The Fraud of Rising Damp

Rising Damp was invented by the chemical industry. In a particular chemical industry boardroom in 1962 actually. When the first damp meter was invented and some very astute con man realised they could make millions. I know, because Ive spoken to a man who was in that meeting. Have you never wondered why rising damp isnt in America? Or France, or Germany? You dont walk down the streets of French and German cities seeing ugly injection holes everywhere do you? No - because they arent so daft as to be conned by chemical fraudsters. 

Do some research on the huge array of services offered by damp proofing companies to stop rising damp and damp walls. Have a look at their Free Survey. Investigate their claims, and decide for yourself whether it makes sense! Oh - put the postcode thats on their website into Google earth - youll get a nasty shock when you see where they live, and who you'd be dealing with! They've been known to appear in the ads on our pages - so check them out by all means!

They'll probably recommend a water based chemical be injected - um... arent we supposed to be getting rid of water? Research all the Timber and Damp companies - look them up, read the wording of their guarantees - ask them whether they cover you for condensation damage in their guarantees - That'll send them screaming for the door...You are going to take a supposedly wet wall, inject a water based chemical, and its going to dry out as a result....Do you believe in Father Christmas?

Remember - when you get a survey from a Specialist Timber and Damp Surveyor (who doesnt charge for the survey!!) the so called surveyor is a commission salesman. Remember the old saying - you dont get owt for nowt. His sole purpose in life is to sell you timber treatment, for which he gets about 25% commission for a load of useless chemicals, and replastering, for which he gets about 20%, and injecting, for which he gets about 15%. Because so many people are brainwashed into believing this rubbish, he gets a steady income from his fraudulent sales, and the chemical companies make millions in profits every year...

There's even a company called Aquapol who flog you a magnet - it cures rising damp you know - a Bloody Magnet!

Research the Property Care Association that is recommended by your mortgage surveyor.  Look at the claims made by them.  See how they describe 'Rising Damp' as water that rises up a wall by capillary action, despite the fact that Jeff Howell and many others have consistently failed to ever reproduce this action.  They will probably tell you that damp is controlled by a damp course - which it isn't.  They will describe loads of 'symptoms' of rising damp - all of which are explained by simple things like condensation, penetrating damp, and humidity. They will probably tell you that your plaster will be contaminated with salts and need to be replaced with 'special salt resistant plaster' - which it doesn't. The whole thing is a giant con.. it sells millions of pounds worth of chemicals, and does nothing for your home. Oh - they used to be called the BWPDA.

Many of these companies also use Big Words and Complex Terms like 'Damp Control' and 'Structural Waterproofing' and they just LOVE 'Flood Restoration' because it makes them look really important people with lots of technical know-how.  All they actually manage to do is sell you more chemicals in the process..

Rising damp is a wonderful marketing tool used to sell millions of pounds worth of worthless chemicals and labour to an unsuspecting public, irreparably damaging structural brickwork in the process, and don't forget that they always want to re-plaster the walls with impermeable plaster - this just makes the problem come back in ten years or so..! Great for business if you're flogging rising damp treatments....

We have often surveyed damp houses which have had more than one set of holes drilled - some - the worst we've seen, have had three or four sets of injection damp proofing holes and chemicals injected, and they are still sopping wet. When will people, surveyors, and the mortgage companies, wake up?

Please.... DON'T be fooled into using injection damp proofing - it's a waste of money. Take note that they nearly always make you hack off the plaster to the obligatory metre high - as in the photos below, and give it a 15 year guarantee - then in 16 years, when all the plaster falls off again, its magically out of guarantee, or the company vanished into thin air.. in the 'Guarantee' conditions, there is ALWAYS a clause - the 'getout clause', that says damage from condensation isn't covered.

So.. they do your 'Rising Damp' treatment, and tell you they have cured it... then when you go back to them with the same problem a year or two later ..... 'Oh No... our rising damp treatment worked well - what you NOW have is caused by a different problem - this is condensation... we don't cover this you know - sorry'  Have a look at the Rentokil Case History if you don't believe me - I've blown the Rentokil guarantee apart and shown you the get-out clauses they use:

Rentokil, Peter Cox, Timberwise - and how they get out of their guarantee...

The rising damp fraudsters are not stupid. They know exactly what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how to wriggle out of ever backing up an 'insurance backed guarantee'. Get a solicitor to check the guarantee - it isn't worth the paper it is written on - it doesn't even guarantee the work.. Now we have another bunch of names doing the same - Aquapol, Schrijver - all flogging fraudulent rubbish.

Guarantee Protection Insurance - or GPI - 

..... Another HUGE con.  It does nothing - but it does put millions a year into the pockets of the chemical companies who get huge kickbacks and commissions from selling it.  It smells - its fraud. Look at the directors of GPI - they are the same as the directors of the chemical and damp proofing companies.  Look at Peter Cox damp proofing (They are owned by Rentokil these days) - they offer the GPI insurance scam too.

More about GPI insurance...

Every damp problem has a specific cause, and it is usually easy to fix that cause - for example, faulty guttering, external ground levels too high, concrete / cement render trapping moisture on outside walls, and so on. Our survey will outline any problems, and suggest solutions, which never include injection damp proofing!

Rising damp is a myth, says former RICS chief ... 

26 June, 2009 | By Richard Waite 


Popular Sunday Telegraph columnist, Jeff Howell, who is also a Construction Lecturer, Chartered Builder and Chartered Surveyor has written repeatedly about the Myth of Rising Damp.  His best selling book, The Rising Damp Myth, is available and can be purchased via his website, which apart from being a total hoot, is full of really good information about other damp problems being promoted by the chemical fraudsters.. 

Have a look at this video - it's a hoot:

 And another of Mike's well researched videos:

Damp and Condensation
Do Your Research!

Check out the damp companies - carefully read what they claim - look at their terminology. Then come back to this site and see what we have to say!

Note that they NEVER talk about correct diagnosis of where damp comes from..

This is the ultimate book on the Rising Damp Myth - written by Telegraph columnist, Jeff Howell:

I DARE you!

See if you can find ANY mention of breathability of solid walled buildings on any of the damp fraudsters websites.  Bet you can't.  They dont want you to understand breathability - if you did, they'd never make a penny.  Look at as many damp proofing company websites as you can - I bet you NEVER see breathability mentioned.  I bet they NEVER talk about lime mortar or plaster.  I bet they NEVER admit that gypsum plaster traps moisture.  I bet they NEVER admit that their pin damp meters dont work.

Recent News
RICS prove they don't understand damp



Pete's on BBC Radio 4 now!


An Irish client and his magnificent restoration blog


It's Condensation Season!


The Haynes Manual for Period Property


Share this page


Website by twoclicks