Damp proofing in Deal? Get an independent survey first

Why the survey comes before damp proofing in Deal

Damp proofing is the answer to one specific fault, a missing or failed damp proof course, and that fault is far rarer in Deal than the quotes suggest. Before anyone drills a wall, somebody with nothing to sell should establish why it is wet. That is the whole of what we do. We carry out no treatment, so the survey is not a route to a sale.

The Deal quotes that concern us most are injection and cement or waterproof replastering on old town walls, and impermeable floors laid over ground that needs to breathe. Sealing a lime built wall on wet ground concentrates moisture and salt at the edges of the seal. The damp moves up and along, and the historic fabric suffers.

Injection, tanking, membranes: what they are for

Injection is for rising damp: groundwater drawn up a wall that has no working course. Tanking and cavity drain membranes are for walls below ground that hold back soil and water, such as cellars and basements. Salt resistant replastering is for walls where years of damp have left salts in the old plaster. Ventilation is for condensation. A quote that applies one of them to the wrong problem will fail however well it is installed.

In Deal the commonest mismatch we see is injection and a cement based replaster on a wall whose real trouble is outside: open joints, raised ground or a leaking downpipe. Fix those and the wall often dries without anything being injected at all.

Deal walls, and what they actually need

Old town walls need lime plaster and pointing, breathable floors where possible, and good ventilation. Seafront walls need sound render and plaster that tolerates salt. Twentieth century houses need clear courses and ventilation.

Deal is built on beach shingle and low lying ground at the edge of the chalk, with the downs rising behind the town towards Kingsdown and Great Mongeham. The old town sits low, protected by the shingle and sea defences, with a high water table that rises in wet winters. Water drains quickly through shingle and chalk, but the lowest streets can stay wet underfoot.

• Lime plaster and pointing on old town houses instead of cement and injection
• Breathable floor construction where impermeable floors are pushing moisture into walls
• Render and bay repairs on seafront elevations
• Ventilation and heating to manage moisture in low lying houses

What the old town needs instead of damp proofing

Old town houses in Deal need breathing room. That means lime plaster rather than gypsum or cement inside, lime pointing rather than cement outside, floors that let moisture escape, ventilation that removes the moisture of daily life, and gutters and downpipes that keep rain off the walls. Many of them also need patience: a wall that has been sealed for decades takes a season or two to dry once it is opened up.

This is cheaper than most damp proofing, and it works with the building rather than against it. It is also the approach historic building guidance generally supports, which matters in a conservation area full of listed buildings.

Away from the old town, the houses of Walmer, Upper Deal and Mill Hill have their own needs: rainwater and roof drainage on the larger houses, ventilation and clear courses on the newer ones. The survey tells you which applies and what it will take.

What proper damp proofing should look like

• A written diagnosis first, with readings and photographs, saying why the wall is wet
• External causes fixed before or alongside any internal work: ground levels, gutters, pointing, render
• A damp proof course only where one is missing or has genuinely failed, at the right height for the Deal house in question
• Salt contaminated plaster removed and replaced with a suitable breathable or salt resistant finish, not sealed over
• Drying time allowed before decoration, because a wall that has been wet for years does not dry in a week
• A guarantee that names the walls treated and the cause addressed, from a firm that will still be there

Red flags in a damp proofing quote

• A diagnosis of rising damp from a single meter reading
• No mention of anything outside the house
• Injection recommended on internal walls, chimney breasts or walls above ground floor
• A discount that expires today
• Treatment of woodworm or rot in every timber "as a precaution"
• A quote for a Deal period house that would be identical for a 1990s semi

When a damp proof course is the right answer

We are not against damp proofing. We are against it being the default. When a Deal wall has no working course, sits on damp ground and stays wet after the outside has been put right, a damp proof course and suitable replastering is the right job, and the report will say that and specify it.

Our survey fees are published on the prices page and fixed before we visit. Set against a damp proofing job on a Deal house, which typically runs to several times that once plaster removal and making good are included, the survey is small. When it shows that a wall needs a gutter repair rather than an injected course, it pays for itself several times over.

Deal's old town is highly sought after, and buyers often find that a homebuyer report flags damp in a ground floor that has always been a little damp. An independent survey before exchange tells you what is groundwater and salt, which is to be managed, and what is cement or rainwater, which can be fixed, and what a sympathetic repair costs.

After the survey you have the cause in writing, a list of what needs doing in order, and what does not. If damp proofing is part of it, the report specifies the walls, the height and the finish, so the quotes you collect in Deal are for the same job. If it is not, you have the evidence to say no to the quote you were given.

For the full picture of what a survey here involves, see damp surveys in Deal.

Around Deal

The old town and Middle Street

Georgian and older houses, many listed, on low ground near the beach. Groundwater, salt and lime repairs are the central questions.

Walmer

Larger Regency and Victorian houses and a quieter seafront. Roofs, parapets, render and cellars dominate.

Upper Deal, Mill Hill and Sholden

Twentieth century housing inland. Mould, ventilation and drives over the course are typical.

Damp proofing questions in Deal

Nearby

• Damp proofing in Dover
• Damp proofing in Ramsgate
• Damp proofing in Broadstairs

Book a survey before you pay for damp proofing

Holding a damp proofing quote? Book a survey and we will tell you whether it matches what is actually wrong with your Deal home.

Book a Survey or call 07386 225526