Retrofit damp course

[bebeboeuf]

We have an attached brick built outhouse/shed (c1900) which has in the past been converted to a kitchen.
It was never built with a damp course and there is one problem wall that has damp rising up a few bricks worth in places.

We have had a few different surveyors over. Some damp specialists and some independent and they all agree that no damp course is in place and one should be retrofitted.

Is the injected chemical damp course the best way to go here or is there any alternatives we should be looking at before getting the work done?

So are free-growing tomato plants, since the seed is viable when it emerges from the human body.

Btw if you are digging a trench to expose and renew the pipe, you might get a builder to repoint the brickwork where the mortar is missing. I like to hose out any mud first and then repack with a dryish mix

As it's out of sight underground it doesn't need to be done elegantly.

You can refill the trench with cobbles or large stones which are free-draining and too large to permit rising damp by capillary action.

Rather than digging a trench to expose the rest of the pipe the plumber suggested cutting at either and am running poly pipe above ground that gets concealed within the wall

Yes, though I think it would be less prone to damage inside the building, insulated and clamped to the wall where it can't freeze

And you still have the problem of gaps between the bricks, which might lead to subsidence or collapse (not the plumber's problem)

If there is any old pipe that is left in place and not renewed, it is at risk of future leaks.

Underground pipe is supposed to be 750mm deep to protect it from freezing and spades.

Definitely not close to 750mm deep at the moment. It’s 40 at a push.

I think this is the last bit of pipework that is original.
This is cold feed. The hot feed I can see a channel has been dug in the concrete previously so that’s been renewed.

I will mention to DH about getting those patchy areas of mortar patched up. It won’t be seen so doesn’t have to be neat I guess.

The plumber who is replacing the pipe will just leave the flexible poly pipe for us to then conceal as we wish.

The plan is for it to run against this wall above the floor.
The wall will then be dry lined with plaster board studded off the wall to enable space for the pipe to go.

Does it need insulating?

Yes

If it is against an external wall, the wall will be very cold in frosty weather. If the wall is drylined and insulated it will be even colder.