202 lines
6.1 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
202 lines
6.1 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
property
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propertyadvice
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jeffhowell
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8152054
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-----
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# Home improvements: Damp-proofing
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## Trouble with the boiler? Rogue traders? Or a tricky do-it-yourself job?
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Jeff gives on-the-level advice and answers your home maintenance questions
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![][1]
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By [Jeff Howell][2] 5:09PM GMT 22 Nov 2010
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[Comments][3]
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**Look for A rational explanation**
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**Q_ _**_My husband and I live in a bungalow converted from a building first
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constructed in 1914. We have lived here since 1993, but now one wall in a room
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has become very damp and we want to know if the Schrijver Systeem would help.
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Or should we get in a company that works in damp-proofing? _**JM, Greenwich**
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**A** The Schrijver Systeem is advertised as a "clean, green way to a drier
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indoor climate". It is based on the idea that holes in the outside brickwork,
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filled with plastic boxes containing pieces of concrete, will magically reduce
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the moisture content of the walls themselves, and reduce internal humidity
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levels to boot. I was first contacted by Frank Schrijver in 1997, when he
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asked me to help publicise his so-called "invention". I asked him then to
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provide me with independent scientific evidence to support his theory and now,
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13 years later, I am still waiting.
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The Schrijver Systeem is the latest in a line of "hole-in-the-wall" damp-
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proofing gadgets, dating back to the early 1900s. None have ever been
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independently shown to have any effect on the moisture content of walls or
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internal environments. Equally, I would advise against any other kind of damp-
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proofing outfit. These companies are adept at using electrical moisture meters
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to mis‑sell chemical-injection damp-proofing to unsuspecting clients. Your
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1914 home will have been constructed with a built-in damp-proof course, and
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cannot therefore be suffering from the mythical "rising damp".
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If you have lived in your home for 17 years without problems, and one room has
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suddenly started to exhibit symptoms of dampness, then there must be a
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rational explanation - a blocked gutter, perhaps, or a plumbing leak.
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## Related Articles
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* [Home improvements: polycarbonate roofs][4]
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27 Oct 2010
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* [Home improvements: rubber sheet roofing][5]
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20 Oct 2010
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* [Home improvements: moss growth][6]
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12 Oct 2010
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* [Home improvements: removing cavity wall insulation][7]
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07 Sep 2010
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* [How to fix creaking floorboards][8]
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13 Apr 2010
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* [Home improvements: solar panelling][9]
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02 Nov 2010
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You need independent advice from someone who is not going to try to sell you a
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snake-oil cure. A chartered building surveyor might be able to diagnose the
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problem. Otherwise, independent dampness experts that I recommend are listed
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in my Sunday Telegraph book.
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**Spirits and bricks sagging**
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**Q**_ I own and live in a two-storey block of flats, built of brick in 1963.
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Recently, the bricks along the top of some of the windows have sagged and an
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examination by builders revealed that there were no lintels installed during
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construction. The ground landlords recently had the property surveyed and
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stated that when built, metal windows had been installed as a substitute for
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lintels. The subsequent removal of these windows for double-glazed PVC-U
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contributed to the sagging. Surely this cannot be correct, to construct such a
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building without window lintels?_ **J D, Cardiff**
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**A** Metal or timber windows were often built in without lintels in the
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immediate post-war era. With hindsight this was foolish, but it reflected the
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desire to have clean "modern" building façades, unencumbered by bulky concrete
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lintels or Victorian brick arches. There was also a great faith in the ability
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of the new cement mortars to form rigid panels of brickwork, without a need
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for independent support.
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Having said that, there is no structural reason why good-quality metal or
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timber window frames should not be used to support brickwork above, providing
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they are left in place. The problem arises when they are replaced by plastic
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windows. At that point the building should have had lintels fitted. But PVC-U
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double-glazing salesmen have never allowed potential structural damage to
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stand in the way of making a sale.
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**What's the difference between ... **Mineral wool and fibreglass insulation?
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Mineral wool fibre, made from natural rock, is a dirty white/grey/yellow
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colour. It settles and compacts over time, losing its thermal insulation
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value. Glass fibre, or Fiberglass™, made from sand or recycled glass, is
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bright yellow or pink. It keeps its shape and thermal insulation value better
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and, in my experience, is less irritating to the skin. Mineral wool is
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slightly denser and might have better sound-absorption qualities.
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Send your questions to Jeff at Life, The Sunday Telegraph, 111 Buckingham
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Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT, email [askjeff@telegraph.co.uk][10] or
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[asksarah@telegraph.co.uk][11]. Also visit [www.askjeff.co.uk][12]
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[X][13] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][14]
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* Share: [Share][13] [ ][15] [ ][16]
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[Tweet][17]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertyadvice/jeffhowell/8152054/Home-
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improvements-Damp-proofing.html
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Telegraph
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## [Jeff Howell][18]
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* ### [Lifestyle »][19]
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* ### [Property »][20]
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* ### [Property Advice »][21]
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In property
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[![Silver birch is unlikely to cause damage to a nearby building][22] ][23]
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### [Home improvements: Could my neighbour's trees damage my house?][23]
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[![DIY skills learned from dad, such as carpentry, are in sharp decline partly
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because of advances in technology
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][24] ][25]
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### [DIY: Are dad skills obsolete?][25]
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[![Jeff Howell][26] ][27]
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### [Home improvements: Do I need to replace my locks?][27]
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[X][13] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][14]
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Share:
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* [ ][13]
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* [ ][15]
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* [ ][16]
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* [Tweet][17]
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* Advertisement
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![][28]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][29] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][30]
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Classified Advertising
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* [UK Homes][31]
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* [Overseas][32]
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* [RHS Chelsea][33]
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