DPC failed is it too high?

[kellylucinda]

Hi,
I have a failed DPC it was installed 10 years ago and has a guarantee of 20 years. I had the contractor out back in April who said it was leaks in the roof that had caused the damp. The house is inner terrace and has solid walls. I did have some flashing replaced on the chimney but still not even sure if this was actually an issue as I was trying to resolve the damp and just told the roofer something up there was letting water in.
Anyways I removed the plaster of the walls and have been letting it dry out since. Today I've realised the DPC is really high up and the DPC is there to stop the moisture getting any higher so obviously it can get quite high on my wall as the DPC is so high! The neighbours house is slightly higher than mine I mean by a few cm's. I've read on the building regulations website that the min required DPC is 15cm from ground but there's nothing stating the maximum height. Surely it's common sense that the damp can rise to the height of the course so the higher you put it the moisture is going to rise up to it. I obviously had the DPC installed due to the house been full of damp so it was all stripped back to brick. I'm considering taking action against the company and asking them to rectify at their cost.
Just wondering if anyone agrees with that the course has been installed too high and I'll have a leg to stand on. I'm obviously not a tradesperson and don't have any knowledge other than my common sense!
If I was to do this how would I go about proving it was too high?
Thanks

 

[ree]

OP,
There are injection holes at various levels - can you scrupulously clean all plaster from the brickwork in your pics, & remove the skirting - & then post new pics?
Are you having similar issues on the party wall?
Are we looking at both sides of the same internal wall?
Where is, or where was, the chimney breast on either side of that wall?
Are the floors, either side of the wall, solid or suspended?

 

[Wayners]

You can also diy damp course easily yourself.

 

[kellylucinda]

@ree
I've just added photos with the plaster and skirting removed
The floor is concrete. The laminate was layed 5 years ago and was dry as a bone at the time.
This is all the same wall in the photos. The party wall behind here is the chimney it is central to the wall which is where most of the damp is it seems to stop in line with where the alcove would be. I have been inside the property for a couple of minutes and all walls are covered in damp to about 1m high. It is rented out so felt like I was intruding. The photos below are ones I took yesterday and the dampness has got worse and not better that's after it drying out all summer we've had hardly any rain.
Forgot to mention the houses are solid wall and no cavity. Thanks

 

[johnny2007]

If there was a roof problem the damp would start at the ceiling, not the floor.

 

[ree]

Poster #5,
Damp can enter a chimney stack and present at ground floor level.

 

[kellylucinda]

@ree Would water ingress be able to enter if the chimney has been capped off? Also I have had several roofers up on the roof who cant find any issues with water getting into the chimney. I had some flashing replaced back in June so if there was any water ingress that has been rectified, but the bricks on the internal wall look 'wetter' since June so the problem seems to be still there. This is what I can't get my head around why the bricks haven't dried out because the plaster was removed in February so it has had a good few months to dry out but as you can see from the photo took in February and took yesterday the bricks look wetter.
Just trying to figure out what my next steps are.
Would it be worth getting a humidifier and try and draw out any moisture?
I believe the moisture in the air will be adding to the salt on the bricks. Am I correct in thinking this? So the brick salt may not be from the moisture in the bricks but from the moisture in the air, just like condensation would appear on a window?
Would I need to instruct the neighbours to treat the chimney next door on the party wall? If so how? Damp proofing? Venting?
I believe I could apply membrane to my side and replaster and will stop the wetness showing on the plaster however I'm worried my bricks will crumble in the long run and the house might fall down!
My original question still stands, should the DP company redo my DPac at a lower level ? As it is there to stop any damp coming through and it has failed to do that because it is positioned too high up.
Any suggestions for the appreciated thanks

 

[foxhole]

If there was a roof problem the damp would start at the ceiling, not the floor.

No, damp falls and only emerges when it can travel no further , my gutter failed , no sign of any damp till it appeared a few inches above the skirting .

 

[ree]

OP,
I'm having difficulty understanding what you are saying.
Hopefully, someone else will come along and help you.

 

[kellylucinda]

@ree edited my post slightly hopefully it makes more sense now! Thanks

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have a failed DPC it was installed 10 years ago and has a guarantee of 20 years. I had the contractor out back in April who said it was leaks in the roof that had caused the damp.

From your photos, the damp course does appear to be working, problem is - it seems to be far too high. The injected damp course seems to be in the 7th or 8th course up from the floor level. Any plaster below that level, will suffer damp, why would it not?

I very much doubt the problem could be due to a roof leak, such a leak would show up on the upper floor, then work it's way down.

My home was built with a damp course, but also had the injected course, similar to yours, back in the 80's. All the holes for injection, are in the brickwork level, directly above the original damp course.

My suggestion would be to insist the DPC installer, installs a second DPC, at skirting board level, subject to that being higher than your neighbour's floor level.

 

[kellylucinda]

Thanks this is exactly what I thought! They already came out to look in March and said it would be due to water ingress in the chimney so it looks like I'll have a fight on my hands to get them to redo it without any cost involved. Not sure where to start I'm thinking a chartered surveyor report which will cost about £300 and send it to the company. Thanks

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks this is exactly what I thought! They already came out to look in March and said it would be due to water ingress in the chimney so it looks like I'll have a fight on my hands to get them to redo it without any cost involved. Not sure where to start I'm thinking a chartered surveyor report which will cost about £300 and send it to the company. Thanks

Could you mark on one of your photos, where your neighbour's floor level is?

Could you draw a line diagram, as if looking from above, so we have a better idea of where that chimney breast might be, in relation to the damp?

 

[^woody^]

What does your warranty say regarding claims? And disputes?

Normally, if there is a warranty provider you claim against them not the contractor.

If you are not happy with their response, you follow the dispute process or get an independent report and make a civil claim.

Your issue appears to be more likely the result of damp going up not coming down.

The injected DPC does appear to be too high especially in the absence of any vertical wall tanking or lining.

Was any investigation done on the actual cause of the moisture? That may be too high for normal ground water, but may be indicative of a pipe leak.

If the cause is related to the neighbouring property, you may have a claim against them and they may be responsible to deal with it.

 

[kellylucinda]

Hi thanks for the response, I guess my worry is if I were to get in a chartered surveyor for example to write a report he won't have any access to the neighbouring property as they do not have to give access!
Could the damp from that house of spread to mine? I guess so as there is no cavity so brick to brick.
My guarantee states it will be redone free of charge.
Thanks