Damp - hopefully successful steps to banishing my problem Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[Bezmonduk]

Hi All, I have recently moved into my first home and now problems are starting to appear - the house was newly plastered/decorated before I moved in, after a few weeks I noticed several patches of damp in the bedroom ceiling - went into attic and the roof was leaking in several places - I have reslated the roof/replaced the flashing - which got that sorted, but now dampness is coming through the front wall and an adjoining wall - so next to do is replace guttering and possibly down pipes as I have been though the damp check lists and it seems to be combination of rising and penetrating damp.
The question is - after replacing guttering how long do I have to wait before I see any improvement (if any) as I do not want to replaster over a still damp wall.
If this does not resolve my problem then I will try applying either Ultra Proof waterproofer or Enviroseal to my external walls - as they still allow excess moisture to evaporate?
Lastly - due to money/time constraints I will go for a DPC

Does this sound like the logical order in which to progress things?

[thedoctor]

Sounds good. See our project on waterproofing external masonry for some fantastic products which allow the walls to breathe. www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects.htm

Saturated masonry takes about a month for an inch (25mm) to dry out so leave it a while before making a decision although it should not get any more damp of course.

[Bezmonduk]

Thanks for the reply - sorry for not getting back - 'internet' problems at home.
Once my guttering is done, in next couple of weeks hopefully (been let down a few times) I'll wait about a month to see if there is any improvements.

[tiredandrew]

Hi Bezmonduk,

I am not sure if you tried the water repellant products you mentioned, but I would be keen to get your views on them.

We have a brick wall that used to be rendered, the render has been removed and the bricks are damaged. The options seem to be rebuild the wall, re-render it, or clean it up and use a repellant product. Most people I speak to are against the use of a repellant product and are advising either of the first options.

If you did use the repellant, where did you purchase it from? I can't seem to find a retailer.

Your views/experience would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Andrew