Damp proofing lounge?

[WillowTree4]

4 walls need damp proofing due to rising damp.
Skirting boards will obviously be removed and 2 radiators .
I've be quoted around £3.000, the damp proofing will be done by removing plaster and injecting into the internal walls.
Am I wrong to be a little shocked regarding the quote?

Have you had a proper survey done to ascertain the cause? One by an independent company who don't have a product to sell?

Chemical DPC are mis-sold very regularly and the guarantees aren't worth the paper they are written on.

What is the issue in the house? Is it an old house? Have you got photos?

It's actually a straightforward process and can be done yourself if you are handy and practical.
Does the quote include replastering and refitting the skirtings as it does seem expensive. I bought a product off the internet, which is also available in Wickes that basically does the same as damp proofing companies, it has good reviews.

I got a quote for damp proofing a small wall under a bay window. The quote was £1034 (doesn't include replacing the skirting), so in comparison your £3k sounds good!

What product was it @somanysocks? Thank you.

Definitely agree with making sure you know the source of the damp first. In case that can be dealt with.
Is your house suitable for the process? Older houses (approx 100 yrs or more depending on construction) often aren't.
If you're sure it's what you want, get another quote.

Its called Dryrods, i've used it in a short run in my lounge and which seems to have worked and another room is in the process ( wet floorboards, skirtings and joists removed 😥) before putting the rods in. You still have to remove skirtings and drill holes in the mortar line and then put these rods in. Its still quite an upheaval in the house but my builder friend says it looks like a good product.

Also agree about finding the source of the damp first.

Look up the damp proofing myth before signing up to anything

Our old Victorian terrace is riddled with chemical injection holes from damp proofers over the years.

When we moved in we were told we needed to have damp proofing done at a cost of around £3k.

Goes to show that it really doesn’t work.
We fixed the cause of the damp which had obviously been effecting the walls for years.

We then plasters in breathable lime and painted with clay paint so where walls are solid, if they ever do get saturated they can breathe and dry themselves without blowing the plaster and flaking the paint

There has to be a mortar line so in old stone houses damp proofing wont work. No idea what you would do in those circumstances, i'm talking about brickbuilt houses.

Plus all damp proofing has a lifespan that is exceeded by the lifespan of a house.

Even brick built houses won’t work with damp proofing injections in circumstances which mean the injections can’t be made below floor level.

Also think about if your wall is cavity or not.

If a cavity wall a damp injection outside will do nothing to the internal wall

My partner does this for a living, and he says it completely depends on the size of the walls, the depth of the plaster etc. He does the surveys himself first and is 99% of the time used to do the work and he says sometimes this can be the case. If you need anymore info you're welcome to PM me. Xx

Injection damp proof courses are a waste of time. My dh is a RICS chartered surveyor and knows what he is talking about. Check the RICS, they will confirm you are wasting your money.

Thank you all for your replies.
I live in a mid-terraced house, it's probably close to 90 years, obviously, not a new build.
Paint has been peeling for a while and where it peels the walls are quite grainy (salt?) the peeling goes up about 1 metre from skirting board.
The worse area is behind my sofa in a corner near lounge window and radiator pipes.
The plaster has blown there, not a pretty sight.
If I knew how to post photos of the different areas I would 😔

You need to wait for @pigletjohn to coma along and advise

Rising damp does not exist. it is a million pound myth created by cowboys, most of Europe laugh at our blame on rising damp industries. the water is coming from else where. find the source.

most European houses don't even have a damp course membrane.

look at a brick bridge in water, the water does not get soaked up the piers.

WASTE OF MONEY. I own a 300 year old chapel that I have renovated myself, no damp no water in walls and it is solid brick.

leaking pipes, dodgey guttering, no ventilation are your causes. KEEEP YOUR MONEY

I also re-read your post. mid terrace and internal walls, it's either your neighbour's pipes or the roof that is leaking water.

Injecting internal walls ha ha ha ha don't get ripped off PLEASE

Search youtube for the Wally damp man

Rising damp is a term coined (in an awful but genius way) to get people signing up for potentially expensive and damaging work that is not really supported by any science. It is apparently endemic in the Uk but nowhere else in the world. The one fine example that should convince you that rising damp doesn’t exist is the house that is built on canals where water is in direct contact with the brick walls. These houses do not suffer with rising damp.

In a home this age, there will be a leak somewhere. Look for it, deal with it, and you will not need any holes drilled anywhere in your walls.

As PPs have said, look up rising damp myths and wally damp man before you take the plunge.

The other thing that can cause the appearance of rising damp is using non breathable materials in older houses that are meant to breath.

In a 90 year old Victorian terrace it would have been built with lime plaster.
People come along, use cement, fill in the floor voids with cement, paint vinyl over the walls instead of Matt breathable paint, and seal up old drafts sash windows with modern plastic double glazed things.
None of this helps a house to breathe.
Increase ventilation and strip off any offending materials.

If you know there are no leaks or defective drainage.
Drainage and pipes on 90 year old houses will be past their lifespan if haven’t been changed yet.

So nice to see so many people who are aware of these damp sales cowboys.

No idea why rics or trading standards don’t clamp down on them

We had 1 and a half walls done in lounge, one wall in cupboard under stairs, one in our utility room then they put a few bits right in the house upstairs and it cost £2,800. We wasted £800 before that on some cowboy builder who did damp proof injections which did nothing to improve anything

What was used rather than injecting?

You say the worse area is near the radiator pipes- are they leaking? Has it been checked?

Get a second opinion and not from a damp proofing firm but someone independent.

They stripped the walls back to the brickwork and put a membrane over the brickwork, then re-plastered... It's worked on the main wall a treat plus I also now notice how much warmer the house feels