RECOMMENDATION REPORT FROM A CLIENT SATISFIED WITH HOW HIS BRICKWORK HAS DRIED OUT

One should never radically condemn old-new methods, such as electro-osmosis. I have an old house made from marl and sandstone, one side of which is 1.5 m underground for 25 m of its length. That was how our predecessors built it. On this (northern) side I’d had damp rising up to various heights, sometimes as far as the ceiling. This was inner damp, rising from the subsoil. The house is clearly not insulated. I dealt with the walls by stripping off the original inner plaster, fitted waterproof film there and built another wall. This helped, but the outer wall was cold and the walls between the rooms kept on drawing up damp. The walls could not be undercut, as there is the yard of another house above me and it was impossible to dig down to a depth of 3 m. I tried DryPol electro-osmosis, installed in November 2011. The moisture was measured at various points and at different heights, including in the cellar, and a measurement report was drawn up. From around July 2012 I saw a noticeable improvement in the situation; the plaster stopped peeling and the paintwork was not so wet. It was a slow process. In November 2012 the company technicians came to take measurements again and found that the damp had been reduced by several percent, and a report was again issued.

The reduction on the dampest wall was as much as 6%, elsewhere 2 or 3 %, including the cellar. This year was the first winter when no mould appeared on the cellar wall as it always had done before. The firm claims it takes around 3 years to reduce the damp down to normal levels. The company guarantees a full refund it if does not work, as every house is different; some have pressurised water, others impermeable stone, etc. It is working for me; the firm is very reliable and the price is less than Hydropol, which also works. I had already discussed this matter on the website when I was considering trying electro-osmosis. I was criticised by amateurs trying to do it themselves and by masons, who make a living by undercutting houses. I don’t rule anything out before trying it. I have tried DryPol and am satisfied. I can present the report as proof. I still draw attention to the problem of heating stone buildings. This is a matter that needs to be studied and consulted with an expert.

Ivan Malík