Independent Leyton Orient Forum

Boarders - I need your help. And this is not in reference to the Leonard Rossiter sitcom!

Last summer we waterproofed (tanked) the kitchen wall with a reputable damp company called Kenwood. It's an external, north facing wall and had three or four semi circles of salt damp rising above the skirting boards.

Kenwood did the work and we paid a handsome four figure sum for their work.

Then in January I noticed that we now had patches of wet (rising damp) all along the base of the wall where it meets the kitchen tiles.

We got Kenwood to re-investigate, but they are not accepting responsibility for their actions and are now not responding to my comms.

Can anyone recommend a reputable damp company in the London area who can fix this mess?

Much obliged folks.

Hate damp. Possible to knock the wall down and rebuild it? Add a vent?

A vent could be put in, LSN, but forgive my ignorance how would that help with rising damp? Would help with condensation issues, not that we have any. The damp course is apparently sound, but the issue is that the wall backs onto our neighbour's slanted driveway that is slightly higher than the damp course at that part of the kitchen.

Neighbour would very unlikely agree to workmen setting foot on his property, hence why we had it tanked from inside the home in the summer, hoping that would sove thd dry salt damp issue. Am kind of bolloxed on this as the previous dry damp issue is now very much a wet, rising damp issue...

MalvoliO wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 4:37 pm A vent could be put in, LSN, but forgive my ignorance how would that help with rising damp? Would help with condensation issues, not that we have any. The damp course is apparently sound, but the issue is that the wall backs onto our neighbour's slanted driveway that is slightly higher than the damp course at that part of the kitchen.

Neighbour would very unlikely agree to workmen setting foot on his property, hence why we had it tanked from inside the home in the summer, hoping that would sove thd dry salt damp issue. Am kind of bolloxed on this as the previous dry damp issue is now very much a wet, rising damp issue...

Its a complicated topic and I'm no expert. What is tanking?

Any leaks or anything dripping onto the wall?

Neighbours drive- believe thats called bridging the damp course.

Tanking, as I understand it is another term for waterproofing a wall. Basically Kenwood "allegedly" injected a load of chemicals into the wall to seal it and prevent moisture getting through. There are no outside pipes on the wall, so no leaks. As for dripping, well the coping stones on top of the wall are flush with the wall rather than overhanging with a drip so could be an issue?

We did not put skirting boards back on, so all this constant rain has just given us lots of headaches. Need an O's win tonight to take my mind off it.

Tanking is an extra layer of brick with a DPM (damp course membrane) between the two brick works. In other words it’s generally put in because the earth or ground outside is higher than the damp course. If this is the case then if you can dig it away and perhaps put a shingle between the earth and the wall outside. Damp is generally caused by a lack of airflow, so putting in an air brick may also help.

I thoroughly appreciate these replies and extra knowledge, LSN and Monkey Boy. I like the idea of a shingle path beyond the external wall, but my neighbour will be very anti that, as it is his property.

MalvoliO wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 5:36 pm I thoroughly appreciate these replies and extra knowledge, LSN and Monkey Boy. I like the idea of a shingle path beyond the external wall, but my neighbour will be very anti that, as it is his property.

You’re more than welcome, that sounds like you have a problem if you can’t get to it from the outside,have to be honest unfortunately

Any gap at all between your wall and neighbours driveway?

LSN wants you to wrap the wall in grease proof paper and foil so that the moisture can’t get in

MalvoliO wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 5:13 pm Basically Kenwood "allegedly" injected a load of chemicals into the wall to seal it and prevent moisture getting through.

This option is usually opted for by homeowners as it can be cheaper than the others. But, on it's own, it can have limited success.

Did Kenwood undertake a survey and issue you with a report first, setting out your options? If they did, then it's worth re-reading that for their feasibility assessment against each option and any caveats/disclaimers.

If Kenwood just said that the injections were the way to go, then the onus would have been on you to seek second opinions first before commiting. It's a crap situation, I know, but that's where you'll stand.

I doubt Kenwood would not have applied the damp course injection but, if you really believe that they're lying, then you could instruct an independent damp specialist to investigate and report. And if that concludes that Kenwood are lying, then you can give them right of reply before getting advice for breach of contract.

You could put in French drains at the bottom of the neighbours drive to drain away the water.

Also, make sure that any soil/gravel is below the damp course. We had loads of damp issues and rising damp partly because the previous owner had stacked soil over the bottom of the wall that and the walls sucked in the damp.

Ours is about 300 years old and timber framed so slightly different but you could get it plastered/rendered with like plaster which allows water to escape.

Can’t remember who sorted our rising damp but will try to dig out a name