Damp course
 

Our house is showing signs of damp on the outside, probably due to the rain bouncing off the paving. Apart from applying a sealant and giving it its' first re-paint, has anyone had a damp course installed into their property as a local maintenance company has just started providing the service?

Re: Damp course
 

If you did, you might have the first house with a damp course in Spain :)

Re: Damp course
 

What is the construction type of your house? Old traditional masonry (stone) walls? Brick/blockwork? Reinforced concrete framed with infill panel walls?
Does your house have guttering?
How and where is the damp manifesting itself?
Applying a sealant without diagnosing where the damp is coming from first may just move the problem elsewhere i.e. inside!

Re: Damp course
 

Hi jdr,
We are just about to have a house built, and our architect didn't turn a hair when we said we wanted a damp course!
We also said we wanted guttering that fed into proper drains, and didn't just bounce off the pavement or patio!
Maybe we'll be making Spanish history :D but he gave us the impression it was "normal" (presumably he's only referring to new builds, as opposed to the damp-ridden old stone houses in our very rural village)

All the best,
Sam.

Re: Damp course
 

Yeah a lot of new builds have guttering now, but i have never seen a damp course put in. ;)
Like hillybilly says most builds are concrete frames bricked in so would be a nightmare to damp-proof. They dont know how to brick up corners of walls :D

Re: Damp course
 

Built in 2002 in brick/blockwork I believe with no guttering. The bottom half a metre outside has areas of discolouration, not especially on corners, and inside there are a few small places in some rooms where the paint is flaking just above the skirting tiles.
Mike

Re: Damp course
 

Fixing guttering plus downpipes to drain water to a gully will help no end to prevent this happening in the future. You could also consider further protection to the bottom metre or so of the exterior wall by simply painting with a band of exterior plastico paint or even tiling/marble cladding. I don't know what surrounds your house (concrete/paving/garden?) but if you can make a small French drain of gravel adjacent to the wall(s) this will also help to prevent rainwater bouncing back up. And make sure that the external surface slopes away from the wall of the house.