Rising Damp Treatment Cost

How Much Does it Cost to Treat Rising Damp?

Rising damp treatment costs will vary based on the type of treatment as well as the property. For that reason, there is a wide range of prices to look at.

So how much does the treatment of rising damp cost?

Rising Damp Treatment Prices

The average total cost of rising damp treatment jobs is as follows:

Damp Proof Membrane

Plastic DPC

DPC Injection

Drainage Channel

Drainage Channel with Path or Paving Stones

Clearing Out Cavity Walls

What are the Supply Costs for a Rising Damp Treatment?

The cost of the supplies used for a rising damp treatment will vary depending on the type of the treatment.

For example, damp proof membrane costs around £1 to £5 per m² but around £1 to £3 per m² should do for a damp proof membrane in liquid form.

Plastic DPC, on the other hand, would cost around £0.50 to £1 per m², while DPC injection cream would set you back around £5 to £7 per 100ml product. Anti-mould/moisture paint costs around £20 to £30 per tub.

Some things you should definitely be aware of…

It’s best to leave most of this job to a professional, although parts may be suitable for a DIY solution if you have the right skills and knowledge and understand the safety steps required.

You could complete the painting/decorating after the primary work is undertaken or/and replace the skirting boards for the room if necessary.

These two tasks could save you some £500 to £700 in total depending on the scale of the jobs, among other factors. If working with damp proof paint, it's important to take all necessary safety precautions.

Additional Jobs to Go with Treating Rising Damp

When having rising damp treated, you may wish to pay for some extra work to be carried out around the same time.

Here are some relevant examples worth considering…

Painting and Decorating

The first job (painting and decorating) is something that will be necessary once the rising damp has been treated, so it's not exactly an optional job to go with treating the rising damp.

Once the damp wall has been sealed, you may wish to pay the professional to paint the room rather than taking it on DIY. Special damp proof paint will be needed.

The work would take around 6-12 hours for each room. The average cost to have one room painted after treating rising damp would be around £250 to £350, with wallpapering setting you back about £350 to £450.

Replacing Skirting Boards

For the rising dam to be treated effectively, it will likely prove necessary to have your skirting board replaced. Some of the skirting board may be sufficient to stay on, but much of it may be suffering from rot. Skirting boards cost about £1 to £3 per metre.

This translates to a total supply cost of around £200 to £300 to replace the skirting board in an average room. With the cost of labour added to the supply costs, it would probably set you back around £350 to £750, although it would depend on the professional hired, among other factors.

Tradesmen Costs for Treating Rising Damp

We’ll now look at the labour costs involved in treating rising damp. This excludes the supply costs and any waste removal expenses.

A rising damp specialist/damp proofing specialist is likely to charge somewhere around £300 to £600 per day or about £40 to £80 per hour, on average.

However, rising damp specialists are most likely to set the labour cost based on the job in question, and therefore, hourly and daily fees may not apply in a conventional sense.

For that reason, the above daily and hourly prices are just approximate estimates, but how much you'll pay for a job per hour/per day can vary significantly.

Looking at the labour costs of specific jobs, a rising damp specialist is likely to charge around £800 to £850 for a DPC injection of a single wall, with DJC injections for an entire house being priced at approximately £1,500 to £1,900.

The labour cost of having plastic DPC applied to a single wall, however, would cost about £200 to £300, with the same job for an entire house being priced at around £800 to £1,000.

As for having a damp proof membrane installed, the labour costs would land around £500 to £700 whether the job is being performed on one wall or a floor.

To have a channel dug along one wall, expect a labour fee of approximately £300 to £350, with the labour price being around £500 to £700 to have a channel dug around an entire house.

If you want to have a section of a cavity wall cleared out, expect to pay between £100 and £150 or thereabouts.

As you can see, the labour costs involved can vary widely, as can the actual labour rate per hour/per day.

The tradesmen costs for rising damp treatment can depend on factors such as the scale and type of the job involved, ease of access to the work area, the extent of the damage, the number of labourers involved (although this is usually just one person), and where in the UK you live.

"Wait, why does my location matter for the labour price, though?"

Well, the thing is that labour prices differ across the UK. Factors in determining this would include the cost of living in a given area and the level of competition or lack thereof.

The cost of hiring a professional in the UK tends to be higher in the southeast (London in particular), while prices are generally below average in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

How Long Does a Rising Damp Treatment Take?

On average, a DPJ injection for one wall takes around two to three days, with the same job applied to an entire house taking around four to six days. For a plastic DPC job, expect the work to take about three to six hours for a single wall or around one to two days for a house.

Installing a damp proof membrane, whether for one wall or one floor, should take about 1.5 to 2.5 days. The same approximate timeframe would apply to having a channel dug along a wall.

To have a channel dug around an entire house, expect the work to generally take between four and six days. Clearing out a section of cavity wall, meanwhile, would take about two to three hours.

Time-affecting factors for rising damp treatment include the scale and type of the job, the extent of the damage and ease of access.

Rising Damp Treatment Work Timeframe

Types of Rising Damp Treatments

Now that we've looked at the pricing and timeframes of rising damp treatments let's look at each type in more detail. We’ll also revisit how much the various rising damp treatments cost.

DPC Injection

The most common type of rising damp treatment comes in the form of DPC injection(s). These injections are a long-lasting way of dealing with rising dampness. In addition, DPC injection offers a fast response to the issue at hand.

DPC injections function by creating a barrier that is resistant to moisture. This barrier can, in turn, put a stop to rising dampness and therefore protect your walls from further harm.

It's a relatively cheap solution if you approach it DIY, with DPC injection cream being priced at about £5 to £7 for a 100ml product.

What about the downsides?...

One disadvantage of DPC injections is that they’re not very suitable for use on stone walls. There's also a danger of applying the product too high, which would make it ineffective.

Not only that, but it can actually cause serious damage if you don't apply it correctly, such as if you apply it to a wall that does not actually require such treatment.

This highlights just one of the many reasons why it’s important to know exactly what you’re doing if you want to treat rising damp DIY. Otherwise, hire a rising damp specialist. Rising damp on internal walls can often be dealt with using DPC injections.

Pros:

• Relatively low rising damp treatment cost if done DIY
• Generally, a good solution for internal wall rising damp issues

Cons:

• Not a well-suited option for treating stone walls
• It could be applied to high and not work correctly
• Serious damage can be done if applied to a wall incorrectly

Damp Proof Membrane

A damp proof membrane comprises polyethene sheets that are designed to prevent moisture from travelling. This type of damp proof course is usually applied under concrete flooring so as to stop the floors from dampening via capillary action.

Damp-proof membranes could prevent damage from occurring to concrete during building activity in the future, albeit these membranes will prolong the duration required for the concrete to dry out.

One scenario where you'd want to use damp proof membranes is if you are having underfloor heating installed under a concrete surface.

It should be noted that plastic DPC is a type of damp-proof membrane. In general, damp proof membranes cost between £1 and £5 per m² or £1 to £3 per litre if you purchase them in liquid form.

Pros:

• A good solution to damp proofing a concrete floor
• Ideal if you intend to have underfloor heating installed beneath a concrete surface
• Offers concrete protection for future building activity

Cons:

• Lengthens the time needed for concrete to dry out

Drainage Channel

Having a drainage channel installed is one of the most popular ways of dealing with recurring rising dampness. It is a system that allows water to flow through (from a specific area) therefore preventing water accumulation at particular spots.

The overall result of this system is that it can prevent rising dampness. It's a commonplace for concrete paving stones or a gravel or concrete path to be laid along with the drainage channel.

Having a drainage channel built could take a few days if being constructed along a wall or longer for an entire house.

The former job would cost around £280 to £500, while you’d need a budget of somewhere between £500 and £1,500 for the latter; in both cases, the specific cost would depend on the type/size of the house.

Pros:

• No interior work
• A good solution to rising damp in many cases

Cons:

• It can take days or even up to a week to complete
• The final look might not be for you

FAQs

Q: How do you treat rising dampness in an old property?

A: The exact process will depend on the nature and extent of the rising damp. Of course, old buildings did not have modern rising damp treatment methods in mind when they were constructed.

To have it treated effectively, you should hire a professional and inform them of the specifics of your building, such as whether or not it is listed and how old it is.

However, some useful ways of preventing rising dampness in an old building include opening windows on a regular basis to allow for good air circulation, employing dehumidifiers in the smaller rooms where there is less ventilation and ensuring that your furniture is not too close to the radiators.

In addition, you should have extractor fans set up in your kitchen and bathroom as this will get rid of the air of excess moisture and steam. If rising damp is already present, or you suspect it may be, then you should hire a professional anyway.

Q: How long should damp proofing last?

A: In most cases, a damp proof course will leave effective results for some 20-25 years, but it will depend on the building among a range of other factors.

Q: What does DPC stand for?

A: DPC stands for the damp proof course. DPC injections, damp proof membranes and drainage channels are all types of DPC. Essentially DPC is just another way of saying rising damp treatments.

Q: Why is rising damp sometimes considered a myth?

A: It’s very common that damp issues are misdiagnosed. There was a time when any damp problem was labelled rising damp. Thankfully a professional damp survey can clarify the nature of the problems in your home.

Q: What are the most common rising damp signs?

A: Some of the most common indicators of rising damp are walls with damp/wet patches on walls or/and walls with damp stains and tidemarks.

Another common sign is the presence of salts within the plaster. Also, look out for peeling paint or peeling wallpaper, flaky/bubbly plaster and rotting skirting boards and flooring, just to name a few more potential signs of rising damp.

Hiring a professional to perform a damp survey is the perfect way to know for sure what the issue is and how it can be dealt with.

Sources

1. https://garrattsdamp.com/blog/treating-rising-damp-old-buildings/
2. https://www.richardsonandstarling.co.uk/blog/rising-damp-signs/

Author: Melissa

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Digital Media, I'm a freelance writer and I've worked for clients such as the British Blockchain Association and I have experience in writing articles, YouTube video scripts, online guides and newsletters. I have written and produced many short films as well as a web series and feature film. I am also currently working on a novel.