testing a wall for chemical dpc?

[Pompino]

Sorry to raise another damp question, but I checked through the archives and couldn't find an answer.

Due to a survey report of damp in my house, at the time of purchasing, I installed a chemical dpc. The house was built in 1900. This, together with the other work that was done at the time seemed to cure the problem, all except one wall. The house was recently included in the Northern Ireland Home Conditions Survey. The surveyor who inspected the house felt that the damp proofing company had simply forgotten to install the dpc on this one wall.

Is there any way to check that silicone was injected into the brickwork? If there is no silicone in the wall this would a breach of the guarantee.

Cheers

 

[^woody^]

There are various tests to check the contents of a sample of the brick or mortar under lab conditions.

But the best way is to soak the wall and you will see where silicone beads the water and it will not soak in (by capillary action. lol) and this will contrast with a known untreated area of the wall.

Why the concern? Is there a damp problem with the wall?

 

[Pompino]

Woody

Thanks, yes there is a damp problem where the floor meets the wall. The DP company say it is water penetrating the wall above the dpc, soaking downward and pooling at the silicone layer. A surveyor who looked at it thought that they may simply have forgotten to inject that section of wall (it was the last piece that they did and is the end wall in a extension/return where there is no other damp problem). As the outside of the wall is rendered I am trying to ensure that no water is penetrating behind the render, but just wanted to check if the surveyor had a point.

Cheers

Andy