In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
Driving rain is not uncommon.

Less so than you might think.

If rain is accompanied by wind, which I'd say is the norm, then gutters
don't fully protect your walls.

No, but driving rain such as to soak through the walls is rare. If it were
common, Victorian houses wouldn't have been built as they are.

The 'meter' and several firms said I did. Don't you read earlier posts?

What I'm saying, and I don't know how much clearer I can make it, is
that, if your plaster is in good nick, then you obviously don't have a
damp problem. Do *you* think you have a damp problem?

No. What I'm saying is that plenty of 'experts' with money to be made will
tell you you have a problem with Victorian houses regardless. And you'll
find this isn't just my opinion.

The pointing is what matters.

So we're relying on 1/4" of sand and cement, perched precariously on
(and invariably not bonded to) 100 year old bricks are we?

Yup. Or do you advocate 'treating' every Victorian - and later - brick
wall?

I try to alleviate damp to the best of my ability in the houses I'm
responsible for. In that respect I am able to monitor the success rate
over the long term and maybe my findings are of use to others, that's
all.

I'm not saying what you propose won't be successful - merely unnecessary
expense.

Start by putting the walls back into a good state of repair and remove any
piled up earth etc *before* taking things further.

Incidentally, I have a council wall half a mile long near here that
was re-pointed in just the way you suggested a couple of years back. At
least 50% of the pointing is now missing. I tend to take notice of these
things and base my opinions on them rather than something I've read.

I tend to listen to genuine experts on my style of housing and pass on
their advice.

I've no idea why 'your' wall has suffered in this way. Poor workmanship,
probably. Councils ain't immune from this.

--
*Can fat people go skinny-dipping?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.