I’ve just been installing the rods. I’ve not done anything like this before. It’s amazingly easy, but hard work for a small female like me. I’ve got the Stormdry express waterproof mortar to tidy up the holes. It’s always so helpful to have tutorials like these and see what the professionals do. Thank you
As an architect following investigation if the root cause of the damp cannot be identified and remedied on site, then we sometimes specify an injected DPC resin system into the masonry applied at around 150mm above floor level. Internally we then specify 2 coats of a painted waterproof coating system, whether it be bitumen based or liquid tanking applied to the exposed brick/block from the floor level up to and 50mm above the injected DPM line so that their is a continuous barrier at the base of a wall if water is trying to move upward. However, we would then specify a lime plaster scratch coat and finishing coat as it allows the plaster to breath compared to standard gypsum plasters. Lime plaster is used in damp and cold environments like churches as it doesnt show any inherent damp or tide marks visually caused by a damp masonry substrate.
Well you need to find a new career as rising damp is usual,y caused by bridging the damp proof course by platiscide in the awful render on this building basically sealing the damp inside the building , ask the Dutch they don’t use any form of a damp proof membrane and laugh at us doing so and look how wet their country is
Used it on a terrace chimney breast which was salting on the plaster surface. So far so good. Viewers should note the rods have a best before date as the chemical has an active ingredient so there is a shelf life to unopened rods
As a Chartered Building Surveyor I make my living diagnosing damp problems. The house wasn’t damp when it was built so often it is a question of just reversing all the “improvements” that people have made. Now you have tried to insert a DPC just above the internal floor level so if it works (which I doubt) you have trapped all the rising damp in the skirtings, exactly where you don’t want it. Ask a Chartered Building Surveyor… we don’t sell products.
@davidvestey6014 Why not just lime render and plaster the wall and use a breathable paint. What is the obsession with trapping damp in. Walls have to breath
The old pub in East Hagbourne called the travelers welcome had a unpainted brick exterior. When the property was sold and converted into a house the owners complained about the damp . It was there painting of the old clay bricks stopped the wall from breathing and it was down hill all the way. The solution I told them is to strip off the outside paintwork as that was causing the problem.
I see people here in australia paint old houses and decks with acrylic paint. If it's no maintained, that's the end of the timber... dryrot. The moisture gets in and can't get out. Like wrapping it in plastic. 🤔😎🇦🇺👌
i had severe rising damp on an internal fire breast wall i used the Dryzone rods , 7 months on the wall is Bone dry....thanks to watching one of your videos Roger
My thought's....many cavity walled houses I have worked on had the BPC bridged by decades of debris, the solution is take out a few bricks at intervals scuff your arms to pieces getting in there to clear the Debis to below BPC, one I did has 400mm built up!!!, then put in several air brick's along the wall, no return of internal damp after severe years, keep the solution simple in keeping with the construction of the building.
Wow, zero downsides, caveats or bad user experiences! I Enjoyed that infomercial, and I’ve immediately ordered 300 of them 😵💫. Order now, and receive a free set of steak knives!
Key moment at 1:49 "we decorated the outside to stop any penetrating damp". Presumably with the bitumen? The salts on the inside wall look fairly recent so it is plausible that they only appeared AFTER the bitumen was applied. Bitumen won't let the bricks breathe naturally so the salts (carried via moisture) have to go somewhere. Was the bitumen applied as a response to damp issues elsewhere? But yes, would agree with other comments that the source needs to be established first eg remove the skirting, check for bridging of plaster to floor, floor coverings, floor, water/drain pipes etc.
but its a cavity wall. so the main issue in these houses is rubble and cavity wall insulation - it's an absolute must to inspect the cavity - should always take out a few bricks
I agree, the second I heard him say they had painted the outside I was thinking a different way to Roger. Sounds like the mositure is pushing out around the sides of the slab. I would ease off the skirting boards and check the plasterboard wasn't touching the slab also. First time I've disagreed with Roger however
Excellent Viedo Rodger, I recently purchased a Dry Rod kit to tackle rausing damp in my 175 year old sandstone home. Great to see a job start to finish done buy a professional. I now feel more confident in tackling this job myself. Thanks, I love your content. Reg
WOW….Must be the only house of cavity construction without a physical damp proof course. At least eliminate bridging of the damp proof course by plaster, solid floor, or debris within the cavity…. What about drains, or even a mains leak. All of these are common problems that an averagely competent damp specialist should eliminate to find the root cause🤷 not a dig Roger, but you have massive following that you normally educate. I’ve learnt plenty from your vids over the years though 👍
I live in a house 20 years younger than the one in the video. The dpc is slate as was normal in those days but the sides of the chimneys and window bays bridge the cavities. There is only so much you can do!
My 130 year old house surprisingly has cavity walls. But no dampproof course. Or foundations. They just laid big flagstones on the earth and started building the walls on top. The soil is only about 14 inches below the floor. It's very very damp.
I have the same problem with my wall in the cupboard under the staircase where the smart meter and gas boiler is. It’s an end terrace house with render covering a solid brick wall that was built in 1935. I had a damp surveyor look at it and he said the moisture on your wall is caused by condensation and recommended shaving off an inch from the bottom of my wooden door using a hand plane. And then cutting out a hole in the door and screwing a metal vent to increase ventilation. The damp surveyor also recommended using a chisel and a mallet to take off an inch of plaster from the bottom of the wall, just above the wooden laminate flooring thats glued to a subfloor with air bricks outside. Chiseling off the plaster all the way along the bottom of the wall and leaving it for a while to dry the wall out before placing some skirting board over it and painting over it and re-plastering the wall above. I’ve done the door but I haven’t chiseled off the plaster at the bottom of my wall yet. I ventilate my home everyday now as well. And sometime ago Rentokil put dryrods in my outside wall but because the brick is hidden under my render I was concerned the dryrods wasn’t drilled into the mortar, in between the bricks but was drilled into my bricks. Also as well I recently noticed my block paving outside is just above my air bricks outside. I was considering installing an eco drain outside but I feel my block paving needs to be lowered 75-150mm below my airbricks and then re-plaster the black plinth either side of my airbricks which is below my render before sorting out my wall inside my house. My neighbor also suggested never use waterproof sealants on walls but lime mortar cement instead. So, for the moment I still have salts on my inside wall in the cupboard under my staircase that comes back when I use the hoover to remove the salts from my wall.
Dryrods permeate through mortar joints..i worked for Surrey timber preservation for 40 years..also called Gulliver' timber treatment run by roger Gulliver' 👍
I had dampness on an upstairs bedroom wall caused by cracks in the render. I was told the wall had to have breathable paint to let the moisture out. After two years of problems I bought some wet rot hardener that is basically a very liquid plastic. I sprayed it on the outside of the wall with a cheap hand sprayer (thrown away afterwards) two months later and the inside wall is almost dry. I am painting over it with some stain block paint then normal masonry paint. Saved me a fortune in re rendering costs.
@@UnseenSpirit Hi, it was Ronseal wet rot hardner for wood. Buy the larger size as it works out cheaper. Make sure to wear a good mask and eye protection if spraying chemicals like this. You can paint it on with a brush, but beware as it’s extremely liquid (just like water) so can be messy.
The external cement render is probably a big contributor, not vapour permeable. Well done on putting the "french drains" in that's definitely going to help.
One simple advice. The entrance roof has no gutter so the rain falls here down at the ground against the facade. If the masonry is not complete closed water can come easily insidw the wall and causes wetspots.
I believe the small amount of damp would be dispersed if you had sandblasted the useless bitumen coating off to let the wall breath. Also cleaning out the debris from the cavity would solve this. Pointing the holes with cement rather than lime mortar will also not help the wall breath. Last job we did was an old Manse that was dripping wet. We dug out the floors and fitted underfloor heating . After cutting 3 foot sections through the 9 inch solid walls with a concrete chain saw . Fitted 9 inch dpc through the wall repointed and came back 2 weeks later to cut out the 3 foot in between and over lapted the pieces of dpc THen did the 4 inch internal walls the same way . So the whole house was sliced through and a perfect damp barrier installed. 3 chains used at £290 each. Saw cost 2 grand. Was water fed so a messy job. You could sell the saw on after doing the job. Doubt you can hire these. Brilliant tool slices concrete/ mortar like butter. The only way to do a perfect damp cure on an old house. Phil
Hi Phil I have one of those saws but you can cut out lime mortar with a block saw of recip saw with tile cutting blade. I don't like the bitumen but the damp is on the inner skin so your theory is not applicable to that. The damp was there before the bitumen. breathe not breath.
@Skill Builder hi mate love your channel so informative and how you meet woth other skilled people . I'm a qualified brickie I do mostly jobs I fit in around main job 4 now (family and security wins here ) I can run my hand over bottom of front room above skirts and paint will be kn my hand it's clearly not dry snd tbh fed up of trying to make good that wall . I've in the past (past house with an ex) had damp done . And a good job was done. That time the walls were hacked off a metre up and tanked and replastered. . I think those pods be an easier place to start 4 now I'm not to bad at plastering but if I can get it done easier I'd like to . And maybe a water proofer on outer skin. But bearing in mind I have a pebble dashed house with 100mm gap at bottom where red tile has been fixed(easily removed)
"We decorated the outsides" There is the issue right there, they've locked the moisture into the walls and it can't get out. So they've charged the customer for causing a damp issue, then charged them again to try and cure it. If you took the paint off you'll find the brickwork is sopping wet. Looking in the background in the first few seconds shows similar houses with no paint on them, i'd be asking them if they have any issues first.
And you know what happens to brick when you lock in the moisture, the brick will eventually fall apart, collapse and some moisture through evaporation may still escape into the cavity air space, especially if there is no decent ventilation.
@lksf9820 True, they also didn't say anything about the temperature in the room. If it "feels cold." Already an indication if a cement render was used along with obvious question if the issues were there before.
...that's hard core right there, tasting the salting, which i believe is the same as what we call "efflorescence" in the USA. i'm here seeking answers, to seal or not to seal the concrete block foundation in my 1950s home, seal from the outside, or seal from the inside? then, what to seal it with? i've watched lots of videos, read lots of comments. mixed answers about this.
The outside skin of brickwork with a cavity was designed with a view to take the rain and then dry out. The air gap between the inner and outer skin may have been bridged with mortar etc on the wall ties. Thus encouraging damp to traverse these "bridges" making the inner wall damp. Insulated cavities use other technology together rid of moisture build-up, ie drip vents in the perpendicular motar lines.
You have to do what you can. If you can get them 150mm above ground level but still below the interior floor level then fine but sometimes it is not possible. There is no harm in putting in two rows
By "decorating" the outside wall with what looks like modern plastic paint all you've done is seal in any moisture in the wall. It's like putting on a plastic mac immediately after a shower. The bitumen on the brick plinth will have the same effect. The concrete floor will likely just push more moisture into the walls which now can't escape because of the coatings and those damp sticks you've just fitted (if they work at all). This house looks like it has had everything done that you should never do to an old house. I bet someone has done the pointing in OPC as well.
Great vid showing your techniques but Cement is one of the main reasons those old buildings suffer from damp, using lime based mortor is so essential to maintain breathability throughout an old house
You can avoid that by only painting the walls when they are fully dry, after months of hot dry weather, difficult that in the UK. Masonry waterproofing liquid rather than bitumen paint is the thing to use, it's breathable and rain washes off the wall meaning the walls above the DPC will be much drier and the house warmer. Or try breathable masonry paint.
@@benedictearlson9044 Waterproofing liquid is the worst thing to use on old porous bricks because, like plastic paint, it only seals moisture IN. Remember that water exists as a vapour as well as a liquid and if that vapour condenses in a cold wall (i.e one below the dew point) then those coatings will only stop it evaporating. That's when you start getting damp pushed through internally. If the water freezes it'll spall the outer brick face. The only paint you should ever use on old brick is limewash. The trick to treating damp in an old property is to accept that the fabric probably will get damp and doing your best to help that moisture evaporate with ventilation and appropriate materials.
Be brutal. Check rainwater down pipes under the ground at the point of dampness. Take out some plinth bricks to see the cavity detail and to check for a d.p.c. Dig a trench at same location for clues. Lift that room flooring and do the same; dig down below expected d.p.c. height to investigate build details. Use your technical X-ray specs (knowledge) and using process of elimination to eventually come up with a permanent solution. Specifically in the video, that plinth paint is definitely not helping, plus the wall paint; what type is it? There’s a lot more things you can do, but each building has it’s problems and solutions. It’s having the knowledge and experience to solve them.
If the rising damp is more apparent in the inside wall than the outside, should you drill and insert rods in the interior wall?....or must it be done from the outside. Thanks for getting back to me.
I bought this product, but for me it is going to be a bit more complicated because the walls are 70 cm. I had to buy a lot of these rods. I hope they work. In addition I bought special hydraulic lime and a special paint.
super helpful thanks, I like that tube on the cement drill bit trick. I'm new to using the Bosch Bulldog and I find it's quite easy to accidentally overdrill (once the stop bar wasn't fully locked and moved on me, and once I changed from a 12mm to a 14mm bit and didn't realize they were slightly different lengths). I assumed it's cause I'm a noob, but I like those tricks that take the thinking/fussing out of work.
Why do we need to DPC the external leaf, as this wastes the rod material. Surely the internal leaf is sufficient? The externals can dry from wind and good drainage? Am I missing something? maybe they drill almost through both leafs as they cannot do the job from the inside?
What can I do about this happening on an internal wall of a 300 year old house? The wall in question is the original external wall but with an extension built approx 40 years ago, hope that makes sense! Thank you for your time and great video as always
Great video that, never seen these rods before. My only thought is, not to criticise of course, you were blowing the dust out of the hole before inserting sleeve. Personally, its my OCD, I would have got my vacuum cleaner in the hole with a thin piece of tube so that I'm getting the rubbish out rather thean distribute around the bottom of the cavity. I like that measuring sleeve idea. Never thought of that, I used to wrap insulation tape round the drill bit as a marker.
If you look carefully, Roger had the blower round the other way and was using it as a vacuum. That little Makita blower is reversible to use it as a vacuum
@@tinytonymaloney7832 absolutely sure. I can't provide the link as my post keeps being removed by Google, but if you look up Makita dub185z and look at the specs, the vacuum function is clearly quoted. You can even attach a dust bag
Brilliant video. I've just bought the kit and it arrived today. I wondered if you or any of your subscribers could tell me what the opposite end of the rod cutter is used for? Thanks
Really enjoy your work and explaining of how to solve damp issues. Was just wondering if those rods would work with cement blocks. I live in Madeira and we don't use clay bricks. In Madeira damp is a very very common problem of which very few people here can or are willing to solve. Your feedback would be greatly. appreciated.
You can use the rods in any masonry that has a mortar course of sand and cement or sand and lime. They don't work so well in irregular stone because it is hard to achieve a continuous line.
@@handycrowd Yes this house has it all now - cement render, impermeable plastic masonry paint, bitumen coat on the brickwork (love that touch), missing suspended wooden floors and now damp proof rods!
Will these rods dampproof the last inch as if you think the damp could be seeping up from inside floor it could still make its way up through the inside inch the rods never covered....
Great video, thanks. Spoke to the dryrod people who said that attempting to hit the inner wall perps from the outside was hit and miss. I note this is what is done in the video. If it works, it is a far better for the owner than having to do from the inside, potentially removing kitchen units and all the rest of it. Every had any issues with the outside in approach? Thanks
we have rising damp. Had it for 15 years and now really want it sorted. The floor is concrete and that is damp and we can see mould forming on the carpet tiles. Is there anything which can be done (a treatment) for the floor? Then paint the brick work outside to stop penetrating damp...? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Sam said he did a 200 year old house - Mine is 230 with rubble walls yet the insurance Co OK'd the damp Co to inject. Some of the stones are solid granite and I pointed this out i.e. there's no way that would work as the liquid would just squirt out.. Now I have the same damp problems.. and the cowboy firm doesn't want to know. (full & final settlement paid so ins Co don't want to know either)
See my comment above, mate - my house is 320 years old of similar construction and is now breathing, dry as a bone, and holds more heat that any modern house ever will.
what do you do if you have a property with a basement and the outside floor slopes up higher then the damp proof coarse so your property inside is sitting below the damp proof corse?
Clear cavities to ground level are key. Especially in the corners. The drive to "save the planet" by turning your house into a fluff filled hamster house will have a negative impact on your house. Like the pipe over the drill bit tip. I'd leave the drill holes to vent.
So after watching the video three times, and I respect your channel, very good, you’ve not explained exactly how this treatment drilling the holes works? How does it work?
Hi. I have an internal wall in a bedroom of an old cottage, that is built with stones. It’s is a cupboard at present but I want to convert it to an up stair toilet and sink. The out side walls are good and a new roof and tiles have been replaced. The inner wall gets damp in a lot of cold or wet weather. My question is, can I fit dry rods in the wall from inside the house. Many Thanks.
What if the inside wall was block and the mirror line did not match ...will the rods still create barrier on inside wall? What if block was used for both walls ...can I drill I to old dpc..insert rods and create new barrier or next mortor line above old dpc...which would seem pointless to stop damp
My dad is going to do this on my livingroom window wall as the rain water comes down my steep drive and the damp course musnt be great under the window. I also have a concrete base floor and rising damp on an internal wall perpendicular to the wall we are doing the rods in. How would I fix the damp on this wall as it seems the water is going under the house and rising up through the concrete? Can I do rods on an internal wall or shall I seal the concrete floor with a damp proof paint on membrane? Any help appreciated thanks
Internal plaster line just nipping down below the original damp proof course will cause these very symptoms. Always check this first. Simple remedy. Chop away plaster that breaches the DPC line. Done.
We have a 1830s cottage sandstone construction a new roof and gutters and we had a problem with rising damp on the back wall, so I used stormseal on the said wall the damp has now moved from the back wall to the upstairs partition wall it's baffling the house has been refinished top to bottom can't work out were it comes from .Perhaps a dehumidifier up stairs will solve it ?
I wonder if dry rods were used in this advert for dry rods. I'm not sure if dry rods were mentioned enough during the pointless exercise of using dry rods in a wall painted with black. Dry rods, buy dry rods or alternatively buy dry rods.
It makes me wonder about those buildings that are next to a canal, submerged in water constantly but never have “rising damp” issues yet this property on dry land does
Canal engineering employs engineering bricks and waterproof cement but there are still plenty of canal side buildings that have damp problems. People assume a great many things about buildings they just view casually. I hear statements such as "Venice doesn't have rising damp" which is complete tosh. There is a whole department at the University of Bologna that reasearches damp in buildings and comes up with effective treatments.
Interesting. Seems easier than injection cream. Currently waiting on a damp report on a property. Wonder why the algorithm brought this vid up when I haven't searched the subject 🤔
@@Jake-po8ej Peter is pretty good. Full of the classic cement pointing/render and lack of ventilation videos. The reason I’d like to see Rodger do a video on it is he has mentioned that we should bring these houses up to date and insulate them which can introduce the damp problems. I’d like to see something like that solved with positive pressure or some other kind of moisture management as opposed to take the house back to the way it used to be before some idiot cement rendered it then another idiot injected it with chemicals claiming it’s rising damp when it’s not, also injecting what used to be the ventilation brick whilst they’re at it for a laugh 😂.
Wow! Not seen these rods before and going to check them out. Have progressive damp that looks like its come from old mortar thats crumbled away due to a large bush next to the outer wall. Thanks boys. As you say - every days a school day!
Hi I noticed that you drilled holes in the cement between the bricks, how essential is that ? What would you have done if the wall had been covered in pebble dash and you didn’t know where the gaps between the bricks where ?
Will this technique work if you have damp coming in from above.I have s flat under s house snd damp comes in from soil surrounding and from associated contact with steps and structures above?
Loads of vids on French drains on UA-cam. Although some say you shouldn't put one right against the house. Fecked if I know. Like so many things building related there's lots of conflicting info. Sorry if I've made matters worse! But the UA-cam vids would at least give you an idea.
Hi Roger, Dry Rods a great DIY Idea for rising damp, thanks. I need to treat a conservatory dwarf wall for rising damp. The wall is rendered on both the inside and the outside, so I cannot see where the morter lines for the bricks are, so . I have a few Questions Please. Q1. Do I have to take off the render and go back to brick to find the morter lines on the bricks ? if so am I best removing mortar and drilling inside instead of outside ? Q2. Can I cut these dry rods to fit if they are too long ? Thanks Again
you can cut the Dry Rods and yes you need to find the mortar course. You can do it from either side. I sometimes take off a skirting board and do it from the inside.
Had outside of house done In that coloured silicon render, don’t want to go hacking it off so can you drill from the inside by taking off the skirting and drilling nearly all the way to the outside?
My house was built in a slight dip where rain pooled looking back I remember the carpet underlay would always smell damp. many years later far past the 10 year NHBC Its still damp. and smells damp. I missed the chance to get it properly surveyed by a soil specialist I imagine its lost alot of value due to this. Is all Lost for me?
Sorry I don't get the point of sealing up the drilled holes apart from looking better- how is the damp supposed to dry? Taking out bricks and cleaning cavity is a far better solution- yes it will take longer to do but with several air brick on the outside brick work it really does work.
Hi Roger Wonder if you can help I need to do the dry damp rods but don’t have a mortar line to drill in to as it’s all rendered up . Thank you Regards Ali
This might be a silly question I don't know. If you were to drill into timber, put a dryrod in there, seal the hole, would the dryrod stop the timber absorbing moisture?
I’ve just been installing the rods. I’ve not done anything like this before. It’s amazingly easy, but hard work for a small female like me. I’ve got the Stormdry express waterproof
mortar to tidy up the holes. It’s always so helpful to have tutorials like these and see what the professionals do. Thank you
well done
I used these on my garage wall but miscalculated the wall thickness and drilled straight into my winter tyres.
As an architect following investigation if the root cause of the damp cannot be identified and remedied on site, then we sometimes specify an injected DPC resin system into the masonry applied at around 150mm above floor level. Internally we then specify 2 coats of a painted waterproof coating system, whether it be bitumen based or liquid tanking applied to the exposed brick/block from the floor level up to and 50mm above the injected DPM line so that their is a continuous barrier at the base of a wall if water is trying to move upward. However, we would then specify a lime plaster scratch coat and finishing coat as it allows the plaster to breath compared to standard gypsum plasters. Lime plaster is used in damp and cold environments like churches as it doesnt show any inherent damp or tide marks visually caused by a damp masonry substrate.
Could you make a video on this
Well you need to find a new career as rising damp is usual,y caused by bridging the damp proof course by platiscide in the awful render on this building basically sealing the damp inside the building , ask the Dutch they don’t use any form of a damp proof membrane and laugh at us doing so and look how wet their country is
Used it on a terrace chimney breast which was salting on the plaster surface. So far so good. Viewers should note the rods have a best before date as the chemical has an active ingredient so there is a shelf life to unopened rods
Good to lmow buddy I may get these to help our issue I believe similar to yours .
Same here got the rods, and about to do it over the weekend. Did you chase off ALL the plaster upto say a metre? Or just tidy it up and repaint?
How have you found having the rods in? Has it worked?
As a Chartered Building Surveyor I make my living diagnosing damp problems. The house wasn’t damp when it was built so often it is a question of just reversing all the “improvements” that people have made. Now you have tried to insert a DPC just above the internal floor level so if it works (which I doubt) you have trapped all the rising damp in the skirtings, exactly where you don’t want it. Ask a Chartered Building Surveyor… we don’t sell products.
@davidvestey6014
Why not just lime render and plaster the wall and use a breathable paint. What is the obsession with trapping damp in. Walls have to breath
The old pub in East Hagbourne called the travelers welcome had a unpainted brick exterior. When the property was sold and converted into a house the owners complained about the damp . It was there painting of the old clay bricks stopped the wall from breathing and it was down hill all the way. The solution I told them is to strip off the outside paintwork as that was causing the problem.
I see people here in australia paint old houses and decks with acrylic paint. If it's no maintained, that's the end of the timber... dryrot. The moisture gets in and can't get out. Like wrapping it in plastic. 🤔😎🇦🇺👌
@@rodmills4071 That is absolutely correct, but unfortunately not many people understand this including paint manufacturers.
apparently houses breathing is total nonsense.
i had severe rising damp on an internal fire breast wall i used the Dryzone rods , 7 months on the wall is Bone dry....thanks to watching one of your videos Roger
Great video - very informative and a relatively simple DIY solution for rising damp. Thank you for posting it!
My thought's....many cavity walled houses I have worked on had the BPC bridged by decades of debris, the solution is take out a few bricks at intervals scuff your arms to pieces getting in there to clear the Debis to below BPC, one I did has 400mm built up!!!, then put in several air brick's along the wall, no return of internal damp after severe years, keep the solution simple in keeping with the construction of the building.
"Every day's a school day" must be one of my favourite expressions ever. I love learning! That's why I love this channel. Thanks bro.
A Michael Caine -ism innit?
Wow, zero downsides, caveats or bad user experiences! I Enjoyed that infomercial, and I’ve immediately ordered 300 of them 😵💫. Order now, and receive a free set of steak knives!
Thank god I saw your video. My old house was built in 1880 and suffers, 😭 so do I because of the damp! So cheers 😁
Key moment at 1:49 "we decorated the outside to stop any penetrating damp". Presumably with the bitumen? The salts on the inside wall look fairly recent so it is plausible that they only appeared AFTER the bitumen was applied. Bitumen won't let the bricks breathe naturally so the salts (carried via moisture) have to go somewhere. Was the bitumen applied as a response to damp issues elsewhere? But yes, would agree with other comments that the source needs to be established first eg remove the skirting, check for bridging of plaster to floor, floor coverings, floor, water/drain pipes etc.
but its a cavity wall. so the main issue in these houses is rubble and cavity wall insulation - it's an absolute must to inspect the cavity - should always take out a few bricks
I agree, the second I heard him say they had painted the outside I was thinking a different way to Roger. Sounds like the mositure is pushing out around the sides of the slab. I would ease off the skirting boards and check the plasterboard wasn't touching the slab also. First time I've disagreed with Roger however
Excellent Viedo Rodger, I recently purchased a Dry Rod kit to tackle rausing damp in my 175 year old sandstone home. Great to see a job start to finish done buy a professional. I now feel more confident in tackling this job myself. Thanks, I love your content. Reg
WOW….Must be the only house of cavity construction without a physical damp proof course. At least eliminate bridging of the damp proof course by plaster, solid floor, or debris within the cavity…. What about drains, or even a mains leak. All of these are common problems that an averagely competent damp specialist should eliminate to find the root cause🤷 not a dig Roger, but you have massive following that you normally educate. I’ve learnt plenty from your vids over the years though 👍
Couldn't agree more. Taking the skirting off and having a quick check for bridging could of saved that customer a fair bit of money.
@@coxy1984 but that doesn't sell damp proof rods!
totally! find the root cause.
I live in a house 20 years younger than the one in the video. The dpc is slate as was normal in those days but the sides of the chimneys and window bays bridge the cavities. There is only so much you can do!
My 130 year old house surprisingly has cavity walls. But no dampproof course. Or foundations. They just laid big flagstones on the earth and started building the walls on top. The soil is only about 14 inches below the floor. It's very very damp.
I have the same problem with my wall in the cupboard under the staircase where the smart meter and gas boiler is. It’s an end terrace house with render covering a solid brick wall that was built in 1935. I had a damp surveyor look at it and he said the moisture on your wall is caused by condensation and recommended shaving off an inch from the bottom of my wooden door using a hand plane. And then cutting out a hole in the door and screwing a metal vent to increase ventilation. The damp surveyor also recommended using a chisel and a mallet to take off an inch of plaster from the bottom of the wall, just above the wooden laminate flooring thats glued to a subfloor with air bricks outside. Chiseling off the plaster all the way along the bottom of the wall and leaving it for a while to dry the wall out before placing some skirting board over it and painting over it and re-plastering the wall above. I’ve done the door but I haven’t chiseled off the plaster at the bottom of my wall yet. I ventilate my home everyday now as well. And sometime ago Rentokil put dryrods in my outside wall but because the brick is hidden under my render I was concerned the dryrods wasn’t drilled into the mortar, in between the bricks but was drilled into my bricks. Also as well I recently noticed my block paving outside is just above my air bricks outside. I was considering installing an eco drain outside but I feel my block paving needs to be lowered 75-150mm below my airbricks and then re-plaster the black plinth either side of my airbricks which is below my render before sorting out my wall inside my house. My neighbor also suggested never use waterproof sealants on walls but lime mortar cement instead. So, for the moment I still have salts on my inside wall in the cupboard under my staircase that comes back when I use the hoover to remove the salts from my wall.
Hope you find methods that works to reduce it.
Dryrods permeate through mortar joints..i worked for Surrey timber preservation for 40 years..also called Gulliver' timber treatment run by roger Gulliver' 👍
I had dampness on an upstairs bedroom wall caused by cracks in the render. I was told the wall had to have breathable paint to let the moisture out. After two years of problems I bought some wet rot hardener that is basically a very liquid plastic. I sprayed it on the outside of the wall with a cheap hand sprayer (thrown away afterwards) two months later and the inside wall is almost dry. I am painting over it with some stain block paint then normal masonry paint. Saved me a fortune in re rendering costs.
Right on man. Want a job done right? Think about it, ask questions, then do it yourself.
May I ask what brand you bought? I have the same issue now
@@UnseenSpirit Hi, it was Ronseal wet rot hardner for wood. Buy the larger size as it works out cheaper. Make sure to wear a good mask and eye protection if spraying chemicals like this. You can paint it on with a brush, but beware as it’s extremely liquid (just like water) so can be messy.
@@jimh4072 hi Buddy, thanks for that. I'll look into it. Seems serious stuff so I'll have to becareful for sure
The external cement render is probably a big contributor, not vapour permeable. Well done on putting the "french drains" in that's definitely going to help.
One simple advice. The entrance roof has no gutter so the rain falls here down at the ground against the facade. If the masonry is not complete closed water can come easily insidw the wall and causes wetspots.
genius.... think this might solve my problem. Thank you!
I believe the small amount of damp would be dispersed if you had sandblasted the useless bitumen coating off to let the wall breath. Also cleaning out the debris from the cavity would solve this. Pointing the holes with cement rather than lime mortar will also not help the wall breath. Last job we did was an old Manse that was dripping wet. We dug out the floors and fitted underfloor heating . After cutting 3 foot sections through the 9 inch solid walls with a concrete chain saw . Fitted 9 inch dpc through the wall repointed and came back 2 weeks later to cut out the 3 foot in between and over lapted the pieces of dpc THen did the 4 inch internal walls the same way . So the whole house was sliced through and a perfect damp barrier installed. 3 chains used at £290 each. Saw cost 2 grand. Was water fed so a messy job. You could sell the saw on after doing the job. Doubt you can hire these. Brilliant tool slices concrete/ mortar like butter. The only way to do a perfect damp cure on an old house. Phil
Hi Phil
I have one of those saws but you can cut out lime mortar with a block saw of recip saw with tile cutting blade. I don't like the bitumen but the damp is on the inner skin so your theory is not applicable to that. The damp was there before the bitumen. breathe not breath.
@Skill Builder hi mate love your channel so informative and how you meet woth other skilled people . I'm a qualified brickie I do mostly jobs I fit in around main job 4 now (family and security wins here ) I can run my hand over bottom of front room above skirts and paint will be kn my hand it's clearly not dry snd tbh fed up of trying to make good that wall .
I've in the past (past house with an ex) had damp done . And a good job was done. That time the walls were hacked off a metre up and tanked and replastered. . I think those pods be an easier place to start 4 now I'm not to bad at plastering but if I can get it done easier I'd like to . And maybe a water proofer on outer skin. But bearing in mind I have a pebble dashed house with 100mm gap at bottom where red tile has been fixed(easily removed)
Hi! do you such works? How can I contact you to carry out such works? Do you cover W2 area in London or know anyone who does?
"We decorated the outsides" There is the issue right there, they've locked the moisture into the walls and it can't get out. So they've charged the customer for causing a damp issue, then charged them again to try and cure it. If you took the paint off you'll find the brickwork is sopping wet. Looking in the background in the first few seconds shows similar houses with no paint on them, i'd be asking them if they have any issues first.
Completely agree. Good intentions, lack of research.
And you know what happens to brick when you lock in the moisture, the brick will eventually fall apart, collapse and some moisture through evaporation may still escape into the cavity air space, especially if there is no decent ventilation.
@lksf9820 True, they also didn't say anything about the temperature in the room. If it "feels cold." Already an indication if a cement render was used along with obvious question if the issues were there before.
...that's hard core right there, tasting the salting, which i believe is the same as what we call "efflorescence" in the USA. i'm here seeking answers, to seal or not to seal the concrete block foundation in my 1950s home, seal from the outside, or seal from the inside? then, what to seal it with? i've watched lots of videos, read lots of comments. mixed answers about this.
The outside skin of brickwork with a cavity was designed with a view to take the rain and then dry out. The air gap between the inner and outer skin may have been bridged with mortar etc on the wall ties. Thus encouraging damp to traverse these "bridges" making the inner wall damp. Insulated cavities use other technology together rid of moisture build-up, ie drip vents in the perpendicular motar lines.
Great video, I’m going to give it a go along with other measures .
Very informative and helpful. Just one thing...don't the rods need to be 150mm from the ground?
You have to do what you can. If you can get them 150mm above ground level but still below the interior floor level then fine but sometimes it is not possible. There is no harm in putting in two rows
Thanks mate. Love your vids by the way. Really helpful. Thanks again!@@SkillBuilder
Great video, I've never heard of them, great when you explain how they work too. Thanks
Superb stuff. Proper Craftsmen, total professionals
Everton FC. The people's club of Merseyside. No day trippers and tourists, just Evertonians, who are 95% Scousers.
By "decorating" the outside wall with what looks like modern plastic paint all you've done is seal in any moisture in the wall. It's like putting on a plastic mac immediately after a shower. The bitumen on the brick plinth will have the same effect. The concrete floor will likely just push more moisture into the walls which now can't escape because of the coatings and those damp sticks you've just fitted (if they work at all). This house looks like it has had everything done that you should never do to an old house. I bet someone has done the pointing in OPC as well.
Great vid showing your techniques but Cement is one of the main reasons those old buildings suffer from damp, using lime based mortor is so essential to maintain breathability throughout an old house
You can avoid that by only painting the walls when they are fully dry, after months of hot dry weather, difficult that in the UK. Masonry waterproofing liquid rather than bitumen paint is the thing to use, it's breathable and rain washes off the wall meaning the walls above the DPC will be much drier and the house warmer. Or try breathable masonry paint.
@@benedictearlson9044 Waterproofing liquid is the worst thing to use on old porous bricks because, like plastic paint, it only seals moisture IN. Remember that water exists as a vapour as well as a liquid and if that vapour condenses in a cold wall (i.e one below the dew point) then those coatings will only stop it evaporating. That's when you start getting damp pushed through internally. If the water freezes it'll spall the outer brick face. The only paint you should ever use on old brick is limewash. The trick to treating damp in an old property is to accept that the fabric probably will get damp and doing your best to help that moisture evaporate with ventilation and appropriate materials.
@@gilespanton9354 Absolutely, where I live there are soft sandstone buildings literally dissolving away through the use of cement.
Great comment, it amazes me how many mistakes people make when it comes to damp.
Be brutal. Check rainwater down pipes under the ground at the point of dampness. Take out some plinth bricks to see the cavity detail and to check for a d.p.c. Dig a trench at same location for clues. Lift that room flooring and do the same; dig down below expected d.p.c. height to investigate build details. Use your technical X-ray specs (knowledge) and using process of elimination to eventually come up with a permanent solution.
Specifically in the video, that plinth paint is definitely not helping, plus the wall paint; what type is it? There’s a lot more things you can do, but each building has it’s problems and solutions. It’s having the knowledge and experience to solve them.
Help!
How far in do you know how to drill? Also, is it better to do it from the outside or do it from the inside?
I’ve had good results with these on a 200 year old property recommended!
Geat video thanks. How do you know you've hit the mortar line on the inside wall ?
I was trying to remember what these were called from your last video on these for a a couple of clients I need them for, good timing.
If the rising damp is more apparent in the inside wall than the outside, should you drill and insert rods in the interior wall?....or must it be done from the outside.
Thanks for getting back to me.
In or out is fine.
I bought this product, but for me it is going to be a bit more complicated because the walls are 70 cm. I had to buy a lot of these rods. I hope they work. In addition I bought special hydraulic lime and a special paint.
Bridged cavity is the arch enemy of all walls but very nice skilled job done here
super helpful thanks, I like that tube on the cement drill bit trick. I'm new to using the Bosch Bulldog and I find it's quite easy to accidentally overdrill (once the stop bar wasn't fully locked and moved on me, and once I changed from a 12mm to a 14mm bit and didn't realize they were slightly different lengths). I assumed it's cause I'm a noob, but I like those tricks that take the thinking/fussing out of work.
Many drills come with a depth stop does same thing tbh but def good idea
I just use a piece of yellow frog tape on my drill bits to mark the length. Easy
So it's been a year since installing these. Do they still work?
This is such fantastic information
Excellent, clearly explained video, as always. These dry rods seem to be a pretty good product, I'll have to get some.😃😃
Would applying stormseal to the wall not achieve the same thing?
Why do we need to DPC the external leaf, as this wastes the rod material. Surely the internal leaf is sufficient? The externals can dry from wind and good drainage? Am I missing something? maybe they drill almost through both leafs as they cannot do the job from the inside?
please I want to learn more about rising dump
What can I do about this happening on an internal wall of a 300 year old house? The wall in question is the original external wall but with an extension built approx 40 years ago, hope that makes sense! Thank you for your time and great video as always
Watch Peter ward videos. Don’t drill holes in the walls etc etc
3:41 probably the best how to tip iv'e seen on UA-cam :)
Magic. Thanks for the video
Great video that, never seen these rods before.
My only thought is, not to criticise of course, you were blowing the dust out of the hole before inserting sleeve. Personally, its my OCD, I would have got my vacuum cleaner in the hole with a thin piece of tube so that I'm getting the rubbish out rather thean distribute around the bottom of the cavity.
I like that measuring sleeve idea. Never thought of that, I used to wrap insulation tape round the drill bit as a marker.
If you look carefully, Roger had the blower round the other way and was using it as a vacuum. That little Makita blower is reversible to use it as a vacuum
@@pickiewickie are you sure about that? You cant drag dust and crap thru the air impellor, it will quickly deteriorate.
Great minds, think alike.
@@tinytonymaloney7832 absolutely sure. I can't provide the link as my post keeps being removed by Google, but if you look up Makita dub185z and look at the specs, the vacuum function is clearly quoted. You can even attach a dust bag
Tiny Tony
I tried it both ways
Brilliant video. I've just bought the kit and it arrived today. I wondered if you or any of your subscribers could tell me what the opposite end of the rod cutter is used for? Thanks
What membrane should be put in the floor to control rising damp
Can Dry Rods only be used on brick walls. My walls stone. Would they still work?
Really enjoy your work and explaining of how to solve damp issues.
Was just wondering if those rods would work with cement blocks. I live in Madeira and we don't use clay bricks. In Madeira damp is a very very common problem of which very few people here can or are willing to solve.
Your feedback would be greatly. appreciated.
You can use the rods in any masonry that has a mortar course of sand and cement or sand and lime. They don't work so well in irregular stone because it is hard to achieve a continuous line.
@@SkillBuilder thank you so much for your prompt response really appreciated it.
@@SkillBuilder Now I need ato find a way to get it here and the supplier
good team there!
Surely the Bitumen coating on the outside is stopping any mosture evaporating away on the outside, so it makes its way to the inner skin to get out?
and that painted render too...
@@handycrowd Yes this house has it all now - cement render, impermeable plastic masonry paint, bitumen coat on the brickwork (love that touch), missing suspended wooden floors and now damp proof rods!
@@GavinLawrence747 looked a little chilly in that room too, I'd advise external cladding. Just apply it straight on with glue, it'll be fine.
@@ricos1497 😆😆😆
Will these rods dampproof the last inch as if you think the damp could be seeping up from inside floor it could still make its way up through the inside inch the rods never covered....
Great video, thanks. Spoke to the dryrod people who said that attempting to hit the inner wall perps from the outside was hit and miss. I note this is what is done in the video. If it works, it is a far better for the owner than having to do from the inside, potentially removing kitchen units and all the rest of it. Every had any issues with the outside in approach? Thanks
we have rising damp. Had it for 15 years and now really want it sorted. The floor is concrete and that is damp and we can see mould forming on the carpet tiles. Is there anything which can be done (a treatment) for the floor? Then paint the brick work outside to stop penetrating damp...? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Sam said he did a 200 year old house - Mine is 230 with rubble walls yet the insurance Co OK'd the damp Co to inject. Some of the stones are solid granite and I pointed this out i.e. there's no way that would work as the liquid would just squirt out.. Now I have the same damp problems.. and the cowboy firm doesn't want to know. (full & final settlement paid so ins Co don't want to know either)
See my comment above, mate - my house is 320 years old of similar construction and is now breathing, dry as a bone, and holds more heat that any modern house ever will.
what do you do if you have a property with a basement and the outside floor slopes up higher then the damp proof coarse so your property inside is sitting below the damp proof corse?
Clear cavities to ground level are key. Especially in the corners. The drive to "save the planet" by turning your house into a fluff filled hamster house will have a negative impact on your house. Like the pipe over the drill bit tip. I'd leave the drill holes to vent.
It's why God invented 'depth stops" on hammer drills.
is it also good in reinforced concrete?
So after watching the video three times, and I respect your channel, very good, you’ve not explained exactly how this treatment drilling the holes works? How does it work?
We have other videos showing the way it works but basically it is siloxane lining the pores and stopping cappilary action.
@@SkillBuilder Ah ok thanks makes sense I’ll check out your other videos, great channel keep up the good work.
We have rising damp on a cobb wall cottage . Can we use rods ?
Hi. I have an internal wall in a bedroom of an old cottage, that is built with stones. It’s is a cupboard at present but I want to convert it to an up stair toilet and sink. The out side walls are good and a new roof and tiles have been replaced.
The inner wall gets damp in a lot of cold or wet weather. My question is, can I fit dry rods in the wall from inside the house. Many Thanks.
Wow, thanks, never heard of this.
How do then deal with the hygroscopic dampness in the internal plaster🤔
I have a similar situation but on stone cavity walls. Can this be applied in the same way ? Regards
What if the inside wall was block and the mirror line did not match ...will the rods still create barrier on inside wall?
What if block was used for both walls ...can I drill I to old dpc..insert rods and create new barrier or next mortor line above old dpc...which would seem pointless to stop damp
My dad is going to do this on my livingroom window wall as the rain water comes down my steep drive and the damp course musnt be great under the window. I also have a concrete base floor and rising damp on an internal wall perpendicular to the wall we are doing the rods in. How would I fix the damp on this wall as it seems the water is going under the house and rising up through the concrete? Can I do rods on an internal wall or shall I seal the concrete floor with a damp proof paint on membrane? Any help appreciated thanks
Tips on removing paint from brickwork?
Internal plaster line just nipping down below the original damp proof course will cause these very symptoms. Always check this first. Simple remedy. Chop away plaster that breaches the DPC line. Done.
We have a 1830s cottage sandstone construction a new roof and gutters and we had a problem with rising damp on the back wall, so I used stormseal on the said wall the damp has now moved from the back wall to the upstairs partition wall it's baffling the house has been refinished top to bottom can't work out were it comes from .Perhaps a dehumidifier up stairs will solve it ?
I think you need to consider that it is condensation.
I wonder if dry rods were used in this advert for dry rods. I'm not sure if dry rods were mentioned enough during the pointless exercise of using dry rods in a wall painted with black. Dry rods, buy dry rods or alternatively buy dry rods.
Great info guys,.. thanks for sharing'
It makes me wonder about those buildings that are next to a canal, submerged in water constantly but never have “rising damp” issues yet this property on dry land does
Canal engineering employs engineering bricks and waterproof cement but there are still plenty of canal side buildings that have damp problems. People assume a great many things about buildings they just view casually. I hear statements such as "Venice doesn't have rising damp" which is complete tosh.
There is a whole department at the University of Bologna that reasearches damp in buildings and comes up with effective treatments.
"Venice doesn't have damp problems " 🤣🤣🤣 it is actually a massive problem in Venice
@@garychadfield552 you’re quoting something nobody said
@Todd W oh yes they did!
Interesting. Seems easier than injection cream. Currently waiting on a damp report on a property. Wonder why the algorithm brought this vid up when I haven't searched the subject 🤔
Brilliant option 👏
Can I do this from the inside to out, as outside is under ground and inaccessible ? TIA
How does this work with 2ft thick (solid) stone (basalt) and lime walls???
I haven’t seen Rodger cover stone built houses with damp before. Sounds like an issue that needs its own video :-).
@@Jake-po8ej Peter is pretty good. Full of the classic cement pointing/render and lack of ventilation videos. The reason I’d like to see Rodger do a video on it is he has mentioned that we should bring these houses up to date and insulate them which can introduce the damp problems. I’d like to see something like that solved with positive pressure or some other kind of moisture management as opposed to take the house back to the way it used to be before some idiot cement rendered it then another idiot injected it with chemicals claiming it’s rising damp when it’s not, also injecting what used to be the ventilation brick whilst they’re at it for a laugh 😂.
Wow! Not seen these rods before and going to check them out. Have progressive damp that looks like its come from old mortar thats crumbled away due to a large bush next to the outer wall. Thanks boys. As you say - every days a school day!
Would you use the rods on a single wall construction?
Hi I noticed that you drilled holes in the cement between the bricks, how essential is that ? What would you have done if the wall had been covered in pebble dash and you didn’t know where the gaps between the bricks where ?
You need to find the mortar line for best results and cut the render so it doesn't bridge the dpc.
@@SkillBuilder
Ok thanks for letting me know.
Interesting, many thanks!
Are these inserted above the damp course.
Will this technique work if you have damp coming in from above.I have s flat under s house snd damp comes in from soil surrounding and from associated contact with steps and structures above?
amazing video. thank you.
Can you do a video on the digging of a French drain mentioned in thus ?
Loads of vids on French drains on UA-cam. Although some say you shouldn't put one right against the house. Fecked if I know. Like so many things building related there's lots of conflicting info.
Sorry if I've made matters worse! But the UA-cam vids would at least give you an idea.
Ok, I misunderstood. Roger's explanation @5:45 to 6:10, is worth listening to a second time.
Thanks lads!
Hi Roger, Dry Rods a great DIY Idea for rising damp, thanks. I need to treat a conservatory dwarf wall for rising damp. The wall is rendered on both the inside and the outside, so I cannot see where the morter lines for the bricks are, so . I have a few Questions Please. Q1. Do I have to take off the render and go back to brick to find the morter lines on the bricks ? if so am I best removing mortar and drilling inside instead of outside ? Q2. Can I cut these dry rods to fit if they are too long ? Thanks Again
you can cut the Dry Rods and yes you need to find the mortar course. You can do it from either side. I sometimes take off a skirting board and do it from the inside.
Cheers for the info Roger @@SkillBuilder
Had outside of house done
In that coloured silicon render, don’t want to go hacking it off so can you drill from the inside by taking off the skirting and drilling nearly all the way to the outside?
I wish you would visit us we have rubble in the brick work causing damp and mould
My house was built in a slight dip where rain pooled looking back I remember the carpet underlay would always smell damp. many years later far past the 10 year NHBC Its still damp. and smells damp. I missed the chance to get it properly surveyed by a soil specialist I imagine its lost alot of value due to this. Is all Lost for me?
Sorry I don't get the point of sealing up the drilled holes apart from looking better- how is the damp supposed to dry? Taking out bricks and cleaning cavity is a far better solution- yes it will take longer to do but with several air brick on the outside brick work it really does work.
Hi Roger
Wonder if you can help I need to do the dry damp rods but don’t have a mortar line to drill in to as it’s all rendered up .
Thank you
Regards
Ali
Can i not use these rods if i have damp on internal walls?
Interesting, so for this job it's purely exterior? You don't have to do this on the inside?
Yes lime is best.
Magic wands for Mr Damp Wally. Must have run out of beans.
This might be a silly question I don't know. If you were to drill into timber, put a dryrod in there, seal the hole, would the dryrod stop the timber absorbing moisture?
To some extent but they also make a siloxane wood preserver in liquid form
@@SkillBuilder Thanks