kitchen wall's down to bare brick

[niftynarker]

My kitchen wall is in a shocking state. I didn't realise this until I lifted worktop off to look behind. The plaster has crumbled off and it's down to bare brick in places-probably about a third of the wall about a metre high. I've had 2 estimates so far for repair.
One says I've rising damp, the other says not. Both say I need a damp proof course-estimates are £300.00 and £1100.00 which include removal of sink unit. I'm baffled. The house needs re-pointing which will be sorted in next month, but how can 2 estimates for damp proof course vary so much?
What do I do first-damp proof course then re pointing?
Also what is the average cost for damp proofing 2 walls of a kitchen 16 feet in total.

Thanks, confused Julie

 

[masona]

Sorry to tell you this, dpc injected treatment are a waste of time.Have a read at this to help you.

Dpc injected treatment only works when the walls is dry,so when your walls is dry you haven't got damp have you As you said you're having the walls re-pointing,it's a possibility the rain getting in causing the damp.But do you have a damp walls Can you feel it or are they just saying that Broken dpc is rare these but you don't say how old your property is as in the old days they used to use bitumen which can crack etc.When I renew my kitchen my plaster fell off all over the place behind the old unit which is very common as the plaster/lime can't breathe properly and doesn't mean I've got damp which can be misleading.My advice to you would be extremely careful with these people as it's one of the biggest rip-off in the building trade.

If you do think your walls need re-pointing then have it done then see what happen as the damp may stop but it won't be straight away as it take time.
Also put your hand on the wall and does it feel damp/wet ? don't confused yourself with wall being cold etc...

 

[oilman]

We got ripped off many years ago by people saying we needed new palster and an injected DPC to cure the damp. Well, they didn't cure it and I didn't pay all of the bill, they even set their solicitors onto us, until I sent them all of the correspondence.

Repointing:

I assume it's lime mortar that needs repointing? or does it? The same people told us the house needed repointing as well. I now know a bit more about it, and ours is perfectly sound, and it didn't need doing.

If it's lime, are they going to use lime mortar? If there's any suggestion of using cement in even small quantities, get some one else. Have a look here if you have lime mortar. Again if it's lime and you're interested, English Heritage did a program about repointing Fort Halstead in Kent, they may have a video available.

In general, ventilating is the cure for damp, not damproofing.

 

[aaront]

The variation can be down to the types of DPC they have quoted you for. Chemical injection is the cheapest got from 330-50 a metre whereas the insertion of a new DPC (the DPC is ground out and bit by bit a new membrane is inserted) and this can cost £100's+ a metre.

Damp companies who come round to quote are there to flog you their product. They will make all sorts of fancy claims but they have nothing to gain by telling you the simplest and cheapest way to sort the problem.

be very, very wary about acting on their advice - you may be better off consulting an experienced trustworthy builder (there are a handful about!)

 

[oilman]

Information learned today from one of my customers. Similar problem to yours, but he had a frind in the building services industry. He sent round his friend who is a damp expert. The result? Customer put French drains round the property - problem solved.

I will go so far as to say there is no such thing as rising damp, itcan always be traced to a real cause.

 

[masona]

Customer put French drains round the property - problem solved.

Not heard of this,am I rightly saying pea shingle soakaway type round the bottom of the walls for proper drainage?

 

[breezer]

a french drain is one with a beret and string of onions around it.

seriously though see this