Damp Expert

charleshardin

Hi - can anybody recommend a person who could look at a wall, which seems damp, and recommend a fix? Preferably in the Limerick area.

I did a web search, but none of the sites mention Limerick as being within their range.

chicorytip

Is it an external or internal wall that's affected?
Try posting in the Home and Garden section here and give more details.

charleshardin

Good question.

There is an external wall (side wall of house), but it is the interior of that one wall which shows either current dampness, or else the after-effects of earlier dampness.

Situation is that it was a garage conversion into a room, done about 45 years back. Up to about two years ago, it showed no dampness. Then it began to show damp stains, starting at the bottom, and rising to about 3 feet over a short period.

I had no idea if the damp started on the flat roof, or at ground level, or was damp coming through the wall from the outside.

Meanwhile, although not connected with this, I had the roof sealed and tiled (it is a balcony over what was originally a garage), and since then, there has been no rise in the tide mark - if you know what I mean!

A couple of months back, I put in a small dehumidifier but it has been collecting less and less water over the last six months.

However, as the damp mark is from the bottom up (and not the top down), I wonder if the roof had anything to do with it anyway.

So if you know of an expert in this area, in Limerick or surrnoundings, I would be grateful.

chicorytip

Rising Damp would cause the kind of symptoms you describe - something at ground level that is creating moisture and causing it to rise. The solution might be a little more complex than just drying out or damp proofing the area. The source of the dampness needs to be identified and eliminated for it not to recur. I would imagine a good general builder might be able to advise you and fix the issue without you having to hire a specialist. I can't recommend any particular damp proofing expert because I have never had cause to employ one myself.

charleshardin

Thanks for that advice.

I had sort of thought it might be Rising Damp, but was not sure.

I note your advice rthat a general builder might be able to assist, and will go down that route, as I do not seem to have any luck locating a damp expert locally.

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply - it was very helpful.

stefanovich

charleshardin wrote: »

Thanks for that advice.

I had sort of thought it might be Rising Damp, but was not sure.

I note your advice rthat a general builder might be able to assist, and will go down that route, as I do not seem to have any luck locating a damp expert locally.

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply - it was very helpful.

I saw a van driving about with text on the side about damp. Clare reg if I remember.

Brief google showed up these. Not recommendations, just search results.

https://damprite.ie

https://www.dampproofsolutions.ie

https://www.dampprevention.ie/en/gly/ic/michael-meade

charleshardin

Thanks for the links, and also the mention of a possible Clare expert.

Meanwhile, I did get on to a firm who do mention Limerick (in fact they mention more or less everywhere!), but the person on the other end seemed disappointed that the damplness involved a small area, and said he'd get back to me!

Anyway, thanks for all the help.

Odd thing is - I mentioned it to a gardener this morning, and that I thought the dampness seemed to slow down to a halt at the same time I had tiled the balcony. He then reminded me that at that very same time, he had cut down a very large tree which was just a few feet away from the same side wall, and wondered if that had anything to do with the dampness slowing down.

Either way, I will get an expert on the job.

Thanks everybody for all the help.

stefanovich

charleshardin wrote: »

Thanks for the links, and also the mention of a possible Clare expert.

Meanwhile, I did get on to a firm who do mention Limerick (in fact they mention more or less everywhere!), but the person on the other end seemed disappointed that the damplness involved a small area, and said he'd get back to me!

Anyway, thanks for all the help.

Odd thing is - I mentioned it to a gardener this morning, and that I thought the dampness seemed to slow down to a halt at the same time I had tiled the balcony. He then reminded me that at that very same time, he had cut down a very large tree which was just a few feet away from the same side wall, and wondered if that had anything to do with the dampness slowing down.

Either way, I will get an expert on the job.

Thanks everybody for all the help.

All the links above are Clare or Limerick

charleshardin

I appreciate the links - as you say all three cover Limerick, and I have been in touch with one so far - and hopefully will get through to the others tomorrow.

With s bit of luck - it eill sll be sorted out.

Thanks.