Jerry Built wrote:
troubleinstore wrote:

Yesterday, I had the building control officer come to see me
about some damp which is affecting the inside of the outside
wall at the back of the house.


What! You can get a bloody pen-pusher to come out and look at
your property just like that?


Yep, I raang him up and he was here within a couple of days.

Is this something strange....?

I have always had good relations with my local council. If I need
help, they are very approachable and fall overthemslves to try and
help, it's just that he didn't fully explain what tanking was.


He told me that the reason for the damp was when the previous
occupier of the house had had flagstones laid in the back yard
he had bridged the damp course. This part of the puzzle is
easily remedied.

Often happens, rendering over damp is popular too.


I can sort the outside problem out very easily. I can also put the
earth rod in that has been sat in my shed and I have been meaning to
do for the last 6 years.

Once you've removed the cause of the damp, you may not need to
do anything. I wonder whether he means tank in or out side.
Tanking is just making a waterproof barrier in or around
your building. Inside, you could hack off existing damaged
plaster, make good (flat!) the surface, use bitumen emulsion
in 3 coats applied ar right angles, the last one being
"blinded" with sand, and re-plaster. Look at the instructions
on the tin before you buy (visit Jewson's or somewhere).


J.B.

Aye, he meant tank it on the inside.

--
troubleinstore
www.tuppencechange.co.uk