Becoming a damp proofer

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Wingerwill11

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Hi. I'm a 27 year old plasterer with 11years experience, and am now interested in specialising in damp proofing.
The last few jobs I've done have been damp related. Basically the customer has had a quote and instructions what to do off a local damp company, then got me to come in and do the work under the instructions the company gave. I have no problem doing, but I wouldn't be able to find out where the problems coming from and what's causing the damp.
Are these courses you see on google adequate for a plasterer to become an accomplished damp proofer?
Any advice from damp proofers or anyone who's done done something similar will be appreciated. Cheers.
 
I think @DavetheDog looked into this, it came up on one of his threads at least. Don't know what his findings were
 
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As Arti said mate. Do you want to do just the damp or the timber treatments and everything.

Stick to to just the plastering mate it's far easier.
 
To be honest I just want to understand and have a better knowledge of it all. I see some of these quotes these specialist damp proof companies are giving and think I'd still be buzzing earning half of that for the work that's gotta be done.
Still gonna stick to the plastering but thought if I could have 'damp proof specialist' on the side of the van aswell, well it can't be a bad thing?
 
To be honest I just want to understand and have a better knowledge of it all. I see some of these quotes these specialist damp proof companies are giving and think I'd still be buzzing earning half of that for the work that's gotta be done.
Still gonna stick to the plastering but thought if I could have 'damp proof specialist' on the side of the van aswell, well it can't be a bad thing?
Thats why most plasterers want to get into Damp work ,but would you plaster a ceiling and put a 30 year guarantee on it ?the high price is in the risk of call back
 
Ye fair one.
Like I said it was just an idea at the moment, and just wanted some comments/advice on it. Can anyone actually recommend weather these courses are much kop? Surely you can't learn that much in a day???
 
Damp has been a big burning issue in the trade for a few years now. Government researchers claiming rising damp doesn't exist :RpS_confused: the wall left submerged in water for 2 years recently surfaced to help scientists fully understand the relationship between construct and moisture :RpS_confused: 10 year old systems now failing :RpS_confused: fair too many miniature question marks over frowny faces for my liking. I have tanked basements, cellars, flats and swimmng pools in the past but I have always followed the spec provided and client has accepted liability for product themselves. For me there are too many mystery elements to this sector of the industry to get involved.
 
Ye fair one.
Like I said it was just an idea at the moment, and just wanted some comments/advice on it. Can anyone actually recommend weather these courses are much kop? Surely you can't learn that much in a day???
They will all sell you the product and a guarantee ,better ways to earn money mate ,without the worry of the phone ringing ,because they have a guarantee ,you did 20 years ago , trust me my friend unless you want to go LTD,and don,t give a **** ,i would move on, imo
 
Ok sound. Cheers for the replies. I get the idea that on the whole it may no be worth the hastle. But I suppose somebody's gotta do it?? I dunno?! The course is only £160 with Kingfisher so don't see the harm in getting that done and then just seeing where ever that may lead???
 
Like you say it can't hurt. It's like everything you can maybe get the jist of it in a day but not a full understanding and differing site conditions can't all be covered in a class room.
 
Its like most things you learn. Its all down to experience. no two jobs are the same. Av done the kingfisher seminar and you have the back up of the local Rep who you can call up with any questions, even get them to come along when your viewing a job and they will give you the spec to follow. Ive been doing it a while now and i still get the rep out if im not 100% sure of something
 
That's good to know about the rep. Well I think I'll go for the course and maybe do a few smaller damp jobs and see where ever that goes. Thanks for the replies!
 
A lot depends on what you (and the customer) mean by 'damp proofing' when you try to decide on the value of a course on it.

Preventing water ingress into a cellar is one end of the scale, and injecting snake oil into brickwork is the other. As @Arti points out, there's no substitute for experience when it comes to identifying the cause/source of the problem.

I did a job where the damp inside a 9" brick external wall was due to a problem with the tiles on the roof around the corner from the wall (bodged roof repair). The customer had other quotes including new a downpipe required and the usual b0ll0cks about needing to have an injected damp course. :RpS_sneaky:

I guess like plastering, the best way to pick it up would be working with someone experienced and getting an insight that way.

thought if I could have 'damp proof specialist' on the side of the van aswell, well it can't be a bad thing?

As for that, I don't want to be harsh, but if you've done a short course and followed some instructions then to be accurate you'd need to put 'bullsh1t artist' on the van rather than specialist don't you think?
 
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There's big money in it mate thats for sure. But also big comebacks so be prepared. Are you prepared to go back somewhere in ten years time and put right a job for nothing and pay for the material and labour? It will happen. If you don't go baack they start threatening court action and slagging you off all over social media. . You need a thick skin I think. Done my share in my time most of which did not need doing but I was contracted to do them and paid well so that was that. There is still good money in plastering if you have the skill and conscience and people skills. I do well but not as well as ten or fifteen years back. I don't know where you are based mate but I am in Bristol and if you want I can do a job with you and show you how its done. Its good that you want to learn but I would learn something else. Al
 
Well by all means go for it, but like the other lads are saying you need a good knowledge of the building and the causes of dampness.

I did a seminar with kingfisher back in the 90's and to be honest it didn't really teach me much, I had to be more hands on doing the work.
Luckily I was doing work for a company and I would watch them and ask loads of questions about the treatments etc.
Why not try and get some work from a remedial company and get some experience before you even start.

But remember if you do start doing it you need to know what your doing otherwise your @rse could end up in court as the customer sues you for an incorrect treatment.

Also you need to issue guarantees for your work so if you misdiagnose a job you could be seriously out of pocket.

What these companies don't tell you is the amount of trouble you can get into if you don't know what your doing.

And as for the PCA lol another racket, expensive training courses for the inexperienced.

Remember a little knowledge is dangerous folks.
 
I've done a damp proof of a house as a student. Tanked, didn't anti sulphate spray, wish I had. Did fix the original problem though and its a personal job so ultimately I count it as cosmetic. Great learning experience. But salt is coming through where I didn't tank around far enough on internal walls because ultimately it will find its way as I was told. I do like looking to diagnose penetrating damp though, fun kinda investigative thing.

Not sure I could specify specialising in it ever. Time over again, again as a student, considering I had the space I would have solved the penetration and given a limited cavity would rather have boarded the walls to allow the internal bricks to breath as well. I guess some kind of insulation against the (moisture resistant?) board would also have been used but not sure which one considering the damp.

The talk of guarantees make me nervous, I doubt I'd want to do that unless the customer was willing to agree to me one, fixing any possible problem and also paying to fit a CDC just in case. Otherwise **** em really.

(all said as a student, just chewing the cud always happy to see a reply).
 
I've done a damp proof of a house as a student. Tanked, didn't anti sulphate spray, wish I had. Did fix the original problem though and its a personal job so ultimately I count it as cosmetic. Great learning experience. But salt is coming through where I didn't tank around far enough on internal walls because ultimately it will find its way as I was told. I do like looking to diagnose penetrating damp though, fun kinda investigative thing.

Not sure I could specify specialising in it ever. Time over again, again as a student, considering I had the space I would have solved the penetration and given a limited cavity would rather have boarded the walls to allow the internal bricks to breath as well. I guess some kind of insulation against the (moisture resistant?) board would also have been used but not sure which one considering the damp.

The talk of guarantees make me nervous, I doubt I'd want to do that unless the customer was willing to agree to me one, fixing any possible problem and also paying to fit a CDC just in case. Otherwise **** em really.

(all said as a student, just chewing the cud always happy to see a reply).

So as you student you where employed to solve a damp problem?
 
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