Great magazine article on chemical damp proofing ...........

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Give us a brief summary please mate, that's hard work to read on my phone.

Basically the chief exec of the Property Care Association is complaining about some of the chemicals used to treat buildings are being banned and others are having restrictions placed on them leading to later banning.

The article then goes on to explain why they're unnecessary, the harm they do to the environment and the buildings they're supposed to protect, the contradictions in the PCA's position, and what a load of sh1te the industry spouts.

There's quite a long section from Peter Ward too. I guess I don't need to mention his position on the matter?
The damp wally comes along with his meter says 'you've got damp' and quotes thousands of pounds to put it right.
It's a fraud. As a surveyor you have the responsibility to understand the effects of damp on a building.If you don't understand it, you shouldn't even be surveying a doll's house.
:LOL:
 
Basically the chief exec of the Property Care Association is complaining about some of the chemicals used to treat buildings are being banned and others are having restrictions placed on them leading to later banning.

The article then goes on to explain why they're unnecessary, the harm they do to the environment and the buildings they're supposed to protect, the contradictions in the PCA's position, and what a load of sh1te the industry spouts.

There's quite a long section from Peter Ward too. I guess I don't need to mention his position on the matter?

:LOL:
Why thank you very much kind sir.
Is Mr Ward the guy that's had brick piers standing in water for years?
 
Why thank you very much kind sir.
Is Mr Ward the guy that's had brick piers standing in water for years?

Yeah that's him, a geochemist who wastes no opportunity to call out the damp proofing 'industry' for it's bullsh1t.

He's quite active on social media with it too. I posted this photo of a house foundations on there. It shows the brick walls and pillars that have been standing in water for just short of a hundred years and yet the mythical rising damp hasn't happened. Odd that.

IMG_20180215_140002.jpg
 
Yeah that's him, a geochemist who wastes no opportunity to call out the damp proofing 'industry' for it's bullsh1t.

He's quite active on social media with it too. I posted this photo of a house foundations on there. It shows the brick walls and pillars that have been standing in water for just short of a hundred years and yet the mythical rising damp hasn't happened. Odd that.

View attachment 29032
Yeah I've got a couple of brick lined wells in my back garden and I'd always noted that the brickwork is dry above the waterline.
 
Yeah that's him, a geochemist who wastes no opportunity to call out the damp proofing 'industry' for it's bullsh1t.

He's quite active on social media with it too. I posted this photo of a house foundations on there. It shows the brick walls and pillars that have been standing in water for just short of a hundred years and yet the mythical rising damp hasn't happened. Odd that.

View attachment 29032
I’m confused. So the bricks won’t suck up the water?
 
I’m confused. So the bricks won’t suck up the water?

A small amount by capillary action, but there are a couple of factors that stop it going beyond a certain level.

The first is the obvious one which is gravity, then there's a thing called 'capillary limit' which is worth googling, but basically as you draw a liquid up there will eventually be a balance between the draw pressure above, and the vacuum pressure below holding it back.

With walls in particular there's also a competition between the pressure exerted by moisture coming down due to gravity, and water being drawn up by capillary action. Essentially you can end up with a gas (air) buffer between the two sources of moisture.
 
A small amount by capillary action, but there are a couple of factors that stop it going beyond a certain level.

The first is the obvious one which is gravity, then there's a thing called 'capillary limit' which is worth googling, but basically as you draw a liquid up there will eventually be a balance between the draw pressure above, and the vacuum pressure below holding it back.

With walls in particular there's also a competition between the pressure exerted by moisture coming down due to gravity, and water being drawn up by capillary action. Essentially you can end up with a gas (air) buffer between the two sources of moisture.
Ah thank you. That makes sense
 
I've stopped doing damp proofing now for a few reasons.
1. The mass majority of damp in walls is due to blocked cavities with Gypsum based plaster on the inside.
2. Using membranes is now the way all cowboys treat a rising damp profile on walls. Because they can be in and out in a day and resolve f**k all and competing against these clowns in price is pointless. The worst part is they don't even know whete it should be used.
3. Its a shite job.
4. As in the article, surveyor's dodge bullets by referring to get a PCA Trained "damp wally" to come and do the damp part of the survey. Instead of using some common sense reading a damp meter correctly
 
That's the fella. (y)
Been following him for a while now have a look on YouTube it all make sense .theres a book out not by Peter called the rising damp myth love to read but it’s 150 on Amazon it’s by Jeff Howell I think .sunday telegraph building expert .
 
I've stopped doing damp proofing now for a few reasons.
1. The mass majority of damp in walls is due to blocked cavities with Gypsum based plaster on the inside.
2. Using membranes is now the way all cowboys treat a rising damp profile on walls. Because they can be in and out in a day and resolve f**k all and competing against these clowns in price is pointless. The worst part is they don't even know whete it should be used.
3. Its a shite job.
4. As in the article, surveyor's dodge bullets by referring to get a PCA Trained "damp wally" to come and do the damp part of the survey. Instead of using some common sense reading a damp meter correctly
How can you use a damp meter properly what they were developed to read the moisture content of timber and not damp in walls which by the way will always be present in some capacity due to hydroscopic salts ?
 
Got a customer who has a Listed basement with a stream in it, designed to come out of one wall, along a channel in the (mixed Tudor/preTudor) brickwork floor and out another side of the basement. Apparently one of the oldest in the country. Bit of condensation sometimes, stove upstairs rusts, but no "rising damp". Timbers above it sound as a bell.
@beader - it sort of comes with professional experience, same as it does with wood.
 
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