Thinking out loud. Damp proof courses and guarantees...

[Tinker]

When I bought my house 12 years ago, a dpc had been done 4 years earlier. Now, I think it was "guaranteed" for 20 years. So, does that mean I need a new one in 4 years time? [horror emoticon] What about when I sell the house, what do I say?

Don't know about that, but what I do know is that when we had our dpc done, it was soooo much cheaper than I had expected and often can be done entirely from the outside, so minimal disruption (we had some stuff inside, but just because ours had been gutted anyway. Definitely hundreds rather than thousands.

Hmm, did wonder if it's easier 2nd time round. Just unplug the bits around external wall and fill with whatever they fill with?

Not necessarily, it may last longer than that.

Of course, the guarantee is not necessarily worth the paper it's preinted on as these companies regularly go bust and relaunch under a slightly different name, rendering your guarantee worthless. Apparently.

Yep, thought that about the guarantee as well. In fact, don't have it, was just told when bought the house. So, people don't generally get a new dpc every 20 years or so do they?

No, only if there are problems I think. eg if it shows up on a survey or your wallpaper starts peeling off!

Oh! But peeling wallpaper is from damp penetration, I think - first floor.

Tinker, if it's 1st floor, then a dpc won't help anyway (dpc = damp proof course, is supposed to be a barrier stopping rising damp from the lowest floor and foundations). If it's on the 1st floor, it will be penetrating through the wall somehow, or down from the roof.
Oh God, no reassurance at all there! By the way, for all those getting DPCs done, you can pay an extra £50 or so for a bond, which means that if the company that does your DPC goes bust before your guarantee runs out, then the British Association of Damp Proofers (or something like that) will cover it, allocating it to someone else. Well worth the money.
Sorry, am a horrible damp spod .....

You would only need it re-doing when/if the buyers have a survey done and it shows damp. You would then get estimates done and negotiate on price - or have it done, but it is very messy...not the injected membrane itself, but because once plaster gets damp it never dries out properly so has to be hacked off and re-plastered.Dust central.
If you find the guarantee and if they treated the area that is now damp you could then claim under the guarantee for it to be re-done. HTH.

orangina - it's ok, was rambling about the upstairs bit, know a dpc wouldn't help there.

redshoes - reassuring, thanks