Damp Proofing Homes In The Isle Of Man - Prices

[GD4ELI]

"The ground level is above internal floor level"

 

I wanted outside photos as the soil outside combined with leaves etc. may be over an existing damp proof course. This is a reason why drains whould never be blocked etc.

 

As Thunderstuck is knowledgable it would be interesting to see the outside.

Hi, I don't have a garden or gutterings outside as the wall outside is a SW Facing Gable wall and the ground above the affected area is a solid concrete drive. I tried to upload photos on here, however they do not appear on here

 

Send pictures, I'll upload. How does the water run off from the drive? Nice big pictures of the whole surrounding area always help, water can travel with ease.

 

Show roof above as well.

[brightspark]

Over the last three years i tried to obtain a grant to stop dampness coming into my home:

 

When i applied for a grant under the Home Improvements and energy conservation scheme 2005 which provides grants to help people to make their homes habitable such as making homes dry and safe etc. This is an outline of what i had to put up with

 

a) I was told by the Department of Social Care (Previously under the DOLGE) to put in quotes to have the two small walls of my home tanked from the inside - which i did.

 

b) Then i was told in October 2011 to put in quotes to have the wall tanked from the outside as opposed to the inside - which i did.

 

c) Then in December 2011 i was told "I cannot obtain a grant to either tank the house from the outside or the inside as it has to be done from both the outside and the inside increasing the costs from just under £7000 to now £16000 and i have to contribute either £10000 or £13500 towards it. There is no justification for me to have it tanked both inside and outside - the decision by the department was based on an out of date report by a damp proofing company in December 2010 (The one above) prior to myself replacing windows at my property that reduced the dampness coming in and stopped the flooding in April 2011

d) Also i had to sit through months of waiting as the Department ran out of monies.

 

There is no one to appeal to and the Minister upheld the decision in December 2011 based on Environmental health reading that report/ and was backed up by the Clerk of Works. I rang the Clerk of works in January 2012 and he knew nothing about the decision to now include me having my home tanked inside and outside and increasing the costs up to £16000 based on the cheapest quotes or i won't receive a penny. In otherwords they have increased their own costs and my costs making it impossible for me to obtain a grant to stop damp from coming into my home. The letter i also received basically translates as "Sorry our decision is final and we are sorry you have to sit around and watch your home deteriorate" I was in tears mixed with rage when i read this. I emailed the Department begging for help wanting to know why they have done this to me - they put the phone down on me

:

[jim]

I don't understand why you expect the governmet to pay to repair your home, I assume you own it?

 

It was not practical for me to tank the outside of mine, as there are a set of concrete steps going down past my gable that I do not own, however knocking of the old lime plaster, cement render inside back to the stone, rerendering, then ripping up the entire ground floor, ensuring there was decent drainage beneath, fitting damp proof membrane, reconcreating the floor, then tanking the entire area following the manufacturer instructions to the letter, seems to have worked for me.

 

I'm trying to be helpfull!

[truth doctor]

Brightspark you dont live up to your name tbh

[truth doctor]

ps forgot to say welcome to Manx Civil servants dont waste any more time over it , best to move on law to themselves.

[brightspark]

I don't understand why you expect the governmet to pay to repair your home, I assume you own it?

 

It was not practical for me to tank the outside of mine, as there are a set of concrete steps going down past my gable that I do not own, however knocking of the old lime plaster, cement render inside back to the stone, rerendering, then ripping up the entire ground floor, ensuring there was decent drainage beneath, fitting damp proof membrane, reconcreating the floor, then tanking the entire area following the manufacturer instructions to the letter, seems to have worked for me.

 

I'm trying to be helpfull!

 

Hi Jim, I understand - It is just that i have no experience of Building works and no family to help me.. I don't mind doing as much as i can like preparation work - Maybe hacking off plaster and other - getting the area prepared - I would needsome advice on how much to take off and where There is no way that i can afford prices like these above - There is no excuse for being around 4 times dearer than the UK - And i have based all materials on IOM prices. The material prices are not the issue here - It is the labour costs. I have just received another quote from a plumber regarding removal of the bath being £125 as opposed to £192 in my original posting above for five hours work in removing and reinstating the bath which is fair. This reduces the over £800 cost in my above posting for materials and bath removal combined The quotes from most damp proofing companies equate to over £6K in labour charges. This is totally wrong!

[GD4ELI]

Outside pictures:

[jim]

Having re read the thred it seems to me that Brian (Thunderstuck) is the man you need to be talking to, he appears to be a professional and is offering you free advice.

 

I can only comment on the one job I have done on my own house, Brian would have far more knowledge than myself.

[brightspark]

Having re read the thred it seems to me that Brian (Thunderstuck) is the man you need to be talking to, he appears to be a professional and is offering you free advice.

 

I can only comment on the one job I have done on my own house, Brian would have far more knowledge than myself.

Hi Jim thank you for your advice - I am glad that it is ok for you - Sounds like you have done really well on your own home

[mal48]

Looling at the pictures I can see problems with the window.The two wires must be going under the cover strip, which I wonder what else it is hiding. Bright spark stated it is better since he has had the window fitted. There appears to be green algae on the left hand side which could be where the water collects before tracking down.Get rid of the cables, put them over the window, pull up the cover strip and check the joint between frame and the external ground and reseal properly, try and get an angled fillet to throw the water away from the frame. It is a bodge and needs looking at first before spending any money on tanking and the like.

[belly]

looking at the picture of the boiler on the left , is the white pipe the condensate from the boiler ?

[Thunderstruck]

This is my recommendation to help you solve the penetrating dampness problem.

Hope it helps you out.

Old Brick/Block or Stonework

PREPARATION FOR WORKS

 

a) You will remove timber fixings, cable fixings or steelwork etc, to allow free access to the area to be treated.

You will carry out the following treatment.

 

b) Where required you will remove all plaster, rendering, paint, lime wash, bitumen, felting or other coverings, back to a sound substrate. This may require sand/grit blasting, needle gunning, wire brushing or power washing to ensure surface is suitably prepared for application.

(Note; - If previous coatings cannot be removed, then the fixing of stainless steel Expanded Metal Lath will be required.)

 

c) You will have to rake out the mortar joints to around 13mm minimum and remove all loose material by brushing and airline spraying out. Repair any unstable masonry using a 3 : 1 sand cement mix incorporating 1: 1 clean water and Tanking system. (Allow to cure for 24 hours).

 

 

2. Brick/Block work/random stone wall.

 

a) The surface will be prepared to a flat finish with no voids present. Surface faults will be filled by ’bag rubbing’ with 3 : 1 sharp sand and sulphate resisting cement. and allow to cure.

 

b) You will have to dampen down the area thoroughly and allow to dry until the wall is not ‘glistening’.

 

c) You will apply a slurry primer coat of 1 : 1½ neat Tanking system and sulphate resisting cement. This coat will be brush applied no greater than 0.5mm thick and the Tanking system applied onto it within 15 minutes, whilst the primer is still tacky.

 

 

3. Concrete Floors.

 

In part tank situations, the walls will be treated first and the floor last. Also, in the existing concrete, a 25 x 25mm channel will be dug along the length of the wall/floor joint.

 

a) You will clean all loose material from the floor by vacuuming. Ensuring the substrate is strong enough ie. >20N/mm². If polished concrete is found, or new concrete we will need to prepare it by etching or scabble it to gain an adequate surface key.

 

b) You will have to dampen down the floor and apply a primer coat of SBR OR K-X11 and sulphate resistant cement as above.

You will allow the first primer coat to dry (20-30mins), then you will have to apply a second primer coat. Please note : you will be applying the Tanking system to the surface whilst the primer is still tacky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Render Application.

 

You will treat the working area with antisulphate, as sulphates are frequently present in the ground water. The most common are sulphates of calcium, magnesium and sodium. The solution reacts with the tri-calcium aluminate in the hardened cement paste and produces calcium sulphoaluminate, this occupies a greater volume than the original tri-calcium aluminate and causes the concrete and wall plaster to crack and loose strength.

 

a) You will dampen down the area thoroughly and allow to dry until the wall is not ‘glistening’.

 

b) You will mix the render 1 : 4 fresh sulphate resisting cement if possible or ordinary Portland cement & add antisulphate solution to the mix to recommendation and sharp, washed sand incorporating 3 : 1 clean water and Tanking system.

 

c) You will apply the render to a thickness of not less than 10mm and float finish. Form a 45˚ angle fillet into the channel of the wall/floor joint and at the vertical

wall/wall joints, using TANKING BARRIER MORTAR

NOTE: - If the wall/floor joint has any water seepage, the channel should be filled to flush with TANKING BARRIER MORTAR prior to rendering.

 

d) You will allow the render to cure overnight prior to applying the Tanking system application.

 

 

5. Tanking Application.

 

a) You will have to mix the gauging liquid 5 : 1 clean water with SBR or K-X11 (Usually approx 6 litres of gauging liquid per 25 kg bag and the TANKING SLURRY

 

b) You will add the powder to the liquid while mixing with a low speed, power driven paddle until a thick batter consistency is reached. You will then have to leave to stand for 10 minutes, then remix and adjust consistency with more liquid if necessary. The mixture should be stiff enough to support the weight of a fibre application brush.

 

c) Using the brush, you will have to load the TANKING SLURRY to it and apply to the pre wetted, prepared surface.

 

d) The first coat will be applied using vertical strokes and a coverage of 12 -16 sq metres per 25 kg bag will be achieved. I allow 10 sq metres per bag!! (just to be on the safe side)

 

e) The first coat should be left to set for a minimum 4 hours, maximum 36 hours. (usually I leave overnight to gain strength and harden!)

 

e) You will apply the second coat using horizontal brush strokes and ensure the same coverage is achieved an overall figure of 6 to 8 sq. metres per 25 kg bag and again allow to cure.

Note: - I do not allow THE TANKING SLURRY to cure too rapidly ie. in hot conditions I mist spray with water or cover with polythene & damp sacking material. The client or any other contractor must not use hot air dryers or de humidifiers in initial stages of curing.

 

f) When treating the wall, I extend the treatment 200mm onto the concrete floor.

g) When treating the floor I extend the treatment 100mm up the wall. When treating the floor I work towards an exit so that the treatment is not walked upon! (The working area will be cordoned off so no treatment is damaged).

 

 

 

 

 

6. Over Plastering.

 

a) To gain a key onto the TANKING, a primer can be used as earlier, but ordinary Portland cement is used. The next coat must be applied to wet and tacky primer.

Alternatively a spatter dash of 1 : 1 sand and cement can be used onto the ‘green’

TANKING then allowed to cure. If the TANKING is allowed to cure light grey then the K-X11 OR SBR and cement primer must be used.

 

Please note the following:

 

b) Only cement and lime based renovating plasters can be used onto the Tanking system.(ie Specialist Drywall Plaster). Gypsum based backing plasters are notsuitable. Specialist Drywall Plaster will gain a ‘warmer’ surface for the tanked wall and will not show condensation as droplets on the surface.

 

c) The best method of providing a decorative surface is to fit a thermal laminated plasterboard system (ie. Gyproc Thermal board Super). This can be ‘dot and dab’ fixed direct to the TANKING surface and will provide an insulated surface with a vapour barrier included. This will provide the best surface to ensure that no condensation occurs, either surface or interstitial. The plasterboard is tapered edge and can be dry-line finished or skimmed.

 

 

 

7. Protective Screed.

 

Where the TANKING system has been applied to a floor, a protective screed must be used. The screed is best applied soon after the initial set of the TANKING second coat. If the TANKING is allowed to dry light grey, then the surface must be dampened and primed as above prior to laying the screed. In all cases the screed must be a minimum of 50mm thick.

 

CAUTIONARY NOTES.

 

i) TANKING, spatter coats and floor screed must be applied shortly after the initial set of the previous coats. Failure to do this will necessitate the use of the primer.

 

ii) Protect all coats from frost or accelerate drying. Do not apply if frost is expected or if the air temperature is less than 5˚C.

 

iv) Decorate using Matt Emulsion or Stone Paint. DO NOT use impermeable decorative systems.

 

v) Formation of water droplets on the surface of the TANKING during the curing period is normal. This is caused by condensation forming on the cold surface. Provide a dry heat source or better ventilation to alleviate this problem.

 

vi) Basement tanking contracts will normally include provision of adequate ventilation.

 

Now get on with the job in hand LOL

[Gizo]

Fuck me.....just read all of that and my head is melting, bright spark pay the bloody bill....

[brightspark]

Looling at the pictures I can see problems with the window.The two wires must be going under the cover strip, which I wonder what else it is hiding. Bright spark stated it is better since he has had the window fitted. There appears to be green algae on the left hand side which could be where the water collects before tracking down.Get rid of the cables, put them over the window, pull up the cover strip and check the joint between frame and the external ground and reseal properly, try and get an angled fillet to throw the water away from the frame. It is a bodge and needs looking at first before spending any money on tanking and the like.

Hi Mal, I have wondered about this myself - It was sealed well and i also went over the area again to be sure with high quality clear Mastic - But you do have a good point and thank you for this - I could get this looked at to be sure - There are various areas a long the SW facing Gable wall where i get these damp patches. The photo you see is my living room window. Next to it not shown is my bathroom window of my ground floor bathroom where dampness from outside also comes in under the bath directly below the tiled window.

[brightspark]

This is my recommendation to help you solve the penetrating dampness problem.

Hope it helps you out.

Old Brick/Block or Stonework

PREPARATION FOR WORKS

 

a) You will remove timber fixings, cable fixings or steelwork etc, to allow free access to the area to be treated.

You will carry out the following treatment.

 

b) Where required you will remove all plaster, rendering, paint, lime wash, bitumen, felting or other coverings, back to a sound substrate. This may require sand/grit blasting, needle gunning, wire brushing or power washing to ensure surface is suitably prepared for application.

(Note; - If previous coatings cannot be removed, then the fixing of stainless steel Expanded Metal Lath will be required.)

 

c) You will have to rake out the mortar joints to around 13mm minimum and remove all loose material by brushing and airline spraying out. Repair any unstable masonry using a 3 : 1 sand cement mix incorporating 1: 1 clean water and Tanking system. (Allow to cure for 24 hours).

 

 

2. Brick/Block work/random stone wall.

 

a) The surface will be prepared to a flat finish with no voids present. Surface faults will be filled by ’bag rubbing’ with 3 : 1 sharp sand and sulphate resisting cement. and allow to cure.

 

b) You will have to dampen down the area thoroughly and allow to dry until the wall is not ‘glistening’.

 

c) You will apply a slurry primer coat of 1 : 1½ neat Tanking system and sulphate resisting cement. This coat will be brush applied no greater than 0.5mm thick and the Tanking system applied onto it within 15 minutes, whilst the primer is still tacky.

 

 

3. Concrete Floors.

 

In part tank situations, the walls will be treated first and the floor last. Also, in the existing concrete, a 25 x 25mm channel will be dug along the length of the wall/floor joint.

 

a) You will clean all loose material from the floor by vacuuming. Ensuring the substrate is strong enough ie. >20N/mm². If polished concrete is found, or new concrete we will need to prepare it by etching or scabble it to gain an adequate surface key.

 

b) You will have to dampen down the floor and apply a primer coat of SBR OR K-X11 and sulphate resistant cement as above.

You will allow the first primer coat to dry (20-30mins), then you will have to apply a second primer coat. Please note : you will be applying the Tanking system to the surface whilst the primer is still tacky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Render Application.

 

You will treat the working area with antisulphate, as sulphates are frequently present in the ground water. The most common are sulphates of calcium, magnesium and sodium. The solution reacts with the tri-calcium aluminate in the hardened cement paste and produces calcium sulphoaluminate, this occupies a greater volume than the original tri-calcium aluminate and causes the concrete and wall plaster to crack and loose strength.

 

a) You will dampen down the area thoroughly and allow to dry until the wall is not ‘glistening’.

 

b) You will mix the render 1 : 4 fresh sulphate resisting cement if possible or ordinary Portland cement & add antisulphate solution to the mix to recommendation and sharp, washed sand incorporating 3 : 1 clean water and Tanking system.

 

c) You will apply the render to a thickness of not less than 10mm and float finish. Form a 45˚ angle fillet into the channel of the wall/floor joint and at the vertical

wall/wall joints, using TANKING BARRIER MORTAR

NOTE: - If the wall/floor joint has any water seepage, the channel should be filled to flush with TANKING BARRIER MORTAR prior to rendering.

 

d) You will allow the render to cure overnight prior to applying the Tanking system application.

 

 

5. Tanking Application.

 

a) You will have to mix the gauging liquid 5 : 1 clean water with SBR or K-X11 (Usually approx 6 litres of gauging liquid per 25 kg bag and the TANKING SLURRY

 

b) You will add the powder to the liquid while mixing with a low speed, power driven paddle until a thick batter consistency is reached. You will then have to leave to stand for 10 minutes, then remix and adjust consistency with more liquid if necessary. The mixture should be stiff enough to support the weight of a fibre application brush.

 

c) Using the brush, you will have to load the TANKING SLURRY to it and apply to the pre wetted, prepared surface.

 

d) The first coat will be applied using vertical strokes and a coverage of 12 -16 sq metres per 25 kg bag will be achieved. I allow 10 sq metres per bag!! (just to be on the safe side)

 

e) The first coat should be left to set for a minimum 4 hours, maximum 36 hours. (usually I leave overnight to gain strength and harden!)

 

e) You will apply the second coat using horizontal brush strokes and ensure the same coverage is achieved an overall figure of 6 to 8 sq. metres per 25 kg bag and again allow to cure.

Note: - I do not allow THE TANKING SLURRY to cure too rapidly ie. in hot conditions I mist spray with water or cover with polythene & damp sacking material. The client or any other contractor must not use hot air dryers or de humidifiers in initial stages of curing.

 

f) When treating the wall, I extend the treatment 200mm onto the concrete floor.

g) When treating the floor I extend the treatment 100mm up the wall. When treating the floor I work towards an exit so that the treatment is not walked upon! (The working area will be cordoned off so no treatment is damaged).

 

 

 

 

 

6. Over Plastering.

 

a) To gain a key onto the TANKING, a primer can be used as earlier, but ordinary Portland cement is used. The next coat must be applied to wet and tacky primer.

Alternatively a spatter dash of 1 : 1 sand and cement can be used onto the ‘green’

TANKING then allowed to cure. If the TANKING is allowed to cure light grey then the K-X11 OR SBR and cement primer must be used.

 

Please note the following:

 

b) Only cement and lime based renovating plasters can be used onto the Tanking system.(ie Specialist Drywall Plaster). Gypsum based backing plasters are notsuitable. Specialist Drywall Plaster will gain a ‘warmer’ surface for the tanked wall and will not show condensation as droplets on the surface.

 

c) The best method of providing a decorative surface is to fit a thermal laminated plasterboard system (ie. Gyproc Thermal board Super). This can be ‘dot and dab’ fixed direct to the TANKING surface and will provide an insulated surface with a vapour barrier included. This will provide the best surface to ensure that no condensation occurs, either surface or interstitial. The plasterboard is tapered edge and can be dry-line finished or skimmed.

 

 

 

7. Protective Screed.

 

Where the TANKING system has been applied to a floor, a protective screed must be used. The screed is best applied soon after the initial set of the TANKING second coat. If the TANKING is allowed to dry light grey, then the surface must be dampened and primed as above prior to laying the screed. In all cases the screed must be a minimum of 50mm thick.

 

CAUTIONARY NOTES.

 

i) TANKING, spatter coats and floor screed must be applied shortly after the initial set of the previous coats. Failure to do this will necessitate the use of the primer.

 

ii) Protect all coats from frost or accelerate drying. Do not apply if frost is expected or if the air temperature is less than 5˚C.

 

iv) Decorate using Matt Emulsion or Stone Paint. DO NOT use impermeable decorative systems.

 

v) Formation of water droplets on the surface of the TANKING during the curing period is normal. This is caused by condensation forming on the cold surface. Provide a dry heat source or better ventilation to alleviate this problem.

 

vi) Basement tanking contracts will normally include provision of adequate ventilation.

 

Now get on with the job in hand LOL

I have two small walls in a cottage measuring 4.5 Metres LIving Room and 2.5 Metres Bathroom. I only have plasterboard studded to the bare stone walls in my living room and nothing in my bathroom except tiles above the bath. I am prepared to remove plasterboard and clean the area as best i can and i can dispose of all waste myself - However i am not a builder and have no one to help me. All this work is done in the UK at typically £130 per Square Metre based on December 2011 prices. including labour and materials as i have shown above. I have 11.2 Square Metres of walling to be tanked taking into account 1.3 Metres in Height. But to allow for any wastage i used 13 Square Metres in Material costs. One thing different in my case is the removal and reinstatement of a bath. (I received a quote from a local plumber based on 5 hours work and two trips at £25 per hour = Total £125, which is fair. The Material costs and the removal and reinstatement of the Bath is now below £800 from the above. For four years i have put up with damp coming into my home and tried so hard to understand how water is getting in. This included on the Night my Father died and on the Eve of his funeral and on the night my Brother suddenly died. This means i have no family to help me - This is not an attempt at me wanting sympathy - it is based on fact. The worst day for me was Chrisrtmas day 2011 when i woke up - missing my family and saw yet more damp in the corners of my room. I reflected on these prices - I reflected on the loss of my Family and wondered why no one will help me to help myself. and have spent four years of misery and set back trying on my own to stop this damp and failing to do so. I am not asking for handouts or to sit on my backside and let others do the work for me. What i want is someone to help me to help myself and charge me a fair price and to have this weight lifted from me for over four years. The damp is close to an Electric socket and i may one day end up with a fire. I try to keep it dry almost daily with a hairdryer on a bare concrete floor and a dehumidifier running.