damp in kitchen - not sure of cause - who can tell us reliably?

[time4tea]

hello

we've had an on-going problem of dampness in our kitchen where it joins with an outside wall. leaking appliances/undersink have been checked out and excluded as cause. it may possibly have been the laying of a patio, the water might well not be running off properly into the garden and soaking into the wall

what sort of professional would you get in to check this out?

thanks for any advice... the fear of expensive mistakes is making me procrastinate (unusual for me, who will normally have one cup of tea then get on with it )

possibly a damp proofing firm?

when i got my survey for damp and timber treatment, they were able to advise on penetrating damp due to window sills etc as well as the need for a damp proof course.

I would get a chartered building surveyor in, who may give a more unbiased view than a damp proof firm.

Do you have a french drain outside that might not be done properly?

A french drain if you dont know is the thing that stops damp happening so much and getting in. Basically i got my house 5 yrs ago and it was said on the survey that i should replace the french drain by digging out all the mud down 6 inches and then replacing it with stones. There was alot of mud there and a small amount of stones but i hope it should help the walls out in a bit.

You just replace with pea shingle down to 6 inches.