fitted to a very high spec.

 

[barnettgs]

As you have a victorian building, have a read at this: http://www.heritage-house.org/pages/managing-damp-in-old-buildings.html

 

[Micilin]

Regardless of whether we think the method will work ( it depends on what the poster was told by the contractor.

If the contractor said that this would stop the damp, did the work and got paid for it then legal advice is needed from CAB or elswhere if the contractor will not rectify so tha the work is fit for purpose

The spec given was never going to work - the question is whether the contractor sold the service to the client on the explicit understanding that it would.


Questions for me would be to what extent is the affected wall or abutting walls in contact with external soil - where is the moisture coning from -is it merely from the ground below?

 

[Giblets46]

Hi, this is a conversion that was done in the 90's, it's an internal wall ( outside walls have been tanked).
There was some stuff injected into the walls lower down.