Damp proofing in Whitstable? Get an independent survey first

Why the survey comes before damp proofing in Whitstable

Most of the walls we are asked to look at in Whitstable after a damp proofing quote do not need a new damp proof course. They need the water dealt with at its source: a path lowered, a gutter cleared, weatherboarding and brick repointed in the right mortar, or a fan that actually extracts. Injecting a wall that is wet for another reason costs real money and fixes nothing, and the tide mark returns once the new plaster dries out.

The Whitstable quotes we see most are injection and waterproof replastering on cottages and terraces where salt contamination is driving the readings, and tanking on walls wet from wind driven rain. Neither deals with salt in the air or rain through a bay. On weatherboarded cottages, injection is irrelevant: the problem is in the boarding and the sole plate.

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 Whitstable 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.

Whitstable walls, and what they actually need

Whitstable's cottages need their boarding maintained and their base kept clear of shingle and ground. Brick and rendered walls need sound, breathable render, working bays and sills, and plaster that copes with salts. Newer homes need ventilation that keeps up with a household.

Whitstable sits on London Clay at the edge of the Swale estuary, with the land low behind the sea wall in the old town and Seasalter, and rising at Tankerton, where the grassy slopes above the beach are a reminder that clay cliffs move. The low streets have a high water table and are protected by sea defences. Clay drains poorly, so gardens and yards hold water against walls in winter.

• Maintaining and repairing weatherboarding and keeping its base clear
• Salt resistant or breathable plaster where old plaster is salt contaminated
• Repairing bay roofs, sills and render on exposed elevations
• Improving ventilation in post war houses with mould

Managing moisture in a Whitstable cottage

A Whitstable cottage close to the beach will never be as dry as a modern house, and it does not need to be. It needs moisture to be able to leave as easily as it arrives. That means lime plaster and lime pointing, boards and frames kept clear of shingle and soil, floors that are not sealed, and a home that is heated and ventilated steadily.

Damp proofing systems designed for modern brick walls are not built for this. An injected course in a cottage wall that sits below the beach level does nothing about the moisture in the ground around it, and the waterproof plaster that comes with it traps what is already there. We see the results regularly: plaster that blows at the edge of the treated area, and timber that rots behind it.

The report sets out what will help the building to manage its moisture, in order of priority, and what you can leave alone.

Damp proofing done properly, in the right order

• Find the cause: measure, look outside, rule the alternatives in or out
• Fix the cheap external faults first and give the wall time to respond
• Only then, if a weatherboarding and brick or brick wall is still wet at low level with no working course, consider a new damp proof course
• Replaster with materials that suit the wall: lime on old solid walls, never cement on soft brick or stone
• Ventilate and heat so the wall can dry, and check it again after a season
• Keep the paperwork: diagnosis, specification, guarantee and the readings after

Questions to put to anyone quoting

• Why is this wall wet, and what is the evidence?
• Have you checked the ground level, gutters and pointing outside, and what did you find?
• Would the damp stop if those were fixed, and how do you know it would not?
• Why this height of replastering, and why this material?
• What exactly does the guarantee cover if the damp comes back in this Whitstable house?
• Can I have the survey in writing before I decide?

When a damp proof course is the right answer

There are walls in Whitstable that do need a damp proof course. A solid wall built without one, or with a slate or bitumen course that has cracked or been cut through, that is wet at low level with nothing outside to explain it and with the readings falling off with height, is a reasonable candidate. When we find that, the report says so and specifies where and how high, so you can get comparable quotes.

Damp proofing is priced per metre of wall plus replastering, and on an older Whitstable house that adds up quickly. The survey is a fixed fee, published on our prices page, and its job is to make sure you only pay a contractor for the metres that need it, if any.

Whitstable is one of the most sought after towns on the north Kent coast, and buyers often fall for a weatherboarded cottage close to the beach. A homebuyer report that flags damp or timber decay is common. An independent survey tells you whether the readings are salt or water, whether the sole plate and boarding are sound, and what proper maintenance will cost.

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 Whitstable 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 Whitstable.

Around Whitstable

The old town and Island Wall

Weatherboarded cottages and converted net stores close to the beach. Boarding, sole plates, ground levels and groundwater are the main themes.

Tankerton

Edwardian houses and terraces above the slopes, exposed to the north. Bays, render, parapets and wind driven rain account for most surveys.

Chestfield and Swalecliffe

Twentieth century housing. Mould, ventilation and extension junctions are the usual reasons for a visit.

Damp proofing questions in Whitstable

Nearby

• Damp proofing in Herne Bay
• Damp proofing in Canterbury
• Damp proofing in Faversham

Book a survey before you pay for damp proofing

An independent survey before you pay for damp proofing in Whitstable. Fixed fee, same day reply, written report within 24 hours.

Book a Survey or call 07386 225526