Case study
Paddington Terrace: One Wall Already Treated
The Property
A Paddington terrace well over 100 years old. The owner was mid-renovation, with all the floors, the kitchen and the bathroom coming out. That makes it the best possible time to deal with rising damp, because every wall base is accessible.
The owner wanted to know which walls actually needed treatment and why.
What I Found
Comparative moisture meter readings across the house were high on almost every wall. One lounge wall read far lower than the rest. With a torch held flat against it I could see a render line, which told me that wall had been treated at some point in the past and the others had not.
In a house this age, walls with no damage showing have usually been treated before. Walls showing damage have not. We also talked through the paints and coatings on the walls, and why a wall needs to be able to breathe.
The plan
Because the floors were coming out, the new damp course could go in low, below the skirting line and above the footing, where it does the most good. At the atrium, the side fence had no damp course of its own and was feeding water into the wall, so the injection had to run vertically up to the height of the fence as well.
The scope:
- Double wall injection from the bathroom through to the front
- Front elevation and the fireplace side
- The bathroom and atrium rear walls
- Single wall injection to the hallway
- Vertical injection at the atrium up to fence height
The lesson
If you are renovating, deal with rising damp while the floors are out. It is the cheapest and most effective time to do it. See how the installation is done.