The Warm Dry Home - New Peter Ward book

[Lacan07]

The same would be said and more for the inappropriate and uninformed approach from ‘skill builder’ to damaging period buildings.

Skill Builder went off on a rant about lime last month on YT

 

[montyjohn]

Skill Builder went off on a rant about lime last month on YT

I'm not going to go back and check, but I think I recall quite a few mistakes in that video. I think there was a focus on Hydraulic Lime and talking about the benefits, and completely ignoring non hydraulic lime.
He seem on board with making sure your mortar isn't too hard for the brick, does seems to care less about breathability. At least this is what I recall from the video, but may be miss remembering.

 

[montyjohn]

The blogs on his website contain some odd statements, such as ' rising damp was invented in 1962', 'the UK is the only country in the world with rising damp issues' ' and Holland doesn't use a DPC in their houses.

I reword what he says and it then makes sense.
Water can rise up a brick. I've seen it, it happens. So when he says rising dam doesn't exist, I don't think that's what he means.

If you have breathable mortar and plaster and paint and enough exposed wall below your finished floor level on both sides of the wall, then it will dry out before it can rise.

So it's not that it can't rise, it's that there are other design choices in place to prevent it.

With this frame of mind, and filtering/replacing the words he uses it all makes sense and then seems accurate.

I do genuinely believe my understanding is what he means, but it's not what he says.

 

[stuart45]

These are from his site.

Rising Damp was invented by the chemical industry. In a particular chemical industry boardroom in 1962 actually. When the first damp meter was invented and some very astute con man realised they could make millions. I know, because Ive spoken to a man who was in that meeting. Have you never wondered why rising damp isnt in America? Or France, or Germany? You dont walk down the streets of French and German cities seeing ugly injection holes everywhere do you? No - because they arent so daft as to be conned by chemical fraudsters.

Did you know that in Holland, they don't even have damp courses? True... Even in new houses, damp proof courses are not required. They build their houses with their feet in the water, and they don't get damp walls. I teach Dutch architectural students at college, and they fall about laughing when we talk about what they call our 'Quaint English Custom' of damp courses and injection damp proofing. Sounds funny, but this is serious stuff - we are being defrauded to the tune of hundreds of millions a year, by chemical companies selling useless, fraudulent treatment.

In America they don't have a damp industry. Try walking the streets of New York. You won't see a single injection hole. When I describe what the damp industry does in this country, friends of mine in the States who are surveyors and conservation experts just howl with laughter.

I'm not sure how that translates into what you have seen it as.
He makes some valid points about the Damp proofing industry, but would do better to stick to the facts.

 

[stuart45]

Skill Builder went off on a rant about lime last month on YT

Is that the one where he spoke to a builder who was using white cement instead of lime?
You have to remember that Roger is a plumber by trade, so he's probably working mainly to a script he's been given. Neither him or Peter Ward know a lot about the masonry trade. Being a bricklayer myself since leaving school I can tell when someone is full of B/S about brickwork. Roger used to write articles about new products for Professional Builder magazine.
If you want to read articles by someone with extensive knowledge of the masonry trade Gerard Lynch is probably as good as anyone.

 

[montyjohn]

I'd probably have to read it as follows:

Rising Damp solutions were invented by the chemical industry. In a particular chemical industry boardroom in 1962 actually.

This is true

Did you know that in Holland, they don't even have damp courses? True...

As I understand it, they typically use concrete foundations with a membrane under it and build on that, so damp can't get through anyway. Basically the foundation is the damp proof course so they don't need one.

This next bit is AI generated as I don't know how to find Dutch standard never mind read them.

Bouwbesluit 2012 – Afdeling 3.6 (Vocht)
This section requires that:

• Buildings must be protected against rising damp
• Foundations and ground‑contacting elements must prevent moisture penetration
• Materials must be suitable for moisture‑exposed environments

This is the legal basis for Dutch practice.

Key point:
The law requires the result (no rising damp), not the method (no requirement for a horizontal DPC layer).

 

[stuart45]

I've worked in Holland, Germany, Belgium and the USA.
In Holland they use a DPC on the buildings I worked on. The main difference is that they don't bed it on mortar like we do. Holland, as well as other European countries has the same issues with chemical injection companies that the UK has.

 

[stuart45]

Optrekkend vocht behandelen: Werkwijze & Prijzen

Last van optrekkend vocht op de binnenmuur of buitenmuur? Ontdek hier hoe je opstijgend vocht kan herkennen en bestrijden (+ prijzen).

www.murenvochtig.nl

If you scroll down on this one you'll see a retro method using a roll of DPC.

 

[stuart45]

Archief Producten - Morgofolietechniek

www.morgofolietechniek.com

If you scroll down on this site you'll see DPC for sale for the walls

 

[Matt Green]

Water can rise up a brick. I've seen it, it happens. So when he says rising damp doesn't exist, I don't think that's what he means.

If you have breathable mortar and plaster and paint and enough exposed wall below your finished floor level on both sides of the wall, then it will dry out before it can rise.

So it's not that it can't rise, it's that there are other design choices in place to prevent it. [I want this on a t-shirt -Matt]

With this frame of mind, and filtering/replacing the words he uses it all makes sense and then seems accurate.

I do genuinely believe my understanding is what he means, but it's not what he says.

I had this conversation with him on a Facebook group a couple of years back: no, he takes a more extremist view than the one you hold.

For the record, I completely agree with you, having undertaken a great many damp surveys using oven-dry masonry sampling.


M.

 

[Cubist]

The discourse following the contribution above from @Lacan07 has triggered my inner Sheldon. Mr Wards various assertions regarding Rising Damp and the need for DPC's are easily and readily refuted with a few proven and scientifically validated facts.

• Any permeable building materials buried in the ground will absorb water from the surrounding soil.
• Capillary action pulls that water upward through such materials until the force of the pull is equalled by that of gravity.
• Depending on factors including but not limited to; air pressure, altitude, weather conditions, the earths rotation, and the gravitational influences of the moon and sun - the observed level of water/damp in such permeable materials can reach up to a metre in height - and will, to some small extent, vary within any 24 hour period.
• Air movement around the lower and exposed to atmosphere faces of those materials will, more likely than have a drying effect, simply permit the capillary force to draw more water from the surrounding soils.
• Depending on the orientation of the building one or more of its sides will usually be colder and subject to less natural air movement which explains why the height of damp in some walls can sometimes be seen to be higher than others.

 

[stuart45]

Back in the 70's a number of new builds were suffering from low level damp issues. The cause was that we used to cut the DPM flush with the slab and inner skin. It made it much easier to lay the first course of blocks and DPC.
The problem was that there was a weak spot where the DPC was bedded.
The answer was to make sure the DPM was lapped into the DPC.
In the interim period, BRE recommended that site agents ensured the joint had 3 coats of Synthaprufe.

 

[greensouthwest]

The same would be said and more for the inappropriate and uninformed approach from ‘skill builder’ to damaging period buildings.

Agreed, and too often Skill Builder (Roger Bisby, who, as far as I know, is a plumber by trade and not a builder, conservator / restorer) seems to be promoting products via that platform. The tone of the advice often compares to that of the tabloids.

 

[Kearn]

Agreed, and too often Skill Builder (Roger Bisby, who, as far as I know, is a plumber by trade and not a builder, conservator / restorer) seems to be promoting products via that platform. The tone of the advice often compares to that of the tabloids.

The guy is utterly unwatchable. Yet he has a following which is more terrifying.

 

[Kearn]

Skill Builder went off on a rant about lime last month on YT

Yep, did the rounds. He got his views and interactions.

Absolute clown. Sadly has followers and folks who believe the BS…