IDENTIFYING DAMP & WOOD ROT
Being an old listed cottage, considerable damp proofing and timber treatment and replacement was required out at Old Rose Cottage, Marcham, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, mainly because of rising damp, wood rot and woodworm infestation. This included removing a considerable amounts of the walls plaster and injecting a chemical (cream) damp proof course into the base of the walls to prevent further damp rising up the walls.
HOW WE ERADICATED DAMP & WOOD ROT
This was done by drilling a pattern of holes into the mortar joints at the required depths, clearing them of dust and injecting a silane/siloxane cream, damp proof course solution, which slowly spreads to form an impervious barrier to prevent further rising damp. Some of the walls, which were below the external ground level, had to be structurally water proofed (Tanked), prior to all of the walls being re-plastered in accordance with our damp proofing specification. Structural waterproofing (Tanking) was carried out by first cutting a small channel between the wall and the floor and creating a floor/wall joint using a high performance damp proofing system. A scratch coat of our waterproof rendering was then applied to the walls and allowing it to dry sufficiently prior to applying two slurry coats of a cementitious structural waterproofing system, at the approved rates, to block further damp, penetrating the walls. The walls were the plastered in accordance with our damp proofing specification, prior to applying a finish coat of plaster.
The existing solid (concrete) floors were very damp and damaged and did not consist of a damp proof membrane. This was obviously the cause of the considerable damp so all of the concrete floors were removed and excavated to the required depth to allow new concrete floors to be laid. First, new clean hardcore was installed which was leveled and covered with sharp sand to prevent damage to the new heavy duty membrane which was laid over the hardcore. Following this, 125mm of concrete wall laid prior the this being screeded to a level finish.
Unfortunately, during the course of the work it was found that the existing drainage system had subsided and was leaking. All of the pipe-work was removed and renewed by us in accordance with good building practice, prior to laying the new floors.
Finally the joinery timbers were renewed using new treated timber and primed, ready for our client to redecorate.
OUR INSURED DAMP & WOOD ROT GUARANTEE
All of the damp proofing and timber treatment carried out by us is covered by our 20 Year Guarantee, which for our clients security is insured by the Guarantee Protection Insurance (GPI). We specialise in all types of damp proofing, timber treatment and restoration and have carried out many thousands of projects on both domestic and commercial properties, including listed buildings, throughout London and the Home Counties. We are proud to be long term members of the Property Care Association (PCA), TrustMark (Government Endorsed Standards) and an accredited 5 star Which Trusted Trader. Don’t take a chance when dealing with a damp problem, woodworm or timber decay, call Tapco HomeDry, the experts, first to do it once, do it right.