DPR were recently called to a student home in Leeds that had a horrendous damp problem. The home which was clean for a student property had a awful damp patch in the living room which had been caused by years of problems.

Our team were initially asked to inspect dampness noted to the lounge wall and to inspect washing machine connections. After the inspection however, it was nothing to do with the washing machine, instead caused by a gutter.

The wall was found to be suffering from heavy penetrating dampness via gutter/roof defects which is evident on external walls also. The plaster is significantly damaged with efflorescent salt contamination and requires immediate removal/renewal to prevent airborne moisture attacking such and this can only be carried out once the external defects are remedied.

As a result our team had to undertake a range of different steps to solve the problem. Firstly, we had to remove all damp affected wall plaster and ensure that the wall was completely dry.

We then had to fit our DPR membrane system to prevent and protect from saturated brickwork. Once this has been completed, our team then applied new plaster to the wall to a smooth finish. It was agreed that the client would attend to the décor.

To prevent this from happening again, we also had to address the issue with the guttering. To ensure we conformed to all the current health and safety legislations, we had to erect scaffold to complete the work. Then our Leeds roofs completed a thorough cleaning out and unblocking of the gutters above. We also carried out localised roof repairs which we noticed when clearing the gutters.

This problem is not uncommon and can happen often if guttering is not cleared properly. This home has suffered from this before but each time instead of dealing with the guttering, the tenants just removed the damp and painted over the wall. It would then dry out during the summer months when we had less rain.

This example just echoes our claims that checking your gutters are clear is vitally important. If you are based in Leeds and require a gutter clearance service, or have noticed damp forming in your home and would like someone to check out some of the reason, please do not hesitate to contact us on: 0113 3470918.