• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
DIY Doctor

Main navigation

      • Project Type A - E
      • All Projects
      • Brick, Block, Masonry and Concrete
      • Damp, Condensation, Rot and Woodworm
      • Doors, Windows and Conservatories
      • Electrical
      • Project Type F - G
      • Fencing, Decking, Paving and Patios
      • Floors, Walls, Ceilings and Lofts
      • Garages, Sheds and Outbuildings
      • Gardening and Landscaping
      • General Building, Self Build and Renovation
      • Project Type G - J
      • General Repairs and Cleaning
      • Green Living and Eco DIY
      • Ground, Foundations and Drainage
      • Heating, Central Heating and Boilers
      • Joinery and Carpentry
      • Project Type M - P
      • Materials, Fixings and Fixing
      • Painting, Decorating and Finishing
      • Planning Regs, Project Management and Safety
      • Plastering, Plasterboard and Rendering
      • Plumbing
      • Project Type R - T
      • Roofing and Gutters
      • Tiling and Tiles
      • Tools, Appliances and Access
      • Useful Tips
      • DIY Tips
      • Find a Tradesman
      • Contract Download
      • Working With Tradesmen - Ultimate Guide
      • Home Improver Protection
      • Price Doctor
      • About DIY Doctor
      • What we do
      • Trade Shows and Exhibitions
      • Master Classes
      • Book Store
      • Contact Us
      • Feedback
      • DIY Competitions

Home > Search for DIY Projects by Trade Type > DIY Projects and How-To Guides Covering Damp and Damp Problems

DIY Projects and How-To Guides Covering Damp and Damp Problems

This page includes links to all of our Damp DIY how to projects. Browse through the below list and click on your chosen link to view the project information.

  • Condensation running down window

    Condensation - How to diagnose and cure various condensation issues including condensation on walls, in double glazing and on toilet cisterns


  • Damp tide line above skirting board

    Damp and Mould - Find DIY projects covering damp, efflorescence, DPC's, tanking and a host of other damp related topics, including causes and how to fix them


  • Deathwatch beetle damage to timber

    Rot and Woodworm - DIY projects and tutorial guides covering rot, wet rot, timber decay and woodworm problems and how to diagnose and fix any issues


Damp causes damage to buildings in many different ways. Damp can cause mould and wet rot, rotting in timber (which in turn can attract insect infestation). Damp walls can suffer from Freeze/Thaw action which can blow the surface off bricks and stone, and damp can also cause plaster or render to swell, crack and crumble.

Damp on internal blockwork walls

Damp on internal blockwork walls

Mould and rot are very bad for the structure of the building, Rot will cause damage, but mould, and especially black mould has spores that can affect your health. This is especially dangerous for children, the elderly and especially asthmatics and others with breathing difficulties. It should be treated along with the underlying cause, as soon as possible.

Basically water is essential and unavoidable, but you want to make sure you keep it very well controlled in your home.

There are various ways your house can suffer from Damp.

Water can get into your home from above: for example if you have a leaking roof, or ill fitting windows and doors.

Water can get into your home by ‘ingress’, where water is soaking in through the wall material. This can be caused when water is allowed to run down the wall, for example when a gutter is damaged, or where an overflow continually runs unchecked.

Or damp can be cased by a leak from somewhere inside the house, for example from a damaged pipe, or a leaking waste on appliances or sanitary fittings.

Finally Damp can come in from below, known as rising damp. This can happen if your property does not have a damp proof course (DPC), or where the DPC is damaged. It can also occur if the DPC has been breached by a new building being added or if earth is piled up against the building, forming a bridge above the DPC that moisture can travel along.

All modern houses are built with a damp proof course in place. A DPC is a special heavy-duty plastic sheet that is laid at 150 mm above ground level, and before the floor slab (where there is one) is cast. An earlier form of DPC involved laying a course of slate in the walls, because slate is an impermeable stone and resisted rising damp in the walls.

A vertical damp proof course works in the same ways as horizontal DPC. A horizontal DPC stops damp rising up from the ground below and through your walls, a vertical DPC is used to stop water travelling sideways through masonry and other surfaces which may come in contact with each other. Vertical DPCs are usually installed around windows and doors when they are installed in cavity walls.

Primary Sidebar

Our Next Event


DIY Doctor at the Homebuilding and Renovating show Sandown Park 2025

Master Basic DIY - By DIY Doctor

Our Book - Master Basic DIY

Grab your copy now for all the DIY help you need right at your finger tips!

Buy it Here!

Signup for our Newsletter

Keep up to date with our DIY projects, tips and latest deals

Sign Me Up!

Our Sponsors

Find out about advertising on DIY Doctor

Advertisments

Footer

DIY Doctor company logo

Here at DIY Doctor, we offer completely free DIY and construction help and advice to any and all, from professional tradesmen, exactly as they would do it.

We have hundreds of DIY project tutorials covering all aspects of building and DIY that provide step by step instructions on how to complete your given task.

If you need a little help then we also have an active question and answer forum and a find a trademan service and much more.

Site Menu

  • DIY Doctor Ltd,
    The Workshop,
    Newbury Works, Somerset,
    BA3 5RX

  • 0845 6342 179

  • Contact Us

  • Company Number: 05863375
  • VAT Number: 811134774

Other Stuff

  • About DIY Doctor
  • Contact DIY Doctor
  • Media and Press
  • DIY Projects
  • UK DIY Forum
  • DIY Doctor Suppliers
  • DIY Webinars

DIY Doctor Social Channels

  • Advertise
  • Competitions
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Information
  • NHIC
  • Sitemap

DIY Doctor are members of:

© DIY Doctor Ltd 2025 All Rights Reserved