Damp proofing and installing new kitchen

[Wheelycote]

Buying a house that has damp in kitchen walls. Needs new layer of damp proof on two walls. Not a problem as we're now getting the house 5 grand cheaper.

We've got to take out current kitchen and the plaster will be pulled off up to a metre on both walls. It will be replastered with special plaster (forgot the name of it) after damp proof later has been put in. We've been told we won't beable to wallpaper or tile these areas for over a year.again not a problem as units will cover it up and any bits exposed will be painted.

My question for anyone whose had it done or in the know is - will we beable to fit a kitchen and drill into that special plaster or is that a no no too???

[Wheelycote]

Bump

[Wheelycote]

Bumpity bump

[Wheelycote]

bumping

[wowfudge]

What is causing the damp? It sounds as though the walls are being tanked, not just treated with a chemical damp proof course.

If there is a membrane being used then that limits what you can do as you can't drill into.

If you've been told it will be a year before you can do anything to the walls, how bad is the problem? Sounds horrendous and having no kitchen is tough. If you can keep the units and somehow use them freestanding it could be bearable.

[Wheelycote]

oh bugger.

Its rising damp due to failure of the membrane. There treating up to 1 meter from the bottom of the wall, to which they've said they'll have to remove 1 meters worth of plaster.

Do you think we won't beable to drill into this plaster either? would that be for a year then, like the decorating?

[Wheelycote]

Bumping

[Indaba]

I would check my local council "Trusted Trades people" section of their website and/or WHICH magazine recommended suppliers website for for a good damp specialist. They will be able to advise you. If they are an old reputable firm they should have a building surveyor or similar working for them/with them that can help.

If you are being tanked perhaps they could put supports into the wall before they tank (and effectively tank around them) and you could use these to mount units.

You can not be the first people to face this and there must be a way around it. There usually is when it comes to houses....just usually involves money :(

Don't panic :)

prof course demen

[wowfudge]

Rising damp is really not very common. Is the wall underground or built into a hill? Is the ground level outside above the DPC? It's far more likely there's a leak of some description causing the damp.

[dilapidated]

Agree - rising damp is very often not the genuine issue

Find the cause and fix that and no need for dpm or tanking

Especially if it's an old house (Victorian Edwardian type)
The cement plasters damp proofing companies sometimes use on these houses can cause no end of further problems down the line

[dilapidated]

www.heritage-house.org/the-fraud-of-rising-damp.html

[wowfudge]

What are the affected walls made of OP? Depending where the house is, they might be made of a material that's quite porous and requires tanking. There was a Sarah Berny programme a few years ago about a damp house in Brighton. It has walls made of bungeroosh (I'm not making it up though I may have misspelled it) and had to be tanked.