Damp Proof Over Emulsion in Old Cottage With Double Skin Walls no Cavity Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[Derbyreject]

Hi, I have an old cottage, double skin walls with no cavity and have suffered from rising and penetrating damp for the last decade or so.

The previous occupants installed a damp proof course which failed. We installed another course and did a lot of repointing, but that also failed!

In recent years a reputable builder has put in 3 courses of blue bricks (inside/out), installed a lip and drainage leadwork on the roof to redivert water, and waterproofed the external brickwork.

Finally, 18 months on, the wall seems to be drying out, but I'm not totally convinced we are entirely damp free!

The builder has recommended we completely paint the hall/stairs/landing with damp proof paint before we redecorate as a final precaution. What bothers me is:
1) It's a huge wall
2) I've used Ronseal/Thompsons in the past which stinks and goes on horribly.
3) The wall's already got three coats of emulsion.
4) I can't afford anything costly this year.

So, I'm not sure whether to put on a damp proof paint, and don't know if it'll flake/bubble over time without stripping the wall first.

Has anyone got any ideas/product recommendations?

Cheers

[diydoctor6]

I would be reluctant to use damp proof paint as this will hid the problem. You have paid to get your damp problem sorted and you need to confirm if it has worked. You can use a damp meter to check the moisture content in the wall during wet and dry conditions until you are happy the problems been solved.

This is a relatively affordable damp tester you can use: https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/DIY-superst ... splay.html

Using damp proofing paint can hid any problems that might still be lurking, and then make diagnosis of the problem ongoing much harder.

In these situations, our preferred solution for rising damp is Freezeteq, which is a remarkably effective yet simple solution: http://www.freezteq.co.uk/homepage/