The permanent fix for rising damp
When the original damp proof course has failed or was never installed, moisture rises through your masonry and destroys plaster, skirting, and decoration. Chemical DPC injection creates a new, impermeable barrier, permanently.
A properly installed chemical DPC lasts the lifetime of the building. Here’s why ours works.
We use silicone-based DPC cream injected under pressure into a drilled mortar course. The cream diffuses through the masonry and cures to form a continuous waterproof barrier that blocks capillary moisture rise.
After injection, contaminated plaster is hacked off to at least 300mm above the damp line. Salt-resistant renovation plaster is applied in two coats, then skimmed, preventing salt bloom and future plaster breakdown.
Every DPC installation comes with a written 20-year guarantee, which transfers to a new owner if you sell. We take before-and-after moisture readings so you can see the proof that the treatment is working, not just take our word for it.
DPC injection is far less invasive than traditional physical DPCs. No need to excavate foundations or cut into brickwork. Injection holes are small, neat, and virtually invisible once filled and replastered.
A systematic approach that follows manufacturer specifications to the letter.
We take detailed moisture readings across the affected walls to confirm rising damp and rule out other causes.
Holes are drilled at 120mm centres into the mortar course at DPC level. Silicone DPC cream is injected into each hole under controlled pressure.
Contaminated plaster is removed back to brick, typically 1 metre above the damp line. Walls are brushed clean and primed.
Salt-resistant renovation plaster is applied in two coats, then finished with a smooth skim. Ready for decorating.
A damp proof course is the barrier low in a wall that stops ground moisture climbing through the brick. Houses built before the 1920s often never had one, and in later houses the slate, bitumen or plastic strip can be bridged by a path raised above it, a yard concreted over it, a rendered plinth or a solid floor added later. Water then rises through the mortar by capillary action, carrying salts with it, and the plaster above breaks down. The Tyneside flats and terraces of Newcastle, Gateshead and North and South Shields, the Sunderland cottages and the colliery terraces of County Durham and south-east Northumberland all show it.
A chemical DPC puts the barrier back. After the survey confirms rising damp, we strip the contaminated plaster back to brick, drill the mortar bed at regular intervals along the affected wall and inject a BBA-approved silicone cream that spreads through the course and cures into a water-repellent line. The wall is then replastered with a salt-resistant renovation plaster, because the old salts would otherwise keep drawing moisture into a normal finish, and skimmed smooth. Where render outside runs to the ground and bridges the new course, we cut it back to a bell cast above it; where a yard or path is the cause, we tell you what needs lowering.
The injection itself takes a morning. The value is in the diagnosis beforehand and the replastering afterwards, which is where cheap damp courses fail. We do the whole job with our own team, from survey to skim, and guarantee it.
Every damp proof course we install comes with a written 20-year guarantee from the date the work is finished. If rising damp comes back through the damp course we put in, we inspect the wall and carry out further treatment. The guarantee transfers to a new owner if you sell, and the full terms are set out on the certificate you receive.
The problem, what we did and the result, each from a real review.
Only if it really has rising damp: a tide mark and salts along the bottom metre of a ground floor wall with sound plaster above. Mould higher up or damp that follows the weather points elsewhere. We check with moisture readings before we recommend anything.
The injection is tidy; removing the old plaster is dusty. We sheet the room, take skirtings off carefully, remove the plaster, inject, replaster and take all the rubbish away. Most single-room jobs are two to three days.
No. The old plaster holds the salts the damp carried up and will keep staining through. Replastering with a renovation system is what makes the job last, and it is included in our quotes.
Renovation plaster and skim need a few weeks to dry fully. We tell you when it is ready, and a mist coat goes on first.
A guide for each town: the homes there, how we work on them and the questions people there ask.
Practical advice and in-depth guides related to this service.
Chemical injection DPC is the gold standard for treating rising damp. We explain how it works, what the job involves, and why it's worth doing properly.
Read more arrow_forward
Tide marks on your walls? Peeling wallpaper? A musty smell that won't shift? Here are the five telltale signs of rising damp.
Read more arrow_forward9.75/10 average rating across 65 verified reviews
“On pricing this job, the customer used an 'experienced tradesman' who used a steamer to remove wallpaper from plasterboard walls and they were removing the jointing tape and the skin from the plasterboard, thus leaving an unlevel surface. I suggested reboarding but they said they didn't have a lot of money to play with. While the 'tradesman' was removing the wallpaper the customer demanded via text that I go that very minute to see what a mess this tradesman was making. While we were working, her husband commented on how we were the best tradesmen they'd had, as we just got on with the job. I'd mistakingly missed out a price for a ceiling, so I skimmed that for no extra charge as the price had already been agreed. (No mention of this was in her review however). We always ask customers to check the work before we leave and both said they were 'over the moon' with the work and they paid via bank transfer a few hours after I'd left. It's clear the 'tradesman' hasn't prepped the newly plastered walls properly, as the paint has now blebbed. That's not a fault with the plastering, but with the lack of preparation on the decorator's behalf. It took 7 days for the customer to let me know she wasn't happy (and that was after the walls had been painted!).”
Checked & Vetted“I contacted Dean about the job and he was on hand to review damage, give a reasonable estimate within my budget and was on stand by once property dried out. Work started promptly and done with the estimated 3 days to a very high standard as always by Dean and his soon. Clean and tidy work too. .”
Checked & Vetted“Dean and his team started the job Tuesday and was done in 3 days. Very professional, workmanship to very high standards was told the ins and outs of process of work to be carried out and very clean. Amazing job for the price. Always on time, would highly recommend. Will definitely be using dean in the near future. .”
Checked & Vetted“Dean came out to give me a quote, he knew what needed doing and I was happy with what he quoted. He took down 2 ceilings, replaced them, skimmed and then put up some coving. I can’t fault his work at all, the ceilings look amazing, he left my home clean and tidy. I’d highly recommend. .”
Checked & Vetted“Dean at Absolutely Plastered is the only tradesmen I know that I can rely on! He always responds to requests! In this instance, we wanted some pretty poor brickwork covered at back of house & Dean advised other options that I was not aware...”
Google“I had Absolutely Plastered out to inspect a damp problem in my home, he was knowledgeable and we agreed a price. Dean was prompt, came out when he said he would, installed a new damp course and plastered. Very reasonable and I’d highly recommend.”
GoogleFree, no-obligation quote. Fixed pricing. We respond within 24 hours.
Get My Free Quote arrow_forward
9.7/10 (29)