Damp proofing

[Sugaredcube]

Looking at buying a 1930s semi.
Survey has advised no damp proof course fitted when the house was built and air bricks are too low. Damp readings were picked up throughout the ground floor. However there is no physical evidence of damp (at the moment).

The house we currently live in is a similar age has no such problems so I don’t necessarily think this is typical of all
Houses this age.

We are currently deciding whether to go ahead and purchase.
Can anyone advise on the best way to remedy these issues.
Ive read bad reviews about injectable dpcs, but not sure how else this issue can be solved.

We tried smart dry bricks. Our house suffered with damp and we have notice a difference already exspecially in the bay window. We payed about £1500 18 months ago. They are fitted from outside on eternal walls only. The people who did it was so good it was completed in a day. It was messy but it was outside and they cleaned it all as though nothing ever happened. They also look nice around the house. Have a look on line for smart dry x

Thanks rose

Look at dry rods by safeguard Europe. About 20 quid per pack which covers 1.2m for standard 9inch double skinned wall. It will plus of minus depending on thickness. You can install them v easy with just an SDS drill and 12mm masonry bit. BBA certified for 25 years if memory serves.

If you want an old school physical dpc or a blue brick dpc it'll involve removing a course of bricks all around the house and supporting the removed course whilst the physical dpc is inserted.

Thanks durex.
Would that be very costly to have it installed the old waY?
It sounds like a costly job to hold up the bricks while it’s being installed

Hi Sugaredcube, I don't know any exact costs but yes it would be labour intensive to retrofit a physical dpc.

It may be possible to remove a brick or two at a time and replace them with blue bricks but I have not done this personally.

As above have a read on dry rods. One of the weaknesses of injected courses is uneven distribution of the chemicals. The rods are inserted at regular intervals and each rod has the same dose so you can ensure even distribution and overcome this limitation.

If you diy dry rods or a chemical dpc it should only cost a few hundred pounds. If it solves it happy days, if not you could go for the more expensive retro fitting of a dpc at a later date. Small gamble possibly saving you £ks

You don't mention the makeup of the house but another common cause of rising damp is soil buildup around the edge of the house so you could dig down the area under the edge of the house to lower the soil level. However with no dpc rising damp can rise up to 1.2 meters so probably isn't a fix in it's own.

Get a specialist company out, not one that sell their own products and have a vested interest but a damp surveyor who is familiar with construction of older buildings.

Just because there is no DPC doesn't mean it's damp. Those readings can be dubious too.