Damp proofing in Islington: an independent survey first

Why the survey comes before damp proofing in Islington

A great deal of the damp proofing sold in Islington is sold to a wall that is wet for another reason: a lightwell or patio above the old course, a defective gutter on a party parapet, a bathroom extract ducted into a void, or condensation in a flat that has lost its air changes. We do not sell damp proofing or any other remedial work, so the survey has one job, which is to say which of those it is.

The Islington quote we see most is injection and waterproof replastering along the front and rear walls of a lower ground floor flat, sometimes with tanking. The front wall usually holds back the pavement and the vaults; the rear wall is often bridged by a raised patio or decking. Neither is a rising damp problem, and the waterproof plaster tends to push moisture higher.

In Islington, a large share of homes are flats, and damp proofing quotes are often given to a leaseholder for a problem that belongs to the building. Before paying, check whether the water is coming through the roof, the external walls, the front area or a shared drain, because under most leases those are the freeholder's to repair. Our report states the source and the route, with the evidence a managing agent needs.

Damp proofing methods, briefly

A chemical damp proof course, a physical course, a waterproof render, a drained membrane, a breathable plaster: each is sold as damp proofing, and each answers a different question. The survey's job is to establish which question the Islington wall is actually asking.

In converted buildings the answer is often outside the flat altogether: a communal gutter, a front area drain, a parapet or a neighbour's raised garden. A damp proofing system inside the flat cannot fix any of those.

Islington walls, and what they actually need

The borough's terraces are solid stock brick in lime. They need the lightwell and front area kept clear and drained, the rear ground kept below internal floor level, breathable plaster and paint, and sound parapets and gutters above. Lower ground rooms that sit below external ground need a properly designed below ground solution.

• Clearing and repairing lightwell and front area drains, and dealing with leaking pavement vaults
• Lowering raised patios and decking at the rear, or adding a drained channel against the wall
• Replacing gypsum and cement plaster on solid walls with lime or a breathable lightweight plaster
• A drained membrane for rooms genuinely below ground, after the water is understood

Lower ground floors and who is responsible

In a converted Islington house, the lower ground flat often bears the consequences of parts of the building it does not control: the front area and its drain, the pavement vaults, the rear garden that belongs to another flat, the soil stack shared by the building, the parapet gutter four floors up. Damp proofing the flat's walls cannot fix any of those.

Our report records where the water comes from and which part of the building it passes through, which is the evidence needed to ask a freeholder, a neighbouring flat or a managing agent to act.

The right order for damp proofing work

• Establish the cause independently
• Resolve anything the freeholder or a neighbour is responsible for
• Fix water entry and ground level faults, then allow the wall to dry
• Only then specify internal works in the Islington flat or house, in materials that suit solid walls
• Check that ventilation and heating allow the wall to stay dry
• Keep the diagnosis and the guarantee together for the conveyancing file

Warning signs in a damp proofing quote

• Rising damp diagnosed on an upper floor, or on a party wall with no ground contact
• No inspection of the lightwell, front area, rear yard or parapet
• A blanket timber treatment added to a damp quote
• A guarantee that does not say which walls, or what happens if the cause was elsewhere
• A price for a Islington terrace with no reference to its solid walls or its lime plaster
• Pressure to agree before a buyer's or lender's deadline

When a damp proof course is the right answer

Some Islington walls do need a damp proof course: a solid wall with no course, or one that has been bridged internally by a solid floor, that remains wet at low level once every external source has been eliminated. Where we find that, the report specifies it plainly, with the height and finish, so you can obtain like for like quotes.

The survey fee is published and fixed before the visit. In Islington, where replastering and making good in a period flat is expensive and disruptive, establishing whether the work is needed before it starts is the economical step.

After the survey you hold an independent record. Use it to obtain comparable quotes in Islington, to negotiate a purchase, or to require a landlord or freeholder to act. We do no remedial work and recommend no contractor.

For the full picture of what a survey here involves, see damp surveys in Islington.

Around Islington

Barnsbury and Canonbury

Georgian and early Victorian terraces in conservation areas. Lightwells, vaults and breathable finishes are the main themes.

Holloway, Archway and Finsbury Park

Later Victorian terraces and mansion blocks, many converted. Rear patios, shared gutters and freeholder responsibility recur.

Damp proofing questions in Islington

Nearby

• Damp proofing in Hackney
• Damp proofing in Camden

Book a survey before you pay for damp proofing

An independent survey before any damp proofing in Islington. We do no remedial work. Written report within 24 hours.

Request a Survey or call 020 3355 4944