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Rising Damp Inspection in Observatory & the Southern Suburbs
This is one of the few parts of South Africa where genuine rising damp is common. Victorian and Edwardian stock in Observatory, Woodstock and Salt River was built either without a damp-proof course or with one that later paving, plaster or a new stoep has bridged. Diagnosis matters because the repair is invasive and expensive.
Covering: Observatory · Woodstock · Salt River · Mowbray · Rondebosch · Claremont · Newlands
What the housing stock here is like
Terraced and semi-detached Victorian and Edwardian houses, largely 1890s to 1930s, built in solid masonry with lime plaster and Oregon pine floors. Many were built before damp-proof courses were standard practice, and almost all have been altered since in ways that trap moisture.
What actually causes it in Observatory & the Southern Suburbs
- No original damp-proof course
- Groundwater wicks up through solid masonry, showing as a tide mark up to about a metre with salt bloom at the top edge.
- Bridged DPC
- Even where a DPC exists, a raised flowerbed, a new screed, a paved courtyard or plaster carried down over the course lets water step around it. This is more common than an absent DPC and much cheaper to fix.
- Impermeable modern finishes
- Cement plaster and plastic paint applied over lime-built walls trap moisture that the wall was designed to breathe out. The damp then appears above the new plaster line.
- Borer in Oregon pine floors
- Sustained subfloor damp in these houses commonly brings borer with it. A damp inspection here should always include the subfloor where access allows.
Worth knowing before you spend money
Be sceptical of a quote for chemical DPC injection given without moisture readings at three heights. Injection is the right remedy for genuine rising damp and the wrong remedy for the bridged-DPC and impermeable-plaster cases that are far more common here — and it is the most expensive of the three to get wrong.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I know if it is really rising damp?
Rising damp reads high at the base of the wall and falls with height, stops at a consistent level, and usually shows salt crystals at the tide line. If the damp is mid-wall, or high up, or dries out between rains, it is something else.
What does rising damp treatment cost?
Chemical DPC injection runs roughly R900 to R1,800 per linear metre, but the larger cost is usually the salt-retardant replastering afterwards, at about R350 to R700 per square metre.
Should I remove the cement plaster on my Victorian house?
Often yes. Solid lime-built walls were designed to breathe, and sealing them with cement plaster and plastic paint pushes moisture elsewhere. It is a decision worth taking on the back of an inspection rather than a contractor's sales visit.