Damp proofing in Luton, Dunstable and across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and North London. Get a free, no obligation quote: we trace the damp to its source, and all work is backed with a 20 year written guarantee.
Free damp proofing quote
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Most damp starts outside the room it shows up in. A cracked gutter, a lifted lead flashing, a chimney stack with failed pointing or a path built above the damp proof course can soak a wall for years. A damp specialist who only works indoors treats the stain. We work on the roof, the walls and the ground around them, so we find the source.
Doyle Homes carries out all aspects of roofing, building and damp proofing, with over 25 years' experience on buildings. That is why our work starts with a ladder and a set of moisture readings, not a sales pitch.
Rising damp gets blamed for a lot of damp that has another cause. We identify which of the three you have before we price anything.
| Type | What it looks like | How we fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Rising damp | Tide mark and salts on a ground floor wall, rotten skirting, damp rising to about a metre | Chemical damp proof course injected into the mortar, damaged plaster removed, wall replastered |
| Penetrating damp | Patches that appear or darken after rain, on outside walls, chimney breasts and under roofs | Cure the source: repointing, render repairs, gutters, downpipes, flashings and roof repairs |
| Condensation and mould | Black mould in corners, wet windows, damp that follows cooking, bathing and drying clothes | Extraction, ventilation, loft and eaves airflow, and mould treated and cleaned off |
True rising damp happens when the original damp proof course has failed, is missing or has been bridged. Groundwater travels up through porous brick and mortar by capillary action and carries salts with it, which is why plaster blisters and wallpaper lifts.
We treat it with a new chemical damp proof course. A damp proof cream or fluid is injected into a line of holes drilled into the mortar course, above ground level, so it spreads and forms a barrier. The damaged plaster is hacked off above the tide mark, the wall dries out, and we replaster in a salt-resistant plaster. We also check the outside: a path, patio or flower bed built up above the damp proof course gives water a bridge across it, and lowering it is part of the fix.
When a damp patch grows after rain, the water is coming through the wall, and no injected damp proof course will stop it. We trace the path of the water.
The cause is a leaking gutter or downpipe, cracked render, open pointing, a failed flashing or a blocked cavity. One reviewer had a broken downpipe in an awkward spot that was damaging their brickwork. We moved the pipe, replaced the guttering and some bricks, and repointed. Another had decayed lead flashing and rotten timbers replaced. That is the work that cures this kind of damp, see guttering, lead work and roof repairs for how we do it.
Chimney breasts get their own check. A leaking stack, failed flaunching or missing lead lets rain into the flue, and the salts show on the wall indoors. Our chimney repairs cure it from the top.
Condensation is warm, wet air meeting a cold surface. It builds up in bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms with no airflow, and shows as black mould in corners and on window reveals. A damp proof course does nothing for it.
The fix is air movement and warmth: extractor fans in wet rooms, trickle vents on windows, and ventilation in the loft and at the eaves so the roof space stays dry. A blocked or missing soffit vent causes condensation on rafters and mould in the ceilings below. See fascias and soffits for ventilated boards. We clean off and treat existing mould so it does not return.
One reading is only the start. We take readings at several heights on the wall, which separates rising damp from a leak, and check whether the damp stops at the corner or follows a gutter run. We look outside at the damp proof course line, air bricks, ground levels, pointing, render and gutters, then check the roof above.
You see the evidence. We explain the cause, your options in simple terms and the most cost effective solution. A free quote carries no obligation and no pressure.
Luton and Dunstable are full of Victorian terraces around areas like High Town and Bury Park with solid brick walls, and 1930s and post-war semis whose original damp proof course has aged or been bridged by later paving. Later extensions and raised paving can cover air bricks and bridge the damp proof course. We provide damp proofing in Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis and across the area from our Dunstable office.
Our builders and roofers repair what causes the damp, so you do not pay one firm to treat a wall and another to fix the roof behind it. See building work for plastering and wall repairs, the roof survey page if the roof is the suspect, and the roof repair cost guide for what leak repairs cost. We cover Luton, Bedford and Hitchin among other towns.
Call or send the form. We visit at a time that suits you and take readings on the damp wall, then look outside at the roof, gutters, pointing and ground levels.
We work out whether it is rising damp, penetrating damp or condensation, and show you the evidence.
You get a quote with materials and labour split out, a timetable, and any third party charges. We promise to beat any written quote.
We risk assess the job, cure the source, treat the wall and replaster. We leave the site tidy, and all work carries a 20 year written guarantee.
Every photo is from a job we worked on. Tap any image to see it full size.
Word for word, each one linked to the platform it was left on.
We had a broken down pipe in a very awkward area which was causing damage to brickwork. Robert fitted a new down pipe to a more convenient place, replaced guttering and some bricks as well as re-pointing where needed. We've had heavy rain since, and all is well. Very good experience with workers and scaffolders - all very friendly and made sure area was clean after the job was finished. Will use again, and would recommend.
although this was a fairly small item of repair to replace the pointing to a lead roof flashing, the builder turned up as arranged and carried out the work to my complete satisfaction with the minimum of fuss and at a reasonable cost. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to others.
We recently had Doyle Homes do a number of jobs on our roof: fixing leaking and blocked guttering, replacing decayed lead flashing and rotten timbers, replacing old roofing felt with a new membrane, and with new tiles in place of broken ones. Their friendly team did all of this rapidly and expertly. With such an extensive renovation there were two minor problems to rectify at the end but both were fixed promptly.
Every job, from a single slipped tile to a full re-roof, comes with a 20 year guarantee in writing. You get it with your paperwork when the job is signed off, and if anything we did lets you down inside those 20 years, you ring the same number and we come back and put it right.
Hugh O'SheaDirector, Doyle Homes Ltd
Look for a tide mark on a ground floor wall, salts on the plaster, soft skirting and damp that stops at about a metre height. We take moisture readings at different heights to confirm it before we quote.
Yes, which is why we find the cause first. If water is coming through a gutter, flashing or chimney, we fix that and skip the damp proof course. You only pay for the treatment that works.
A damp proof course is a barrier in the wall, a layer of slate, bitumen or plastic in the brickwork or a chemical injection, that stops ground moisture rising. When the original fails, we install a new one.
The time depends on the length of wall, the plaster to be removed and the drying time. Your quote includes a detailed timetable so you can plan around it.
Yes. We find what is feeding the mould, condensation or a leak, fix that, then clean off and treat the mould so it does not return.
All work is backed with a 20 year written guarantee. We are fully insured, and we promise to beat any written quote.
Tell us what the roof is doing. Free, no obligation quote, a 20 year written guarantee on the work, and we will beat any written quote.
