martin epps - services in detail

Martin Epps can undertake any building preservation work you require and our solutions are always bespoke to your individual requirements. Please don't consider these details as an exhaustive list, but are intended to give you an idea of the kind of services we can undertake.

initial survey

Our philosophy is not to provide a 'free' survey. By charging a nominal fee of just 45 pounds, we are able to ensure we provide an honest and expert assessment to our customers, without needing to find uneccessary work in order to recoup our expenses. This fee is fully refunded if remedial work is required and undertaken.

TREATMENT OF RISING DAMP

CHEMICAL DAMP COURSE

The most effective method of introducing a chemical damp course into brickwork or stonework is by saturating a mortar course of the fabric with Silicone Water Repellent fuild under pressure. The resultant chemical waterproof membrane forms a barrier which effectively prevents any further damp rising by coating the pores of the material with a crystalline deposit of Silicone. this stops any further capillary action and allows the moisture trapped in the wall above the dampness to dry out.

We begin by removing skirtings and other joinery (including floorboards, if necessary) from inside faces of external walls and from both sides of internal partition walls. We cut away plaster or other surface rendering 1 metre above floor level to remove hygroscopic salts or expose approximately 150mm deep area of bare brickwork or masonry. If fungal decay of timber is revealed, a separate report and estimate will be prepared for remedial treatments.

The quickest and most effective results for brickwork are obtained by drilling the bricks / mortar joints at approximately 114mm centres to a depth of approximately 63-76mm in the desired course. The fluid is then pumped in until it starts to emerge from the surface of the mortar.

Where approximately 228mm walls are concerned, i.e. approximately 343mm or 457mm, the process will have to be repeated two or three times. Where structures are built of particularly hard bricks, concrete blocks or stonework, it may be preferable to drill into mortar joints.

We insert a similar vertical damp proof course where garden walls or other porous brickwork or masonry abuts onto affected walls of the building using the above technique.

Finally, we plug exterior holes: interior holes need not be plugged and are generally hidden by skirting boards or plaster.