There is nothing worse than buying a completely renovated house than discovering that the damp proofing system behind dry lining has been badly installed and is leaking. To prove a point we have always advocated, it doesn’t matter what type and size the property is (The one we are currently working on is an £8.5m house in Chelsea, SW London) the quality of the damp proof membrane installation can be completely useless. The usual thing we come across is the client will instruct a PCA specialist damp proofing company to carry out a survey and then use their ‘builder’, who advises ‘I can do it cheaper’, to do the work. His price obviously didn’t allow for doing the whole job again properly a year later, which Tapco HomeDry are now in the process of doing in London.
Unfortunately for this client we have had no choice but to remove all of the wall and floor damp proofing membranes which were installed with open joints and loose fixing plugs and leaking like a sieve. Probably the ‘builder’ or so called cheap damp proofing ‘expert’ weren’t qualified and didn’t know or care what they were doing.
LESSON TO BE LEARNED: We know that spending money on damp proofing works doesn’t give the same pleasure as a new kitchen or bathroom but believe us it more important. A damp house is not a healthy house and create ideal conditions for dry rot, woodworm and other decay. Trying to cut cost on damp proofing works by using builders or magic formula damp proofing ‘experts’ who are not members of the Property Care Association (PCA) or Trust Mark shouldn’t shouldn’t be considered because the chances are you will need Tapco HomeDry to do it again properly.
Our damp surveyors are fully qualified and we cover all areas of London, Surrey and the Home Counties. Have it done once! Call Tapco first. Chemical damp proof course, basement and cellar conversions, tanking and damp proof plastering are all covered by the Tapco 20 year guarantee which can be insured by the Guarantee Protection Insurance (GPI)
